Resolutions

I love me a good New Years Resolution list.  This list usually resides on a new, crisp piece of stationary paper-clipped in my new, shiny planner (to really get me in the resolution-y mood, you know?).

But if I'm really being honest with myself, the practice for me over the years became a bit of a joke. Yeah!  I'm gonna do yoga!  And Yeah!  I'm gonna take a cooking class  and Yeah!  I'm gonna join a club! all flooded my mind with such excitement.  But usually, come March I have gotten lost in the chaos of life and my once fresh, crisp New Years List is left mangled and shoved underneath some (probably expired) coupons.

It's good that we try.  We try to be better people every year.  But I've come to learn that the "once a year mentality" is a dangerous one.  Because we wait until a new year to make a change.  And it's usually 3 or 5 changes.  So we get overwhelmed.  Because we're most likely looking at resolutions that take time and effort.  So we say we're going to do something, maybe make an effort, and then quickly get caught up in day-to-day life.

Maybe this isn't you.  Maybe you're the king or queen of making a New Years resolution and crossing 'em off your list come December 31st.  But if the painted picture above is you, I'm here to say don't worry.

I couldn't tell you what was on my New Years resolution list from last year.  But what I can tell you is any goal I wanted to achieve or any resolution I wanted to make throughout the year, I wrote it on a note card and put the card in a place I would see it daily.  I chose my bedroom mirror.  Upon success, I took the card down, put it in journal and dated it.  And I saw results.  But I didn't start practicing this until almost July.  That's the beauty in resolutions and goals and changes.  We don't need a ball drop to make a change in our lives.

On a Tuesday in the middle of July is just as good as January 1st.

Don't let a passed, shiny "January 1" let you get discouraged.  Start now.  Wednesday.  January 7th.