New Years Resolutions

Well, we are now on the back-end of the month, and if you’ve made any New Year’s Resolutions, you are either going strong or you’ve given up…maybe not completely given up, though…perhaps just petering out.

So, what kinds of things do people make resolutions about? Why do they make resolutions? Well, I found a list of popular resolutions online, and some of the most popular ones are:

·         Drink Less Alcohol

·         Eat Healthy Food

·         Get a Better Education

·         Get a Better Job

·         Get Fit

·         Lose Weight

·         Manage Debt

·         Manage Stress

·         Quit Smoking

·         Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

·         Save Money

·         Take a Trip

·         Volunteer to Help Others

Growing up, I never once thought about most of these. The only subject for resolution that was ever talked about in my family was losing weight, eating healthier, working out. The health and weight in my family has never been great, and it’s something that most of us have struggled with at one time or another. It’s not that we grew up completely unhealthy, it’s just that we got into some bad habits and they have stuck with us for a very long time. Because of this, I have had a very negative stance on making a New Years Resolution to work out more, to be healthier, to lose weight, etc. I’ve felt like a failure too many times.

However, in my recent years as a mommy, I have found other reasons to make resolutions – they don’t all have to be about weight.

So, I do have a recently renewed outlook on resolutions and I no longer think they are all a waste of time, nor do I think that I will never make a resolution again. I do think that they can be very helpful to people to help break bad habits, as well as begin new and beneficial habits for a variety of things.

The other day I wrote about how I love the month of January because of the “New Beginnings”. I think that this all goes hand-in-hand. I don’t specifically make any resolutions, though I really do feel like January is a time to start fresh in pretty much anything and everything.

I would challenge you, though, to not just use January and the new year to make a fresh start. Every single day is a new dawn, and even if a resolution you have made is falling by the wayside, you have another chance to be a better you each and every day you are blessed with.

This is a struggle for me, and I’m assuming it is for others too. Like I mentioned the other day, it’s extremely easy to get bogged down in daily life. Let’s remember, though, that every day is a new day and a new beginning.

“Today forget your past, forgive yourself and begin again.” ~Unknown

So, make it a wonderful day!

~Evie