Well, it is that time of the year again. As soon as you look on Facebook, everyone from your little cousin who doesn’t need a Facebook to your grandma who cannot even work her account, has made one or more New Year’s resolutions. It always kind of bothered me when people made all these resolutions, especially when they have lived the complete opposite all year long. Now, I know that the idea is that you want to change specific aspects of your life. The problem is that if you don’t fix the root issue, then you will never fix the obvious things that you want to change this year. My challenge to you this year is, rather than make resolutions to change individual aspects of your life, make a resolution to changes in your lifestyles as a whole. Below are just a few ideas to help guide you along.
Instead of saying you want to lose “X” pounds, make it your goal to live a healthier life. If you go and buy a year’s membership to the gym on January 2nd, but you stop at McDonalds and have 2 Big Macs on your way home, chances are that you have just wasted a ton of money and are setting yourself up for disappointment. Rather than spend all that money and go for 2 weeks before you quit because you haven’t lost weight, sit down and find out places in your life where you could be healthier. Figure out what junk you are eating, and fix it. Make it a point to exercise 3 or 4 times a week and to go outside. Cook dinner vs eating out every night. Get a good night’s sleep every night. Change your mindset and the rest will fall into place.
Don’t plan to “find that special someone”. Plan to always be happy and know that you are special. If you left 2016 single, I hope that you find your forever person, but don’t go in making that your goal. If your happiness for the year relies on someone else, then you are walking a dangerous road. Make your resolution to be happy this year, regardless of what happens in your love life. I am confident that there is someone out there for everyone. We just don’t know God’s timing in putting our lives together. Plan and work to be happy and you will be just fine.
Lastly, make sure that you are truly making your resolutions for you. If your goal is to get healthy, make sure you are doing it for you and not to impress someone else. As I said from the beginning, don’t just change an individual aspect of your life. Change your lifestyle. These things should happen because you want to better yourself. If you are doing these things for someone else, then you might as well not change at all.
When it comes to making New Year’s resolutions, people will say anything. It is easy to say we are going to change. It is an entirely different monster to actually do it. Just make sure that whatever you decide needs changed about yourself, is really what you need. Change your lifestyle, work hard, do it for you, and enjoy the entire process. You will love what you become, if you work hard. I hope you had a great 2016. Let’s all make 2017 the best year yet.
C.Long