January focus – your physical health
Most of the resolutions people make in January seem to be about physical health...exercising more, losing weight, making healthy food choices, etc. So let's tackle those! Let's explore why most people are great at starting healthy goals, but usually give up within the first few weeks. Let's skip the pills and expensive diet products (which don't lead to long-term success anyway) and figure out what the real culprits are that sabotage our progress.
February focus – get organized (your house, your schedule, your finance, etc.)
The second biggest resolutions stem around bringing some order to the chaos, whether that's organizing your messy house, learning to manage your time better, simplifying your overly busy schedule, or figuring out how to move beyond living paycheck to paycheck.
March focus – find your calling, your mission, or your life's purpose
Still don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life? Feeling like every day is just a carbon copy of the day before, without purpose or direction? Feeling insignificant? How can you get anywhere if you don't know where you want to go? Don't get swallowed up by the nothing. Take some time to figure out who you are, what you want, and where you want to go. Then, let's create a map to get there.
April focus – remove obstacles standing in the way
Every one has their own version of Kryptonite...one or more obstacles that just keep reappearing, which threaten to destroy everything you have built. Sometimes these influences are external, like a coworker or toxic relationship. Sometimes they are internal forces--something inside yourself that you are fighting, like depression, anxiety, or an addiction. Maybe your Kryptonite isn't quite so large. Maybe it feels more like a pebble in your shoe. You might think that small pebble isn't big enough to bother with. However, it can become a larger nuisance. Even a smallest drop of water can change the face of a rock with enough time and repetition.
May focus – expand your bubble
It's really easy for me to get caught up in my own little life and totally forget about the stuff that's happening outside my four little walls. Sometimes I need a reality check. I need to gain a better awareness of the the
larger world around me. I also want to explore some of the ways we [the normal, average person] can get involved and help (or at the very least, not contribute more to the mess).
June focus – reduce your carbon footprint
Following the above theme of gaining awareness, there are little habits we can change, that will make a difference in our world. Maybe not overnight, but hopefully these tiny things will make the world a better place for those who come after us.
July focus – grow your mind and your skills
I don't know about you, but when I finally graduated from college, I was totally ready to be done with learning. Yet, I also quickly realized that I am a much happier person when I am engaged in growing in some way. Whether that is learning to play an instrument or taking a pottery class, there are lots of benefits to continuing your education.
August focus – better communication, better relationships
About 10 years ago, I attended training to learn how to communicate more effectively. Game changer. It was truly eye-opening and it has spared me from many arguments. It's so much easier to avoid getting caught up in the drama when you understand what's causing the drama in the first place. While I've come a long way in this department, there's always room for improvement.
September focus – get reconnected
Once we've gotten better at communicating, it's time to get reconnected. In this digital age, it's entirely possible to go through whole days without actually talking to anyone. While the internet and cell phones make it so much easier to connect with people, I think we still don't really feel connected. We feel isolated and lonely. Let's explore some ways to get reconnected, to people and to nature.
October focus – plan for the future
This is a hard one for me. I find it very difficult to plan ahead when I can't see what's coming up around the corner. I also think we can make ourselves crazy if we try to plan for every potential pitfall and every possible scenario. It's a gamble, and I often bet wrong. Life seems to throw me a lot of curve-balls that I just could not have predicted or planned for. So then, it makes me want to throw in the towel. Why bother planning for bridges I may never cross? Let's just cross the bridges when we come to it. Well...that's bitten me in the butt too. Is there, perhaps, a healthy balance to be found? I think there is. I think there are some simple things we can do to be more prepared for whatever comes our way, without totally going overboard.
November & December focus – growing personal virtues (forgiveness, generosity, patience, honesty, etc.)
I saved these for last because they are so subjective. Whether someone is considered to be patient or generous can be a matter of personal opinion. For example, some people tell me I'm a very positive person, and that makes me laugh, because the nickname my siblings gave me growing up was, "Nega-weenie." It definitely depends on the circumstance. According to Wikipedia, "personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness." I've chosen a few that I think are important--virtues I would
like to embrace and embody--and I'm hoping you will too.
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