Saturday, January 1, 2011

Making My Resolutions


I love making resolutions each New Year. I usually make between 1 and 5 resolutions, and each year I do well on 1 or 2, and drop the ball on 1 or 2. I have a particular resolution that I have made several years in a row now, and even though I have not been perfect with it yet, I have done better and better each year. Last year I did pretty darn well with it, so I think this is the year I kill it!


Resolutions are funny because we really should make them as life happens, as we realize we need to make a particular change. I think we do this occasionally, when something smacks us across the face and makes itself so obvious that we have no choice but to make a change. But at least for me, I make most of my serious assessments for change each new year. Maybe one of my resolutions this year should be to assess my life and tweak my resolutions on a monthly basis or something. Hmmm... I guess I will have to think about that a bit more.


Some of my resolutions are extremely personal, so I don't share them with others. But there are a few that I have had in the past that I don't mind publishing. Here they are:


Lose weight

Exercise on a regular basis

Read scripture every day

Run a half marathon

Write in a journal daily

Pay an full tithe each and every paycheck

Verbalize my appreciation each day


I am grateful for the tradition of New Year's Resolutions because I have become a better, healthier, more well rounded person by participating in it. I have enjoyed making exercise part of my daily routine in the past 3 years, and I have found it personally rewarding to verbalize my appreciation daily. I am going to ponder the needs and desires I have for the coming year to maximize the potential outcome of the resolutions I make for 2011. I haven't decided what will make the list this year quite yet, but I am sure I will have it together in the next day or so.


I am excited to hear if any of my friends that read this blog (meaning YOU!) make New Year's Resolutions, and what some of your resolutions have been in the past. Bring on the ideas!

4 comments:

Beth said...

Hi sweetie. Happy New Year to you and yours!

My resolution this year is a single, simple sentence that will guide me through the year ahead: "Do What Matters Most".

I am hopeful that this directive will cause me to act when I feel the prompting, to sift through the "shoulds" to find the things that have lasting significance.

I put this into practice beginning on New Year's Eve and have already found myself acting instead of procrastinating--or, as is often the case, telling myself I'll do a better job of something if I wait until I have more energy/have completed some household tasks/wait until the end of the day. On New Year's Eve, when I thought of calling my favorite aunt, I I sat right down and did it--dinner was about a half an hour "late" but I had a wonderful conversation with an 85 year old woman. Really, how could I ever postpone that?

Thanks for writing about this, because every time I share my resolution or think about its potential, I am renewed in my determination to carry it out.

Away we go to 2011!

Chrystal said...

AWESOME! I have shared many of those on your list! I have also tried to increase my temple attendance - make it every month, or twice a month depending on the last year. I've also had an increase of quality time with my kiddos, or stop gossip, or stuff like that...Good luck and Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

Beth, that is a wonderful resolution! How simple, yet profound. Dan and I have been talking about our goals a lot lately and truly the best goal for me right now is to set concrete goals. There is such power in really firming up your true desires and writing them down in detail...every time we have done this we have acheived those goals. Great post Tara!

Merry said...

I like that goal to verbalize your appreciation every day. I think that I will add that to my list!

Are you doing a Hoppers team for the Walk MS 2011? I was thinking about doing a blog post and starting to spread the word for this year. Let me know.