Making New Years resolutions is the thing to do, right? Make a long or short list of things you want to do better in the coming year and hope for the best. But what is the point? We start out strong enough, but after about a week we slow down and before the end of the month we have dropped it completely. In theory, they are a good idea. Trying to improve your health or lifestyle. But if they don’t last, or stress us out, should we be making resolutions?

I don’t think there is anything wrong with the idea…just the execution of it. We tend to get over zealous and bite off more than we can chew, then choke on it. This year, let’s try a different approach. Let’s start by taking smaller bites and steps and working our way up. Remember the saying, “slow and steady wins the race.” That turtle knew what he was doing, and I think we can take some lessons from him. We tend to want to get things done big and fast! And, while there is admiration in that, it’s not always practical…or the best and most assured way of accomplishing your goals.

Here are some of the most popular New Years Resolutions that people make, and some ideas on how to accomplish them. BUT…here’s the catch! DON’T pick as many as you want to do!! JUST PICK ONE! Start out with the one you want to accomplish the most, start out small and slowly build up until it has become a habit…then you can move on to another one.

1. Limit Toxins

We know there are a lot of toxins in our every day lives, and not just from the food we eat, but from the products we use and the things we are around. Start by picking ONE toxic thing to get rid of or replace. Things like makeup, soap and beauty products, cleaning supplies and scented candles are all good places to start cleaning up the toxins in your daily life.

2. Limit Technology

This one is tricky. Our cellphones, computers and TV can tend to rule our lives. We spend the majority of our day starting at a screen, watching entertainment, chatting with someone, looking up something or just scrolling through Pinterest or social media. But we also work on them…SO…set up a reasonable amount of time to be on your devices each day, and don’t deviate from it. Limit distractions that would cause you to take longer in your work. Don’t keep your phone with you all the time. When you are with spending time with family and friends, put it away, and show them that they are more important to you than anything you can find on a screen. And try and keep your phone out of your bedroom at night. Turn off all your devices about an hour before retiring and place your cellphone in the next room.

3. Drink More Water

We ALL need to drink more water. But sometimes it is hard…we don’t feel like it, we forget, or we just don’t like the taste of it right now. Here is a way I have found to get more water in your body…without necessarily realizing it: Do you have a water bottle? Good. Keep it full, and keep it nearby. While you are working, watching a movie, listening to something, or out and about. When you get bored, or start thinking about what you are working on, instead of waling to the kitchen to munch on a snack…reach for your water bottle. It empties faster than you might think when you start doing it by habit.

4. Eat Less Junk Food

Let’s face it…the American diet is mostly junk food: Sugar, Soda, Dye, Processed Foods, MSG, GMOs, etc. But, we can make better choices and start eliminating those nasty foods…it will just take some time and a lot of determination. You can start by slowly eliminating one thing a week/month. (Now, this will mean you have to start reading labels.)

5. Exercise More

This is not as hard as you might think. You don’t have to go all out at the beginning. Start one day at a time, adding a day each week. And it could be as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood, slowly building up the intensity.

6. Spend More Time Outside

Again, this is more simple than you might think. Taking a walk once a day, having your daily devotions outside, sitting outside and watching the sunset with your family, going to the park (you can even take your work or a project with you, if you are able).

7. Eat Healthier

We all say we should get more fruits, vegetables, protein, supplements, vitamins and minerals. If you decide to take some junk food out of your diet it becomes easier to add in these types of foods and eat a healthier diet.

8. Spend More Time with Family

It is easy to allow other things to get in the way of spending time with family. Don’t schedule activities every day of the week. Pick a day to be family night. Play some games, watch a movie, work on a project together.

9. Be More Productive

You have to prioritize. Make a list of the things you wish to accomplish during the week (starting with the highest priority), limit distractions. Then start going down the list each day. If a lower priority task does not get accomplished when you wish, it’s OK. Keep working on it. And you soon get into a groove for completing the tasks that are most important. It may mean giving up something on your “want list” in order to get a job done. We have time for, and accomplish the things we want most…and when we focus on what we are doing.

10. Be More Positive

We can all be a Negative Nancy in our world today. There is a lot of things to think negatively about. But what we don’t always see are the thousands of things to be thankful for each and every day. Did you know there are several things to be thankful for each day? And I am only asking you to think of ONE. Each day, look for one thing you can be thankful for, write it on a piece of paper and place it in a jar. Then, at the end of the year, you can open it up and read about all the good things God gave you each day of the year!

New Years resolutions ARE attainable, we just have to look for a different way of accomplishing our goals. And if you stumble or miss some days/steps along the way…just pick yourself up and keep moving forward. That is the key: the direction, not the speed. So DON’T GIVE UP!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!