“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.” ~G.K. Chesterton
Every year we make new year’s resolutions to lose weight, spend more time with family, find your true love. Within months, sometimes weeks, it all falls apart. I didn’t want to create another boring resolutions list. I wanted to create a life changing list, one that would save my life. A list I would start today, that would stick with me for years, and become habits instead of just a temporary to do list.
The best way to make a new year’s resolution list that sticks is to write it down and share it with everyone. So that’s exactly what I did.
Be grateful.
Over the years I’ve lost focus on what’s important, have forgotten the good things, but it’s never too late to change things around.
I kept a gratitude journal at one point. I wrote three things every day for which I was grateful for. It puts everything into perspective, reminds you of the good in your life, and sets you up for the following day. Things I’ve added to that list were, comfortable bed, delicious soup, 16 years with Elmo (my best buddy), kept calm when lost important receipts, those sorts of things.
There have even been studies where participants felt better about their lives, exercised more, and were most optimistic when they wrote a gratitude journal.
Say goodbye to perfectionism.
I’m a perfectionist, an annoying little trait that prevents me from sharing anything unless I think it’s perfect. I could never share anything that was just “good enough”, it was either perfect, or it got shelved. I have blog posts that I never posted because they felt incomplete. This kind of thinking is stressful and unproductive. There’s no growth when you hide everything you’re working on.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
I try to live without regrets, but recently have been plagued with self-doubt about the decisions I’ve made. Everyone is on their own path in life, I’m on another, and I’m ok with that. Who says which path is the “correct” path.
“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” ~Sven Goran Eriksson
No more excuses.
Over the years I’ve blamed something for my circumstances. My learning disability for being stupid, my ADD for never sticking with anything, my shyness for my social anxiety – I can go on.
Quite honestly, I’m tired of labels having this power over me. They’re just excuses I use so I don’t have to face fears in my life. Who has time for excuses anymore?! Not me.
Let go of my anger.
My anger has grabbed control of me. Instead of responding with reason, I let anger control how I respond to things. Anger can be a good thing, but I let it creep up way too often, and usually without control over it.
One part of my anger is passive-aggressive. I’ll complain about something instead of confronting it head on. I’ve always used anger instead of other emotions because it’s easier for me to live with. Not healthy.
Show up every day.
Whether it’s photography, writing, painting, or whatever else you do, show up every day. Even if you don’t do any work, just show up. Sit at your computer with the word processor open, stand in front of your easel with paint brush in hand, or have your camera on your side when you go for a walk. Make it a routine to show up daily, because if you don’t show up, you’ll never create that next great masterpiece.
Woody Allen said it best, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
Read, read, read.
There are many benefits to reading (reducing stress, being cheap therapy, and building your vocabulary are a few examples). Reading can ever help with your writing. I’ve never been a big reader, but this year I’m going for it.
Since I can’t buy all the books on my reading list, I’ll be borrowing them from my library, physical or ebooks. Project Gutenberg has free ebooks for download. Since the books there have expired copyright, they are free to download. There really is no excuse for not reading anymore.
All that being said, I’ll label this post as good enough and share it. Is it a perfect post? Not even close, but I’m ok with that.
Oh ya, there are a few small resolutions I almost forgot to add: lose weight, spend more time with family, and find my true love 🙂
What are some of yours new year’s resolutions?
