By: Helen Polaski
To come up with New Year's resolutions ideas, start with a large-print calendar. Fill in all the special occasions and all individual and family routines, as well as personal goals. Place the calendar where you will see it every day, and you'll have a map for the new year to help you reach your goals.
Common New Year's Resolutions Ideas
- Be the best that you can be. Many people set New Year's Day as a time to lose weight, begin a workout program or simply get a little more exercise. Because getting in shape and staying in shape is something every person should do to stay healthy, it shouldn't be placed on a New Year's resolution list; instead, it should be a practice followed every day of the year. If you have one of these goals among your New Year's resolutions, try to commit to two days of exercise a week to begin with, then work your way up. Mark the days you hope to walk or work out on the calendar. If you have joined a gym, write the name of the gym as well as the time on the calendar as a reminder of where and when you hope to be on this day. If you set a goal of walking seven days a week, you may fail within the first week.
- Build family relationships. Spending more time with family members or becoming more involved in family matters is also something that should be an ongoing adventure. If, however, you have been neglectful, a good place to start is to place the birthdays of each family member on a calendar. Try and keep up throughout the year by calling or sending a birthday card. If you don't know the birthdays, start with a phone call. The first phone call can be the beginning of a very beautiful relationship.
- Improve your surroundings. While there is really no place or room for jealousy of the neighbors in anyone's daily schedule, there is always room for home improvement. If you want to make your home a little less cluttered or a little more manicured, start slowly and work you way up. Start by setting a schedule.
- Kick bad habits. Some bad habits that can be kicked and should be kicked are smoking and overeating. Both are habitual disasters waiting to happen. The best way to quit smoking is to make an appointment with your physician and have a complete physical. Ask his advice on how to quit smoking and then follow it. To stop overeating, analyze your days, figure out what the culprits are, then avoid them or find ways to cut back on them. For instance, if you are a habitual overeater, set goals that allow you certain times in which you can overeat without guilt. These times should be monitored and should not exceed healthy eating days and events. If you are unable to avoid holiday foods, set that as your monthly splurge or set one day a week as the day in which you can eat anything you choose.
- Become organized at home and at work. This may be the easiest goal. Start by designating one day a week as your clean-up day at work. Reorganize and de-clutter your workspace on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Reorganize and de-clutter your home on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
Check Your Calendar
Check your list of New Year's resolutions and make sure your calendar reflects each and every goal. Birthdays, anniversaries, special personal events and holidays should be added to the new calendar in one sitting. In other words, don't put it off or it may never get done correctly. Other items, such as exercise routines and reorganizing days, can be penciled in on a monthly basis. That way, if your work schedule changes, you can still keep up with exercise routines. If you fill in your own calendar and then follow it, you may find that your list of New Year's resolutions do exactly what New Year's resolutions should do: change your life for the better.
