New Years Resolutions and Getting Organised


9 Best Places To Spend New Year's Eve
"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." 


For as long as I can remember, I have set New Year's Resolutions that I have (surprise, surprise) not been able to stick with.  Things like lose 20 kilos or cut out caffeine.  This time around, I thought I might take a different approach.  Again on January 1st, I made 13 resolutions, that I will endeavor to work through, however, already just three weeks later, I realise how hard it is to get these larger goals into play.  So today I have started to break down my resolutions into mini-resolutions.   I took a photo, which is a habit I'm trying to start (I want an album with the whole year in it). Rather than saying that “I am going to cut out caffeine”, I have made the commitment at the beginning of each day to give up caffeine for ‘today’. 

Today I made a commitment to make my bed before I started any work.  I made this goal and felt good about it.  So again, as my partner would say: start light then slowly build to a great height!

So far, I've come up with about 50 mini-resolutions. Some of its stuff like "remember to floss" and "drink more water."

Some Ideas for helping with good routines:

  1. Get a juicer. Make a fresh juice every morning. It's a fantastic way to start the day.
  2. Don't buy anything ready-made. Get into a routine of making what you eat yourself.
  3. Buy seasonal; an extension of this is buy products that are both local and do not use carbon-intensive farming techniques.
  4. Start a recipe blog. Cook from it at least 3 x times a week.
  5. If you want a good way to save money, then choose a note or coin and ensure that every time you get one you don't spend it, but put it in a savings pot. For example, a $2 coin or in my case, simply 5 cent pieces.
  6. Getting up really early, and go out and do something. Walk the block. Take photos. Go for a swim. Learn to rollerblade. It's hard doing a long project, and it's natural to want a rest, so have a defined start and end date so you don't wear yourself out, and then try something else.
  7. My thing is to try and learn a new skill each year. I've learned lighting and sound technicals, Guided Imagery, The Art of Illusion, Improv Theatre and taught myself to play Saxophone. This year I am going to learn drumming facilitation! I can't profess to be an expert or keeping things up, but each time I've been rewarded tangentially - finding new friends or a new perspective on things.
  8. Spend ten minutes a day cleaning my room. When I stick with it, I'm much happier.

Daily

1. Breathing exercises. Take a minute to do some deep breathing.

2. Have a grateful thought (or 2,3,4 or 5).

3. Say thank you to someone, and share a smile.

4. Go for a ten-minute walk.

5. Wake up ten minutes earlier.

6. Stretch.

7. Do some pushups. (Another of my goals this year)

8. Write a short journal entry.

9. Take ten minutes after work to lie on the couch with a warm compress on your eyes.

10. Wash the dishes.

Weekly

1. Clear your inbox.

2. Eat out alone. (could be a picnic)

3. Balance your accounts.

4. Donate five dollars to a charity.

5. Go vegan for a day.

6. Play a game.

7. Go to a new place.

8. Do some indulgent body thing - a facemask or a self-pedicure.

9. Sweep and mop!

10. Empty out your junk drawer/basket.

I have certain days of the week when I do certain things, so I know they will be done at least weekly. Because trash day is on Thursday, Wednesday night I empty all the little trashcans in the house and clean out the old food in the fridge. Sunday I do laundry. Saturday I go grocery shopping. Just imposing a set routine - and remembering to stick with it - helped keep all my resolutions in order, and kept them from falling by the wayside.

How about you re-look at how you set yourself goals and see if you too can't be more productive at keeping your resolutions.