14 New Year Resolutions

You Need To Adapt Quickly

 “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

Php 3:13 NKJV

Hello Golden Divas!

New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes, therefore here comes the “The New Year Resolution!”

So what exactly is a New Year Resolution?

A New Year’s resolution is a tradition or a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year. It is where we resolve to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve our lives.

Ladies, that definition sounds quite doable for the most part, but why do we continuously make New Year Resolutions every year, when we know after the first month all of them become broken promises?

Unless you are the few and I do mean few that really can keep their resolutions, I applaud you. However, if you’re honest with the rest of us how many of those resolutions did you keep last year Golden Divas?

I’m not a big fan of making a New Year Resolutions every year because I’m not committed to carrying them out, nor I was focused enough to make them my priority. But…don’t get me wrong, I applaud the sister that is willing year after year to attempt and try even if it is for the first day to put her plan into action.

However as strange as this may sound if it’s on my vision board and it is a set goal I can adhere to it so much faster. I know resolutions, goals, and vision board to-do lists are practically the same; but in the past, I blew some of my resolutions on my list the first two weeks.

I know…. I know just trifling, or I’m a procrastinator, call it what you may. Either way, the list fell to the waste side. “It wasn’t like I wasn’t trying or anything, I truly was, but I didn’t stay focus long enough to see it through.”  This is my story, and I’m sticking with it!” LOL!

I know what you’re thinking….excuses….excuses…excuses and you know what you’re right. I had a lot of them. However, procrastination will not steal my time this year. I’m tired of promising myself that I will do better, I mean resolutions only happen if you “resolute” meaning staying steadfast and unwavering to the task at hand; whether it is on a vision board or a piece of paper. It’s entirely up to you to persevere and make your goals a reality from start to finish.

That means changing your mindset and making up your mind to become a better you. Golden Divas as I was reading my daily devotional and I came across (4) resolutions that I need to adapt to as quickly as possible and keep this year.

1. Take time for what matters

Start getting up earlier and spending more time with God by reading your Bible and praying before rushing into your day. 

• Make more time for your family.
• Start exercising and eating right.
• Take better care of your body; after all, it is God’s temple.

2. Tackle one thing at a time

• Do not take on too many things at once, it can dilute your focus, and it makes it harder to stick with things.
• When you start too much, you finish too little.
• Start where you are and build on your successes by mastering and maintaining one thing at a time.

3. Start Small

• Baby steps are the name of the game
• Talk in terms of what you will do, instead of what you won’t do. For example: Instead of saying, “I’m not going to be so critical,” try saying, “Today I’m going to look for something good in everyone I meet.”

4. Record your progress or lack of it!

• You can’t manage what you can’t measure
• By facing the truth, you’ll see how far you’ve come and what you need to work on.

The Bible says, “Throw yourself into your tasks so…everyone will see your progress.” (1Ti4:15 NLT).

Take a look at the top 10 New Year Resolutions made by millions every year striving to do better!

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of camaraderie at a favorite restaurant or take the family to an ideal place for family fun. Work shouldn’t always come first!

2. Fit in Fitness

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape.

3. Tame the Bulge

Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.

4. Quit Smoking

If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life! Locally, there are a variety of free support services, hotlines, and smoking cessation classes to help you kick the smoking habit.

5. Enjoy Life More

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a favorite resolution in recent years. It’s an essential step to a happier and healthier you! Consider a holistic healing center for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind, and soul. Or just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance or head to the local spa.

6. Quit Drinking

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to stop drinking finally, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. Alcoholics Anonymous offers meetings throughout cities abroad. There is also a group for Parents of Teenage Alcohol and Drug Abusers. There are also some treatment-based programs, as well as support groups for families of alcoholics.

7. Get Out of Debt

Was money a significant source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

8. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the most natural, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Community Colleges offer a wide variety of “lifelong learning” courses, and local YMCAs offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs.

9. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could use your help. There are organizations out there that can make it easier for you by connecting volunteers with projects to fit practically any schedule. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing, and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

10. Get Organized

On just about every New Year Resolution top ten lists, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life. I bet you can find local professional organizers who can help you reduce the clutter in your life and find peace in your home. 

Golden Divas let stay focused this year and complete the resolution so that YOU can become a better YOU!!

Resources:

https://www.tripsavvy.com/popular-new-years-resolutions