Seriously, do things like New Year’s resolutions really matter anymore? Yes, they do, and here’s the quick version of why that is.
Resolutions don’t need to be a negative comment on the past or an admission of defeat. At their best, resolutions are an act of thoughtful reflection, of manifestation. Even if 2014 was the best year of your life, it’s still a great idea to focus on all of the positivity that is yet to come.
There’s nothing wrong with change, and hoping for something to change is not the same as expressing dissatisfaction with your life now. Life is always changing anyway, whether we want it to or not. Instead of clinging to a rock in the river, navigate! Fix your sights on the horizon and make your way where you’d like to go. That’s what resolutions help you do.
So what resolutions matter this year?
Exercise
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could fight stress, boost your mood, improve your performance at work, keep yourself from getting sick, and look even better than you do now? Actually, it’s all within reach and not that amazing, because these are all benefits of even moderate amounts of exercise.
Prioritize People You Love
You will never look back on your life and wish you had washed more dishes or spent more time at work; you just won’t. Take that extra time with people you care about, right now, while you have it. Day by day as it becomes habit, you’ll find that you’re a much happier person.
Start Cooking Real Food Again
You don’t need to be a gourmet or hours of time to cook real food. You just need access to fresh food and a search engine: no problem! If you try even once a week all year, by the end of the year you will have improved your skills so much you won’t recognize yourself in the kitchen—seriously. Meanwhile, you’ll be cooking healthier, tastier food that helps you stay fit.
Put. Down. The. Phone.
Seriously, this gets more relevant every year. Put that thing down unless you’re by yourself. Whatever it is that you’re doing can wait! Remember what table manners used to mean? Can you imagine how rude you and your children with cellphones in hand would look at a dinner table if you went back in time 50 years? Put them down for half an hour and pay attention to some humans for a change. It’s good for the soul.
Turn The Golden Rule Inward
We say such mean things to ourselves sometimes—things we would never say to anyone else. Stop saying those things. Really make an effort. The golden rule tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated, right? Let’s treat ourselves that way, too. That’s the golden rule for 2015, to include ourselves in that.
