photo credit: Atli Harðarson via photopin cc
I stopped writing New Year resolutions several years back because quite frankly, I found myself writing the same ones down every year….and I wasn’t doing much about them (or they wouldn’t make the list year after year). I think that we typically write things down we think we should, or make the list so long that it’s impossible to accomplish….or they are unrealistic. If you gained 25 pounds over the year, you can’t expect to take it all off in January. Or if you haven’t cleaned out the closets in years, well, chances are you can’t get it done in a day.
So instead, I like to make small lists that are easy to check off… I have a friend (Kristin) who told me she loves her lists so much and gets such a feeling of accomplishment every time she marks something off, that if she does something that wasn’t on the list, well, she’ll add it so she can mark it off….love that!
When my lists are unrealistic, I find myself falling in a slump and becoming overwhelmed…which then makes me feel bad, confused, and too tired to even start on it. Breaking up projects into monthly lists help. Cleaning out one drawer is more “doable” than every single one. Saying I’ll cook three homemade meals during the week instead of every single night….well, you get the point.
And while this year, I once again am not making a huge list of every single thing I want to accomplish or change, the one thing I am “resolving” to do is be kinder. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Ann Curry’s “26 acts of kindness“. If you’ve ever performed a random act of kindness, like letting the person behind you in line with only one item go ahead of you, well you’ll know that it not only makes the other person feel good, but you do too. And kindness is contagious. Every time I drive (which is when I become the least tolerant I admit) and someone lets me out or gestures for me to go ahead, I find myself doing it for another driver. One day I walked into the grocery store just as about 20 elderly people were entering the store (from an assisted living bus). I got to the carts before they did and as I pulled my own cart out, here came the first person off the bus. Well, I couldn’t not give the cart to her. She thanked me, said something like how nice I was, and well, I ended up standing there an extra 5 minutes as I pulled out a cart for each and every one of them. And even though I had been in a hurry and already behind schedule, that made my day! It was a very small thing but it put a smile on all their faces and mine.
You don’t have to have a lot of money or time to perform a simple act of kindness. To me, a lot of acts of kindness are simply being polite and having manners. And wouldn’t our world be a much better place if we all resolved to be a bit kinder this year?
Whatever your resolutions you make or don’t…..we hope that 2013 is a fabulous year for you, filled with lots of laughter, good health, kindness, and being able to provide for you and your loved ones.
Here’s a list of the most popular resolutions people make: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New-Years-Resolutions.shtml