What Makes a Good New Year's Resolution?

Welcome to the last day of 2017! I've been busy gallivanting the globe (okay, really just Minnesota and back, with a hot second in Amsterdam) and while it's been wonderful to go home and see everyone I love, it's also taxing. I find myself cherishing this day, blogging in the comfort of my bed in my own living space with no one around. I spent the last three months hoping to be home sooner than later and now I'm just glad to be alone. Don't get me wrong, people are wonderful, but I pack them in and I don't schedule a second to breath. Everyone needs a down day every once in a while and today is my day after 17 days of chaos. 

In those 17 days I got the chance to see the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, saw the new Star Wars movie, finished our 5,000+ piece puzzle, celebrated Christmas with family, spent quality time with one pair of my niece and nephew, and saw friends. Oh, and then I got to spend a day in Amsterdam. 

The puzzle in all it's glory

Now I'm home, thinking about all of 2017 and the potential of 2018. 2017 was full of travel and change and challenges. I didn't officially set New Years Resolutions, but there were a few I thought I would like to accomplish. I wasn't able to read a book a month, but my husband and I were able to read the bible everyday for about 6 months. Our goal is to read all the way through it (I haven't, he has) so hopefully that can be accomplished in 2018. I wasn't able to blog once a week, but I blogged more this year than any other year since 2010. I didn't get a visible 6-pack (that's been a running resolution since 7th grade... it has occurred to me that it'll never happen) but I was able to get myself into a healthy BMI range — something I haven't been able to do in years. So I'm calling this year a win. 

This wasn't even the final schedule! Eek!

Not everyone loves resolutions. I find them refreshing. It's literally a NEW YEAR, a perfect time to quit bad happens, let go of all the things that you failed in the previous year and start fresh. Sure, everyday is a new day, but this one is celebrated all over the world. Millions of people are hitting "refresh" at the same time, saying "we're going to change" in unison. It's pretty powerful if you ask me. So yes, I join in the celebration and am happy to make resolutions like the rest of them. 

But how do you make a good resolution? How do make one that will last the whole year? Is that even the point? 

I think resolutions need to be scaled down. "I'm going to cure cancer." "I'm going to lose 100 lbs." "I'm going to read a book a week" "I'm going to never get angry again." These goals are lofty ambitions. Not bad, but hard to attain. On your road to bettering yourself, small steps create bigger change. 

Instead of aiming to lose 100 lbs, aim to lose one a month. In order to lose weight, it means you're either changing your exercise habits or your food habits. By making those changes, you'll create a new way of life and that is no small feat. You may lose 12 lbs for the year, or you may lose more because of the changes you made to lose that one pound. And sure enough, you'll find yourself meeting your lofty resolution soon enough. 

What about reading a book a week? What is it about that goal that you are trying to achieve? Is it to simply read more books? Or are you trying to read more and watch TV less? Is it to become knowledgeable in a subject or to expand your mind? Instead of aiming to devour dozens of books, think about taking a book slowly and diving into the words. Think about the theme, what the book says to you. Find the joy in the characters or the history that's unraveling. Read books from several genres to learn what you truly love. Maybe you'll read three for the year, maybe you'll read 10 because you can't put these books down. Anyone can skim a book — can you really read a book? 

Lofty resolutions can be nice, and may work for some, but I encourage you to think about your resolutions and decide if you can tone them down while still finding pleasure in them. 

So what are my New Year's Resolutions? Good question! I'd like to continue my journey of health and continue living a fit lifestyle. I'd like to keep reading the bible and *maybe* finish it this year. I'd love to travel to Paris, if not more places throughout Europe. I'd love to read more books than last year. I hope to grow my blog in some capacity (more followers, more readers, more blog posts, contributing posts, etc). They don't seem finalized, but that's what I'm going into the new year with. 

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and that you make the most of what 2018 has to offer! Get ready for more blogs from yours truly! 

Flying out of 2017 like

Always, 
A