New Years Resolutions

I love them, yet at the same time I hate them.

I find that, quite often, people set up goals for themselves that are to huge to be done in a year.

Take weight loss, for example. This is by far one of the most popular resolutions out there, and it doesn't help that society pushes the fact that only people that are as skinny as a rail are beautiful.

I think it's perfectly alright--wonderful, even--to make a resolution saying, "This year, I'm going to take care of myself. Try to eat healthier. Exercise more. Actually brush my teeth twice a day and wash my face."

If New Years motivates you to do great things, then that's amazing! But if what you say is, "This year, I'm going to loose so-and-so much weight," , then you are likely to get overwhelmed within the first week.

My advice--strive to do great things, but don't make a resolution that you know you can't keep. Or, if you do want to do something really big (my big resolution is to finish my book), than have that be your main one. Focus one thing that you want above all of your other resolutions--then stick to it.

And then, once you have your list, surround yourselves with people with similar goals. Pick people that are going through the same thing--ones that will encourage you and build you up when all you feel like doing is giving up. Then, do the opposite; encourage others in your group when they need it.

Take my list last year, for example. I wanted to do all sorts of things--learn two instruments, be able to speak two languages (English aside). . . .and some other ones that I honestly forget. Because I had such an extensive list, none of the things I wanted to do actually got done.

But my list this year is much more reasonable.

Start learning a language. Learn one instrument. Finish my book. These are things that I know, if I work hard at them, I can do.

I'm not telling you not to make big goals--trust me, I'm not. All I'm saying is this: Work your way up, and before you know it, you'll be as tall as a skyscraper.

~Elizabeth