In my blog last week, I wrote about reflecting on the past year and thinking about the New Year ahead. Even if you did not make any resolutions, there might be parts of your life that you would like to change or improve in 2016. Try these 3 easy ways to keep New Year’s resolutions.
Usually, there are four areas for us to initiate change: finances, work, relationships, and health. If we can think of these four areas like spokes on a wheel, the center to all of them is spirituality. It is what ties all the areas together and spirituality is what helps us change and survive any difficult times. Do your New Year’s Resolutions include one of these areas?
3 Easy Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
1. Take small steps. – If you start with small steps, you are more likely to stick with it. For example, maybe your resolution is to join a gym and workout. If you have ever been to a gym in January, you know this is a popular resolution. The gym is very crowded for about a month and then in February, it goes back to the usual members. So, a small step might be to commit to one class and one other workout each week. Or if getting to the gym is proving to be hard, go to the gym once a week and take a walk once a week.
2. Pick only two or three changes or resolutions to start. – Last month I wrote a review on a new book by Deepak Chopra called “Super Genes.” He listed six areas for change and gave checklists with many choices to pick from. Deepak stressed to pick only one or two items to change. He felt that would be a great start and realistic. When you see the difference a few changes can make, you will add other ones. For example, if you want to eat healthier in 2016 make one or two changes to start. You might go meatless one day a week and commit to eating a salad every day.
3. Commit to a spiritual practice every day. – A consistent spiritual practice will help you keep those changes and also help you deal with whatever 2016 has in store for you. It could be prayer, meditation, inspirational reading, spending time in nature or spending time in silence. There are a myriad of ways and this just might be the most important commitment you make this year.