New Years Resolution Help

Alexis Rae Baker

Dear Lexis,

I want to start the new year off right, but I can’t think of a good resolution. What would you suggest?

Thanks,

Curious in Lacey

Dear Curious,

While I’m not a big fan of resolutions (because they are generally short-lived), you can look at six avenues of life to find a positive way to improve yourself and your life. These avenues are physical health, financial wellness, relationship health, emotional well-being, mental strength, and spiritual development.

At any given time, five out of six of these avenues will generally be going well, but a part of life is growth, so there’s always something you would prefer to change. There are some predictable problem points: young families tend to struggle with money, and older families often struggle with relationship health. Every individual struggles with their emotions, mental strength, and spiritual development at some point in their lives, and then, of course, many of us understand the struggle of physical health.

So, take a few minutes, look at these six avenues and figure out which one stands out the most to you. Once you determine the answer to that, it becomes a matter of making a plan.

When it comes to a plan, though, try not to go too crazy. Start off small. Consistent, small changes are the key to true, lasting growth.

If you’re looking at a change in physical health, ten pushups a day could help you develop some additional muscle. Or, if you’re looking for weight loss, 100 fewer calories per day may decrease your weight by 10 lbs by the end of the year.

If you’re looking for a financial change, you can commit to putting a starting point of $100 into savings every month or dedicating one hour a day to building a business.

If you’re looking for better relationships, you could commit to having one additional conversation per day, one message to a potential mate on a dating app, or one more conversation with a friend or family member.

Emotional wellness could start as simple as taking 10 minutes to go over your latest argument and decide how you would have preferred to handle it, or it could mean taking those same 10 minutes to meditate.

Mental strength and spiritual development are generally approached in a similar way, although the subject matters tend to differ. Read for 15 minutes every day, watch one educational video, or take time to create your own content (which can help solidify information that you’ve learned).

Keep it simple, make a commitment, and you’ll soon find that your life will shift to accommodate the new change. Whatever path you choose to follow, I’m confident that you’ll find a way to move your life forward in a positive direction.

Time spent on self-development is time well spent.

I hope this helps you find some direction.

Best of luck,

~ Lexis

Lexis is Alexis Rae Baker. She writes from her home in Olympia.   Got a question about life, relationships, spirit?  Visit her at lexisrae.com or write to Lexis at  Lexis@theJOLTnews.com