Getting Ready For A New Year

Now that Christmas is over my mind begins to prepare for the new year ahead.  Normally I'm not a big New Year's resolution type person, but this year I want to make a few changes in my life and what better time to start working on those than the new year.

I'm your typical 'Type A' personality.  The head strong, determined, over the top goal setter type who can accomplish anything I truly set my mind to.  This can be a good trait, but, like most things, also has a down side. One of my down sides is making goals that are almost impossible unless I devote 99% of my time to it in order to complete the goal perfectly.  Most 'Type A's' are perfectionists, and this is often more of a hindrance than a help.  If I set a goal and can't reach it perfectly then I will quit because I tend to feel like a failure.

This year I want to set a few goals that are reasonable and give myself permission to not be perfect in the hopes of making these changes stick.

Here is my New Year's resolution list:

• Begin to learn and practice yoga on a regular basis.
• Most of us have weight loss goals at the first of the year, and I should too, but this goal is more about managing stress and anxiety for me.

• Manage my time more efficiently so I can work on projects that bring me joy and serve my family.
• If I'm not careful I can over-commit myself and this causes tremendous stress to me and, in return, my family.

• Improve my diet.
• This is not about the latest diet fad or even weight loss, it's about health.  We have made tremendous changes in our diet in the last year but we still have a ways to go.  I want to see more whole organic food on our table.  This can be difficult with rising food prices, but, for me, less is more in this case.

• Get outside in the fresh air and sun and go explore the beautiful world around me.
• Since we want to be homesteaders our world tends to revolve around this house.  The only problem for us is that, at the moment, we are in an urban homestead and that doesn't leave us many options to explore the world around us.  We run from shopping centers, restaurants, and general city activities so it can be difficult to find a piece of nature that hasn't had concrete poured over it. I want to make an effort to find the natural world and engage in it more this year.

As you can see my list isn't grand and tends to address more stress related issues than anything, but that's where I'm at this year.  I encourage you to think about this coming year and what you would like to see happen.  Maybe it's your finances, maybe it's your health.  Whatever it is, you are worth the effort it takes to make these changes and your life will be the better for it.  I also encourage you to go easy on yourself. Our lives didn't get this way overnight and we can't expect them to change that quickly either.