5 New Years Resolutions for 2011

For 2011 make a New Years resolution that will actually make a difference in your life and others. Here are 5 resolutions to consider for 2011.

#5. Eating Habits
Although it is old and tired, changing your eating/drinking habits remains an important resolution to consider. I will be giving up soft drinks and energy drinks and replacing them with more water and tea. Many people have given up things from a certain type of meat to setting a daily calorie and/or fat limit. Working on reducing carbs and saturated fats are also great ideas to work into your New Years resolution.

#4. Exercise
Notice that this resolution is not weight loss, but exercise. Setting a specific weight loss goal can often inspire you to lose weight, but more times than not it can become frustrating and abandoned within the first month of the new year. Instead, set goals related to increasing your exercising. Whether setting a goal of times per week you head to the gym or a number of hours each week, these goals will increase your health and will not allow you to worry about specific weight loss goals.

#3. Random Acts of Kindness
Making a resolution to perform random acts of kindness should start with you setting aside a number of good deeds you wish to accomplish or a monetary limit. Random acts of kindness can be anything from paying for another couple's bill at a restaurant to shoveling the snow out of an elderly person's driveway. Not only do you feel good while performing the deed, it helps others, and may results in them passing on your good deed to another.

#2. Volunteer
Charities are always in need, maybe it's time you give back. For the resolution you should dedicate a specific amount of hours you wish to contribute to charity along with a list of charities you would consider volunteering at. If you accomplish your hours goal early in the year you may continue to volunteer as it is a rewarding experience. Good places to start is at a local Gospel Mission and Habitat for Humanity.

#1. Be Green
There is no better time to help improve the environment than right now. Going 'green' has been a rising topic for the past few years, but there is still time to improve your habits to help the environment. Along with recycling all plastics and paper products, work on reducing other emissions and saving yourself money by keeping electricity costs low and unplugging appliances when not in use. You don't have to go out and by a hybrid car, just set out specific ways you will be more environment conscious and how you will achieve them.

Have a great 2011!