New Year's Resolutions - Change is a Choice

Resolution time... again. Every year we bargain with ourselves to make changes. Some we adhere to, some things we do undertake, but for many of us, no matter what resolution we make, within a month we are back to our "normal ways". Why do we need to bargain? Why do we struggle? With ourselves?

What or who defines normal... we do. We can change our normal any time, anywhere. It is a choice to make this commitment, but we can. ('You can do it, Brucie!' - from the movie, Matilda, one of my all time favorites.)

Commitment can be broken down into matters of control. What can we control about our choices and commitment? That might make it easier to tackle those pesky New Years resolutions.

This New Year I resolve to... change my appearance... because I can.

This is not a frivolous decision or a selfish one. Sometimes one change can be a catalyst for many. One small positive change can be the confidence foundation we need to risk take and improve other areas of our life. Get that hair cut and style, go bold with a new color (hair or lipstick!), get new face framing glasses or update your look with new shoes. (Just think of all the after Christmas sales you can hit to achieve this goal!)

This New Year I resolve to... pick a different shade of green... because I can.

How many of us have told ourselves that we were going to take better action in caring for our environment or know of people who spouted eloquently about the plight of our planet, yet when you saw them in the grocery store, their cart was full to the rim with over packaged, non recyclable items? Pick one thing you can do and do it. Start out with a light green... and decide your next color level at a later point. It is in your control. Switch one bill to online only for a possible start.

This New Year I resolve to... save a life... because I can.

Donate blood. Simple. Just one day, one afternoon go to your nearest Red Cross and donate one pint of blood. Encourage your family and friends to go along... make a day of it.

This New Year I resolve to... change my tune... because I can.

Are you stuck in a rut? Do you drive the same way to work daily? Is it a long commute? Switch to a different music station. Check out audio books from your local library. Take an alternate route a few times a month. One- it is safer to not have a programmed route home. Two- driving can be monotonous for some, so change can keep us more alert. Who knows what you might discover along a new route?

This New Year I resolve to... make new friends... because I can.

Pick one person once a month that you regularly see around. It might be in your neighborhood, at your children's school, at work, at church, every morning on your Starbucks run--- and say hello. We do not need to become BFFs with everyone we meet, and making new friends past a certain age in our life is not like cheating on our current long time BFF. You never know what saying hello can lead to: a new friendship, a new job, a promotion.

This New Year I resolve to... change my age... because I can.

Really? What not technically. However, if you smoke, stop. You have just changed your age. So do not look at it as quitting smoking... how many have tried and failed? View it from the point of ... I can turn back the clock and be younger! After all, if you quite for two months, you have added two years back to your life. Go from there.

I know - another article about making changes. Good GRIEF... Charlie Brown... will Lucy ever not move the football? I would say both of them are in control of their actions and choices, but they are not, Charles Schulz was. You, however, are. It was your choice to read this article after all, right? So what changes will you make?