Your #1 New Year's Resolution: Taking Care of Yourself

How many times have you made New Year's Resolutions and lost them or completely forgotten them by Jan. 15th? I certainly have. This year, I only made one resolution... to take care of myself. Keep in mind that this encompasses a lot of things. It may sound like small resolution but has many parts. However, the fact that it is only one resolution, makes it all the more easier to keep. Here are the things that I will be doing to take care of myself and you can do them too.

1. Physically
This means everything. I've started jogging. Hopefully that will take off a few pounds. I've also starting eating better. There are dozens of ways you can take care of yourself physically. When was the last time you had a full-out physical? That could be something you do. Do you have dry skin but just don't have time in the morning before rushing the kids off to school to put some lotion on? Make that a part of your daily routine. Keep your skin, hair, and innards in good shape and you've pretty much got this one covered. Special Tip: Go to a dermatologist and get a full body skin examine. They will look over every inch of skin from your toes to your scalp to look for any suspicious moles, freckles, or growths.

2. Emotionally
This means taking time for yourself. When you feel the stress piling up, take time to break. Take a walk. Take time to figure out what you really want out of life and find out if you're happy and/or how you could make yourself happier. This doesn't have to happen all at once. You've got the whole year and it's a slow process. Everyday, take five minutes to check-in with yourself. How's your body feeling? What are you worried or anxious about? Are those fears justified? If not, realize that you can't accomplish anything by worrying about them. If you feel that you have good reason to fear, think about what steps you could take to make sure that fear doesn't materialize. If there are no step you can take but there is something that needs to be done, ask for someone's help. This can sometimes be the hardest thing but often ends up being the best thing you can do. If you make sure that you are emotionally healthy, you will be better able to care for your loved ones and those around you.

3. Financially
America is a nation loaded with debt. I'm young and I even have a load of debt. Of course, I'm a college student so it kind of comes with the territory. Take a good look at your finances. Figure out EXACTLY (to the penny) how much debt you have and determine what steps you can take to lower it. Refinance your mortgage. Make a balance transfer to a low interest rate credit card. Cancel your Netflix, country club, or un-used gym membership. Also, take some time to sit down with yourself or your significant other and identify what financial goals you want to reach in the next year, in five years, in ten years, and in twenty years. Figure out what steps you will need to meet those goals. This is the point when being emotionally healthy will come in handy. You won't stress quite so much and you'll be able to help your significant other handle their stress.

Whenever you do any of these things, just remind yourself that you are taking care of yourself. These things don't have to happen all at once. Each of these categories takes time, effort, and commitment to truly attend to them. So, make your goal this year to take care of yourself.