New Year's Resolutions...?

Every year after the ball drops and the clock strikes twelve there is a question everyone asks one another:  What is your New Year's Resolution?

Well, I've never been a fan of New Year's resolutions.  I either don't make one and then feel that somehow I'm cheating myself out of what could have been a good motivation to do something, OR I make a resolution and then later feel guilty that I didn't follow through and accomplish what I set out to do.

There's no real reason why I fail to keep my resolution, but I think I'm going to try to put my finger on it.

First of all, my resolutions in the past have never been things that are outside my comfort zone or the norm of my usual routine.  If I resolved to lose weight, if I stayed under my target weight I'd be satisfied (or I'd just never step foot on a scale and be happy if my jeans still fit).  If I resolved to eat a more healthy diet, I'd not eat candy for a couple weeks and then slowly and gradually let my sweet tooth take over, or just be impressed with myself for ordering a salad instead of fries.

Second, the fact that it is called a 'New Year's' resolution lessens the effect of what has been resolved after, well, January 2nd?  When so much of the focus revolves around it being a 'New Year', it seems less important and easily forgotten once we've settled into the year and finally gotten used to writing the new date.

So how do you remedy this, and maybe, just maybe, actually stick by your resolution?  My conclusion is this: I'm not going to make a New Year's Resolution... but instead, I'm going to make Lifestyle Resolutions.  After all, a resolution by definition is "a formal expression of opinion or intention" (see entire definition here).

Here are my formal expressions of intent for my life, or Resolutions for my Life:

• To let myself dream big dreams without fear or hesitation
• To love myself, my husband, my family and my friends wholeheartedly
• To live my life free of regret
• To be active; body, mind and spirit
• To remember to enjoy the small joys in life... especially when they come in the form of chocolate
• To smile daily and to pass it on, and finally,
• To be thankful for the life I have and for those who make it worth living.

Happy New Year!