Starting Small

My new year's resolutions are just over two months old now. You know, the whole shebang: 'be a better person, get fit, be happy, be appreciative.' Or maybe these are just my resolutions and yours are much more specific, or maybe you don't make resolutions - to each their own.

I, however, at the beginning of every new year, bright eyed and bushy tailed, pen some abstract goals that are always too broad and entirely subjective. Half of these resolutions are forgotten part-way through January or mid-way through non-implementation. And then the cycle starts all over again the next new year with high hopes and old ambitions.

So, I'm starting something new. A friend of mine shared with me how she approaches her day: each morning, she comes up with one new goal and works towards it. She focuses on the near-future. She sets it up so that every day her goal is something she knows is attainable, so in effect, these goals are just reminders of who she wants to be for the day or what she wants to do. They range from making up with family members to making a stranger smile.

Setting short-term goals that are what they call "SMART" goals entails keeping them specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

Instead of going big or going home like I usually do, I think it's time that I start small... and smart.

My goal for the following month is to respect my body and mind. This means: exercising regularly, eating well and sleeping eight hours a night regardless of how busy my schedule is. Meditating, speaking kindly, drinking eight glasses of water a day and laughing will help cleanse my body and mind. I think a part of my mental stress has directly to do with all the physical clutter in my life, so I'm going to try to keep my surroundings, including my home and my bag (I know, I know... of all things, my bag - but seriously, it's like an endless pit in there) free of clutter.

Ha, I've just made a New Month's Resolution. Silly me. So, um, here's to the new month?