I hereby resolve..
It's that time of year when I ask myself what I can do better next year. HUH? What's up with that? According to The History Channel, ancient Babylonians were the first civilization to practice what we call New Year's Resolutions. They were also the first to celebrate the new year, although back then it was held in mid-March, which coincided with the planting of new crops.
Early resolutions were religious promises to the gods that they would be loyal to their new king and that they would pay all debts. Some of us may even observe close to the same resolutions today. However, unlike early civilizations, almost all of our declarations are secular.
We tend to make promises to ourselves to improve a habit or characteristic seen as faulty. Once again, count me in as one of the 46% of Americans who will commit to promising to alter my lifestyle. But, resolutions are almost tedious and sound like a cliche. My goal is to be among the 8% of us who will still be pursuing my purpose as late as the first of June. To succeed, it will be necessary to do unusual things, and to that end I have created a few suggestions from which I will become a new and improved me. Here are some ideas.
1) Each week, eat something you've never consumed. Either make it at home, or try it in a restaurant. It could even be a beverage you have steadfastly refused to drink.
2) Reach out to someone and make a new friend every month. It could be someone you just met, or a person you've previously been introduced to but haven't socialized with to any degree.
3) Learn to do something you've always wanted to pursue, but for whatever reason you haven't done so. Singing or dance lessons, take a cooking class, go back to school, learn to ride a motorcycle, learn to swim, play tennis. The choices are endless.
4) Learn a card trick and introduce it at your next family gathering.
5) Pay off any credit card.
6) At the end of every day, take inventory of yourself and think about a good feeling you experienced .
7) Learn a foreign language.
8) Go to five places you've never been and take a selfie.
Improving diet, exercising, and losing weight were the top three resolutions for 2019. They have all been in my sight over the years. But, this year, I want to do something totally different and still try to maintain healthy habits too. But, turn down a piece of red raspberry pie any time it's offered? HUH? What's up with that!?
It's that time of year when I ask myself what I can do better next year. HUH? What's up with that? According to The History Channel, ancient Babylonians were the first civilization to practice what we call New Year's Resolutions. They were also the first to celebrate the new year, although back then it was held in mid-March, which coincided with the planting of new crops.
Early resolutions were religious promises to the gods that they would be loyal to their new king and that they would pay all debts. Some of us may even observe close to the same resolutions today. However, unlike early civilizations, almost all of our declarations are secular.
We tend to make promises to ourselves to improve a habit or characteristic seen as faulty. Once again, count me in as one of the 46% of Americans who will commit to promising to alter my lifestyle. But, resolutions are almost tedious and sound like a cliche. My goal is to be among the 8% of us who will still be pursuing my purpose as late as the first of June. To succeed, it will be necessary to do unusual things, and to that end I have created a few suggestions from which I will become a new and improved me. Here are some ideas.
1) Each week, eat something you've never consumed. Either make it at home, or try it in a restaurant. It could even be a beverage you have steadfastly refused to drink.
2) Reach out to someone and make a new friend every month. It could be someone you just met, or a person you've previously been introduced to but haven't socialized with to any degree.
3) Learn to do something you've always wanted to pursue, but for whatever reason you haven't done so. Singing or dance lessons, take a cooking class, go back to school, learn to ride a motorcycle, learn to swim, play tennis. The choices are endless.
4) Learn a card trick and introduce it at your next family gathering.
5) Pay off any credit card.
6) At the end of every day, take inventory of yourself and think about a good feeling you experienced .
7) Learn a foreign language.
8) Go to five places you've never been and take a selfie.
Improving diet, exercising, and losing weight were the top three resolutions for 2019. They have all been in my sight over the years. But, this year, I want to do something totally different and still try to maintain healthy habits too. But, turn down a piece of red raspberry pie any time it's offered? HUH? What's up with that!?
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