[Adapted from =
a list by Charlotte Hilton =
Andersen for Young Adults (18-30). From her suggestions, =
select some to help you move beyond losing weight and hitting the gym =
this year and seek to uplift, educate, entertain, and help you become a =
better person.]
**Read a new book every month
There’s =
a reason this one is one of our favorite New Year resolution ideas yet. =
Between your job, social media, and all your favorite online activities, =
it may feel like all you do all day long is read stuff, but =
there’s a huge difference between reading information on the =
Internet and getting lost in a great story. In fact, reading a novel =
actually changes your brain, improving memory and increasing brain =
connectivity for days after you finish the book, according to a study =
published in Brain Connectivity. Both types of reading have their place, =
but don’t let Internet articles crowd out reading a well-crafted, =
compelling book. For maximum brain benefits, =
carve out time each day to do a little =
reading.
**Do something out of your comfort =
zone
This =
isn’t an easy one, but it is one of the best New Year resolution =
ideas, too. Make a list of things that scare you: public speaking, sky =
diving, holding a spider, eating Brussels sprouts, asking your boss for =
a raise, calling your crush. Now, pick one thing off the list and find a =
way to do it. You don’t have to go from arachnophobia to crawling =
into the spider house at the zoo, but find a safe, incremental way to =
conquer one of your big fears. Bring a friend, get educated, read a =
book, take a class, or do therapy to help you face your fear. Each time =
you do it, you’ll feel stronger, more confident, and more in =
control over your life because you’ll have power over one more =
thing, instead of your fear having power over =
you.
**Buy a new fruit or vegetable every time you do your grocery =
shopping
This one is a =
great New Year goal because it can lead to some excellent discoveries. =
The world is filled with strange and wonderful foods, so why stick with =
navel oranges and broccoli? Expand your palette by buying one new fruit =
or veggie at the store—and then actually eat it. It doesn’t =
have to be major. You could swap out your standard Red Delicious apples =
for a new variety, like a Snapdragon, or try purple cauliflower instead =
of white. Even if you hate it, at least you can say you’ve tried =
it. Not only will it automatically make you sound cooler, but you might =
even get a great story to tell.
**Write a thank-you card to someone from your =
past
Have a teacher =
that introduced you to your career? A childhood friend who stood by you =
for years? A relative who was always there to listen? Get a nice card, =
write down your memories of how they changed your life, thank them, and =
send it off. They will treasure your kind words, and you’ll =
benefit from remembering a positive, kind moment from your =
life.
**Read your credit card statement each =
month
You may think =
you know where your money is going, but unless you’re actually =
taking the time to look at all your charges, chances are you’re =
forgetting a lot of little (or big) purchases, and those purchases add =
up. That’s no one’s idea of a good time, but going through =
your credit card charges—once a week, bi-weekly, or =
monthly—can help you catch fraudulent charges, fix mistakes, and =
control your own savings. Here are some more New Year =
resolution ideas that can save you =
money.
**Meditate/PRAY every day
By now =
you’ve read dozens of articles about the many benefits of =
meditation and you know you should, but it’s just so… =
boring? Impossible to carve out the time? Difficult to do without =
falling asleep? For however many reasons you think you have for not =
meditating, you have even more reasons to do it. Daily meditation =
doesn’t have to be a struggle, however. Install a meditation app =
on your phone, like Headspace or =
Calm, and let =
it do all the hard work. It will pick the meditation, set the timer, and =
talk you through it. All you have to do is show =
up.
**Volunteer
Pitching in at =
the food bank for one Saturday in December is good, but charities need =
volunteers year-round, not just over the holidays. Brighten your life =
and someone else’s by signing up to volunteer weekly or monthly. =
Not only are you doing a good deed, but it will get easier for you, and =
you’ll get better at your job the more you do =
it.
**Leave a nice comment on someone else’s social media =
every day
Much has been =
said about how destructive Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other forms =
of social media can be, especially to your self-esteem. Instead of using =
social media to talk about yourself and wait for the likes to roll in, =
use it to build others up. Take two minutes each day to scroll through =
your feed and tell your friends how gorgeous their new baby is, how =
impressed you are with their successful fundraiser, or simply how much =
you love them and how you’re glad they are in your life. Easiest =
good deed ever!
**Post a beautiful picture each day
Another way to =
resolve to use social media better this year is to make a goal to post =
one picture each day of something in your life you find beautiful. It =
can be as simple as a leaf curling on the sidewalk or the pattern =
raindrops make on your window. Simply taking a moment to look for =
something beautiful and capture it on camera will give your spirit a =
lift. Posting it will inspire others to look for the beauty in their =
lives as well. Watch out for these things you should =
probably avoid posting on social media during the holidays, =
though.
**Take a walk outdoors every day
=
“Exercise more” probably already made your resolution list, =
but if that’s all you wrote, then you’re destined to fail. =
The more specific and doable your goal, the more likely you are to, you =
know, actually do it. Walking is a great exercise to start with. Not =
only can nearly everyone do it, but it’s free and you can =
multitask by listening to a podcast or talking with a friend. Add in the =
great outdoors and you’ll get some fresh air and =
sunshine.
**Smile at a stranger every day
A man who =
committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge left behind a =
note that read, “I’m going to walk to the bridge. =
If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump.” That =
story had a heartbreaking ending for that man, obviously, but it shows =
the power of a little human kindness. Smiling at a stranger on the =
bus, in the store, at the gym, or on your way to work costs you nothing =
but could have a powerful effect on someone’s life. Make a =
resolution to give a smile, every day. Best part? You’ll probably =
get one in return, too.
[continued =
next weekend]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"