Two Simple Resolutions for a Happier New Year
I heard on the radio this morning that every year most people make the same three resolutions… to go on a diet, to stop smoking, and to spend less money. Supposedly, despite the original good intentions, more than eighty percent of these resolutions have been broken and forgotten by mid-February. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that overeating, smoking, and spending too much money are also things that people say they do to fill the emptiness in their lives… or that it’s surprising that these resolutions routinely fail when taking away the “comfort indulgence” is the only lifestyle change.
Almost every day I receive at least one message from a reader who is searching for “something more” in life. The messages and circumstances are different, but the yearning for happiness is the same.
So how about taking some small first steps toward a happier life with my New Years’ resolution challenge?
Resolution #1:
Make a real effort to acknowledge and appreciate something each day that made you genuinely happy. You are the only person who knows what this will be… perhaps some time spent with your significant other, a cuddle with your child or a pet, a good book or movie, a thoughtful gesture from an unexpected source, the beauty of nature, a few moments of solitude… the only restriction is that your choice must have brought you real happiness. Write this down in a journal or notebook, one real happy moment for each day. You will soon find that even in the very worst of circumstances… on days when you were positive nothing good had happened at all… there is almost always SOMETHING to feel happy about… and the more practice you have in identifying and appreciating these happy moments, the more of them you will discover in your life.
Resolution #2:
Make a real effort every day to do something thoughtful for someone else. This doesn’t require money or complicated preparations… just give the gift of YOU, a few minutes of your time, and your undivided attention. Start with your immediate family, a friend, or a lonely neighbor… again, the choice of what to do is up to you. When you decide on something, do it… and write about what you did in your journal. Over time this resolution will almost certainly become a part of your first resolution, because it is practically impossible not to feel happy yourself when you’ve just brought happiness to someone else.
These two simple resolutions are very easy to keep… but I promise they will change your life!
Written by Shirley | Filed Under Personal Development, Voluntary Simplicity
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Comments
Comment by Jen:
Thank you for such a great way to look at New Year’s resolutions! I am looking forward to doing this in 2010.
Also, I want to say thank you for such a wonderful website. Your words are thought provoking and positive. Everyone seems to comment in a refreshingly positive and respectful way. I find a sense of peace each time I visit. Thank you!
Comment by Lizzy-Beth:
I’m going to do this. I could use a happier outlook right now. I too want to say thank you for offering such a peaceful safe haven in this weird world. I look forward to each posting. You have been a great help to me and my family.
Comment by Edouard:
Your blog is a bright light in a dark world. So many new years articles so shallow, focusing on changing minor habits or improving your material situation. Your article really hits right at the heart of what’s important. Changing yourself, that’s the only way you’re ever going to change your life for the better. I’m taking the challenge. Thank you!
Comment by Amanda T.:
Count me and my husband in. We’re working on improving our marriage and has occurred to both of us that your challenge would be a huge help.
Comment by Jo:
Shirley, every day I come here to your blog because it makes me happy or it makes me stop and think and I am so grateful to you.
If I may, each night when I go to bed I thank God for the day and I give Him my cares and prayers for others. Each morning I thank Him for another day. This may sound “corny” to some, but it works for me and I always find something wonderful each day – mostly in the natural world around me.
May the New Year find you and yours happy and healthy and full of the wonder and awe in a world filled with so much beauty.
Comment by M.L.:
Both of those are great resolutions. Along with those, I would really like to simplify my life by being better organized. Not in a way where I am a slave to my schedule, but rather that the schedule serves to support me and always gives me a base to return to in order to help keep me focused and on track, even when priorities require me to change my plans. You know, a skeleton of sorts, that I can move, alter, change things around as necessary, yet remains a beacon for my day/days.
I agree with Jo, I will continue to come here next year because it makes me happy when I do so. It buoys me up and makes me excited about continuing to grow in ways that will make me even happier over time.
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