Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Joyful

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions this year? Congratulations if they work for you! However, for most people they’re forgotten before the end of January. I used to make them religiously every year because everyone else I knew was making them. But, they never worked for me. And a New Year’s resolution is the last thing that women who have difficulty saying “No” and sensitive women need.

Why is that?, you may ask. Because you have enough “shoulds” spinning around in your head already. And, a New Year’s resolution is really just another should”. It’s something you’re telling yourself that you must do or must not do.

For myself, my resolutions weighed heavily on my mind. When I didn’t follow them I felt guilty and berated myself. And, where’s the fun in that? Without any fun or joy in it, what chance does your resolution for new behavior stand against your ingrained habits – the habits you’re trying to break with your resolution? And, because my resolutions were making me feel badly about myself, I quickly decided to chuck them out – just a few weeks into the New Year. Perhaps that’s what’s been happening for you too, over and over each new year.

So, instead of making a New Year’s resolution about what you must do or must not do, instead contemplate how you can turn that resolution into something that will make your life more joyful, instead of less so.

I suggest you buy yourself a beautiful journal or new notebook and give yourself the gift of a few minutes writing down how you can turn that heavy resolution into something light and fun. Then, you won’t have to try to remember what you’ve written – you can simply revisit your journal later to re-inspire yourself.

Here are some ideas I came up with:

If your resolution is to lose weight by going to the gym, contemplate how you can make that fun.

1) Ask one or two friends to go with you. That way if one friend can’t go on a particular day, another friend is available to go with you.

2) Pick a class at the gym you think you’d enjoy. Go to the class and work out afterward. You may even make a new friend in your class you’ll be able to go to the gym with.

See what you come up with. Feel free to experiment. And, remember to be kind to yourself when you and your life aren’t perfect.

I’d love to hear about what you discover. I will be responding to your comments.