Show Notes

As we move into another potentially challenging year, finding the things we can control in our own souls and lives can make a difference.  Here are some ideas–all of them free, mostly measurable and totally doable for the New Year.

1.  Turn your electronics off at night.  The blue light interrupts your circadian rhythms.

2.  Make sleep a priorirty–figure out why you’re not getting good sleep.  Eliminate those habits–working late, using your phone in bed.

3.  Find meaning by going to church.  If you haven’t been to church lately, make a goal to return.  Regular church attenders have better mental health, and stronger social networks of support.  Focus on your relationship with a higher power than your own.  Its good for you and for your kids.

1.  Stop gossiping–really and truly, if we all just learned to mind our own business, we would all feel so much better.  Our families would be better, our churches, our schools, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our communities would all benefit from everyone just taking care of their own business and giving others the room to do the same.

2.  Give one compliment to someone every day.  Make someone else’s day happier by sharing a genuine compliment.  This has the added benefit of keeping your eyes and heart open to all the good happening all around us every day.

3.  Go one day per week by turning off your social media.  Being inundated with every one else’s picture perfect life, just isn’t healthy for us.  We can put the social media away for 24 hours and just recenter our thoughts.  As well, take some time to curate your social media contacts and sources.  If its not bringing you messages that you want to hear, then quit giving it time in your life.  Social media already eats a lot of time.  Maybe less is actually more.

4.  Write down something you are grateful for every day.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing or a long list.  Just find gratitude in the ordinary every day.

5.  Stop multi-tasking.  In the hustle of daily jobs, errands, families etc.  we tend to try to get more done in less time.  We dont’ need to multi-task about everything, especially with the people in our lives.  Take time to enjoy single-minded time with children and family.

1.  Stop buying things you don’t need.  Its expensive and it fills your life with more to stuff to care for.

2.  Donate things you aren’t using and likewise join a “free stuff” page.  You can get purge your things to people who will actually enjoy them.  You can also pick up free-cycled things instead of buying something new.

3.  Clean out your car every month.  It adds to a sense of inner peace while you are running errands.

4.  Donate your time as a volunteer.  You’ll be so much more grateful for what you have.

5.  Create and keep a monthly budget.

1.  Find a free class to take online.  There are lots of places to find free university courses on any number of issues for personal growth.  Hillsdale offers classes on the US Constitution, Civics, literature.  Its worth a look and see what appeasl to you.  There are also courses available on YouTube.  Absolutely free learning on just about any subject.

2.  Send a handwritten letter once a month.  Writing has a therapeutic effect.  Handwritten letters are almost unheard of now, but think how your family will treasure such a rarity in the future.

1.  Keep your goals modest, doable and specific.

2.  Revisit your goals every month.  Change and revise as necessary through the year.  Its ok for a New Years resolution to be seasonal or short term.

3.  WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN.  Simply the act of writing them down has a reinforcing effect.