Ok, so January is over.  You made your New Year’s Resolutions.  And they were BIG, HUGE, MIGHTY and STRONG.  And, not even two full months into the year, you are now lamenting your loss of will power, your inability to walk the line, your gosh-dang-mind-of-its-own.

You have blamed everyone – from your kids to your husband, that friend who always orders extra fries, even those stupid snow days that rob you of time and keep you a prisoner in your own home.

But let’s be honest – you likely made the same resolutions you do every year.  Exercise More. Eat Less.  Get organized. Skip the soda. And the alcohol. And the chocolate. But you’ve never really embraced them, now have you?

So, let’s talk about the resolutions you SHOULD have made, instead of the ones you did…..


Photo Credit: Flickr Thrills1988

1) Eat More.  That’s right, I said eat more.  I’m not a nutritionist, but over the years, I’ve learned a few things: starving yourself is not a wise move, breakfast is the most important meal of the day (eat it!), many smaller meals are better than 2 large ones (I know, I said two – that’s because I used to skip breakfast) and robbing yourself of the ability to enjoy food at all (meaning your diet is so strict, you no longer eat ANYTHING you loved) will often force you into cheating-starvation mode.  If you don’t give yourself a bit of flexibility and allow yourself the luxury of enjoying SOME good, you will never be in control of your weight.

2) Observe the silence - This sounds simple, right?  Walk into a cool, dark room, keep the lights off, close your eyes and relax.  Except you might have kids.  And they don’t believe in silence.  Or you might have some ‘free time’ – but to you that means -getasmuchdoneasyoucan.  So, you never relax.  You are never just.quiet. And silence?  (what is that?)  It is your best friend.  Find it – even for 10 minutes a day…..  let your body relax into the quiet and embrace it.  It will calm your mind and your spirit….  rejuvenating you for the rest of the day.


Photo Credit: Flickr Engnr_chik

3) Take a nap - Right……  you haven’t taken one since Kindergarten.  But, if you are honest with yourself, you really, really miss them.  So, indulge.  Much like the resolution above, this is about embracing what your body and soul need.  Sometimes you just need a nap.  You probably stayed up too late. In fact, you’ve probably done it more times than you’d care to admit.  That means you have a sleep deficit.  And it means you need to try to catch up.  Even 20 minutes can leave you feeling refreshed.

4) Slow Down. Look around. What do you see?  Smell?  Hear?  When was the last time you actually paid full attention to your senses?  We’re so busy go-go-going, that we rarely pause and observe, truly observe, what is happening around us. And we need to…..  so, rather than hurrying past everyone and everything, slow down, take a minute and look.  Let yourself appreciate the beauty of a slower pace.

5) Live more, love more.  I know – this should really be two resolutions, but they seem to go so well together. And loving and living are two things we often trick ourselves into believing we are doing every day.  But frequently, our days are consumed by to-do lists, where-am-I-goings?, how much time do I have?, what should I be doing differently/better? And that is no way to LIVE.  Resolve that this year will be the year you follow your passion, you take the leap, you do what makes you happy.  And you will show the people around you just how much you love them.  ”I love you” is very easy thing to say, but not as easy to demonstrate.  Make that change and decide to deonstrate to your kids, your family – what love is.

So, now tell us – have you resolved to do anything? And are you holding strong?  Wishing you luck, luck and more luck!