4 New Year’s Resolution Goals Worth Setting Using Gratitude

New Year’s Day is a great time to implement change and personal growth by using gratitude and setting goals that you want to achieve throughout the upcoming year. Some resolutions are well worth setting because they can contribute greatly toward helping you live the life you desire. If you want to increase the amount of gratitude you are feeling and have been having difficulty do that in the past, now is a great time to start. Remember: make sure your goals are attainable without any unrealistic expectations; they can make you stretch, but be realistic!

Try these types of New Year’s resolutions to ring in a happy new year:

1.      Health improvements. When your body thrives, you have more energy, enthusiasm, and vitality to do everything you want to do. This is the perfect environment to be grateful! Focus on setting goals for the specific actions that will provide the results you’d like to see.

  • First and foremost, your goals will be achieved much easier if you are grateful for the body you currently have! Even if you have health issues, you can still be thankful that you are alive. Are you breathing? Wonderful! Can you think? Terrific! Can you move? Fantastic! Set your health goals with any current limitations in mind. And if you need to, check with your doctor.
  • Again, think about the actions needed to reach your goal. For example, rather than stating that you want to lose 25 pounds next year, try to find achievable goals that will help you lose weight. Set tasks such as enrolling in a yoga class, trying three new types of aerobics, or going for a walk each day after dinner.
  • Resolve to bring new experiences into your life. Set goals about new foods that you want to try, eating 3 more vegetable servings each day, or growing your own organic vegetables.

2.      Financial improvements. Following the same advice as above, try to avoid setting unrealistic resolutions like “pay off all my debt next year” or “Put $10,000 away in savings.” Instead, choose goals for specific actions that will get you where you want to be financially.

  • Just as I discussed for health, goals will be achieved much easier if you are grateful for the financial situation you currently have! You may not be living the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, but you can be grateful for the coins you have in a spare jar. Be thankful for the Bank Account you have.
  • As a financial goal, you may resolve to save all of your spare change and deposit it into your savings account every month.
  • In the past, I worked a second job specifically to help make ends meet. At another point in my life, I worked a second job and deposited that into a saving account as emergency money. Maybe you’d like to pick up 3 extra hours at work each week and dedicate those earned funds to your savings account or debt repayment too – it all depends on where you are right now.
  • If working another job is not feasible, maybe finding ways to save money could help. Start by making a list of specific money-saving actions like the above that you’d like to incorporate into your daily life and add a new action to your routine each week. By the end of the year, you’ll be an automatic money-saving machine!

3.      Creative endeavors. For me, after a session of getting my creative juices flowing, my gratitude starts flowing quickly soon afterward! I am grateful that I can brainstorm and come up with different ideas. Another benefit is that creative goals can absolutely lead to personal enrichment and development. What interests you? Set resolutions to try new things, experience new places, challenge your comfort zone, and learn about yourself all at the same time.

  • To get you started, consider resolutions to try new crafts or creative projects, start writing in a gratitude journal, take up pottery, or a variety of other creative endeavors. Create a resolution to try a new recipe at least once a month. Or fashion a resolution to hand-make every Christmas gift you give, starting at the beginning of the year!

Gratitude-Bananagram4.      Intellectual endeavors. By studying the field of gratitude, I am constantly learning! Intellectual New Year’s resolutions can also benefit you in many different ways. Elect to take a course or seminar on a topic interests you, such as photography, scrapbooking, auto repair, or entrepreneurship.

Above all else, choose New Year’s resolution goals that actually interest you and that are achievable for you. Resolve to do things that will be enjoyable, while also improving your life as a whole. As you progress with your tasks, be thankful along the way!

Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru

1 Comments

  1. Melanie Kissell on December 24, 2010 at 4:11 am

    “Resolve to do things that will be enjoyable” is my favorite line in your post, Paul. As a matter of fact, I believe it’s the KEY to experiencing good health, wealth, and happiness.

    And setting unattainable, gargantuan goals will bring you down and cause you to feel discouraged and maybe even throw in the towel.

    I’ve decided to set only short term goals and small business objectives for 2011. I’m looking forward to celebrating all the little victories along the way.

    I may not be sprinting toward the finish line, but I’m confident all the baby steps will get me there!

    Wonderful post!

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