I don’t have a lot of vices.  I don’t drink much alcohol or caffeine, I’m allergic to most everything that comes from a drive thru restaurant, and I’d much rather see my money hanging in my closet (or piling up in my bank account) than taking a chance on doubling my money at the boats. So, when it comes to things like New Year’s Resolutions, I really struggle with finding things to give up. Then again, I also have trouble forcing myself to do things that would set myself up for failure (Working out 4 times a week? Who am I kidding?). Instead, I try to bring refreshed and happy energy into my life at the beginning of each year with positive New Year’s Resolutions.

A few years ago, I went to the Burning Bowl ceremony at my yoga studio. In this ceremony, you receive two pieces of paper. On one paper, you write something from the past year you would like to get rid of – or burn. On the other, you write down your goals or wishes for the new year. The act of writing down both your burdens and your dreams is so cathartic. Not only does it make it real and keep you honest, but sometimes, these are the things we don’t allow ourselves to say out loud. Getting them out is cleansing for the mind, body, and soul. And it’s even better when you get to burn them.

One of my favorite positive New Year’s resolutions is my “Good Things Jar”. On January 1, I placed an empty jar in my kitchen, along with a pen and some scraps of paper. Each time something good happened, I wrote the date and the Good Thing on a piece of paper and stuck it in the jar. Throughout the year, it surprised me to see how many Good Things were piling up so quickly. On the dark days, just looking at the jar reminded me of how blessed I am. Even though I know I  have a great life, having the visual reminder helped soothe my soul when I was feeling blue.

Finally, on December 31, I emptied the jar and read all of the good things that happened throughout the year. Some made me laugh. Some made me cry. And others made me wonder how many years actually passed in the last year, as those memories seemed so far away.

Next up on my list of favorite positive New Year’s resolutions is a One Line A Day journal. A friend of mine has been doing this for a few years. I absolutely fell in love with the concept and bought my journal from Amazon. I really like having a pre-formatted book, but you could honestly just use any notebook. Each day, you write down a little blurb about your day. Some days, so much happens I run out of space. Others, I write “nothing happened today” or “I had soup for lunch again”. WHAT you write isn’t important. It’s just important that you do.

My favorite story about the One Line A Day journal belongs to my friend. She walked into the office and said “My daughter has had a rough day today for the past three years.” We instantly laughed and had to Google if Mercury was in retro-grade.

All-in-all, you can’t go wrong with any positive New Year’s resolution you make. The goal is to brighten your world, as well as those around you. New year, New energy, New positivity, New you. Good things happen when you give good. Even if all that changes is your outlook.

XOXO,
Tiffany