Now what did I do with that list?

I was a good girl this year and made a list of resolutions that I intend to keep but that I am sure will fade and dwindle like they do every year. But no! This year I must stand firm and at least attempt to improve myself while the going is good.

Several years ago I got the brilliant idea to separate my personal goals into four distinct but important areas: Physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual. I have posted next to my bed each of these with several items listed underneath. At times I am better at following through than at other times.

For example, under physical I have listed eating more fruits and vegetables, taking my vitamins, flossing every day and washing my face before I go to bed at night. Let's just say I haven't been terribly consistent.

So then I decided that instead of tackling these huge lists of things to do, or should I say to make myself feel guilty about, I would choose one or two items from each list to work on each week.

Yeah, that petered out pretty quickly, too.

Well, then, what am I to do? In my journal I wrote that I want to get myself back on track with these goals, all of which are manageable but none of which I manage to do consistently.

I seem stuck in a quandary. I want to improve, I know I can do it, but how can I build these habits and make them permanent? Part of it, I fear, is starting over again when I stumble. Getting back up again when I fall. It never seems easy, but I guess that's part of the learning curve. I won't make any of these changes in my life if I don't expend some effort, if I don't have to pay some price.

So instead of rolling out of bed and heading straight for the shower, I need to take a moment each morning and review my list of goals. If they're in my mind I'm much more likely to accomplish them. Also, I need to choose a few areas to work on, studying Italian, for example, or taking a daily walk, and make a concerted effort to turn that goal into a habit. They say three weeks is the trick. So pick a few of the items to work on and focus on it for three weeks and that should be enough to make it into a healthy habit.

I just hope this works. If not, I'll be back here again next year with another failed list of New Year's resolutions, just like everyone else.