Resolution # 1

I have put off posting my New Year's resolutions for a week or two because I was not certain that they were "ready". I felt like they needed a little bit of "tweeking". In a moment of realization that I may be "tweeking" them all year long, I have decided to post them a few at a time.

I just finished reading "Simple Life" by Thom and Art Ranier. I think you will see several of the principles outlined in this book incorporated into not only my resolutions, but my blog in general. One thing I learned in this book is the art of Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means 'continuous improvement.' We often times set very high goals for ourselves when we start to think about resolutions. Although high goals are wonderful, its these very goals that often leave us upset because we have failed them early on. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. This is sort of what Kaizen is. Kaizen embodies making goals that are attainable that create upward momentum for these larger goals. Example: Instead of saying "I am going to lose 100 pounds this year." You could say, "I am going to lose 8.5 pounds in 30 days and continue this trend for a year." Organizing the concept of losing 8.5 pounds in a month is alot easier than wrapping your head around losing 100. So, I will be usng this art of Kaizen through my "tweeking" of my resolutions.

When we went on our family trip to Georgia I asked/forced everyone to stand in front of the fireplace and tell us all what their New Years resolution is. Now... this was late into the sleepy, hazy night and not everyone took it seriously. Okay, no one really took it serious but a couple of us. We got answers like "Keep my fingernails painted all year," "Stop smoking (this came from an already non-smoker" and "spend less time with family"( which was a stab at my 'serious' resolution.) So, as you gather already, my resolution was to spend more time with family and friends this year.

One thing I have learned from my reading and simply from life is that your family and friends are two of the most important things in your life. Harnessing and enriching those relationships will always prove to be a worthwhile investment. So, this year my first resolution is to spend more time with family and friends.

I really enjoyed the trips I took this year with family and friends; NYC with my mother, sister and friends, beach trip with the girls, NYE trip to Georgia, Boston/LA with David and even a short weekend trip to Memphis to see some friends. There's something about being forced to be around someone for a few days that makes you grow and develop those relationships. If you can't take a trip due to financial or time restraints, take a walk in the park, meet up for lunch or sit around a cup of coffee to chit chat.

My goal is to try to post a few resolutions a week for the new couple of weeks. So, here is resolution # 1- Spend more time with family and friends.