5 New Year's Resolutions to Consider

I am sure you have seen the posts on Facebook or Instagram: New Year's commitments to health, working out, focusing on the positive. Photos and videos of healthy recipes, photos from the gym or track, positive affirmation memes! They are everywhere. It makes you think, and now I am considering my new focus for 2017.

A quick google search brought me to www.daringtolivefully.com, and they offer 29 New Year's resolutions. I don't think I can remember 29 things, so I will focus on my top five.

1. Learn Something New Every Day

Have you noticed all of the online education, webinars, conferences available to us as adults to further our education? They are everywhere and they are fantastic. What is your favorite hobby? Can you master the skill required for it? Sure, look online. There are support groups, Facebook pages, local MeetUp groups, etc.

2. Play More

I love this one. A great activity to consider is all of the new adult coloring books. I have two on my dining table, and have fallen in love with creating these so-cool designs. There is no way to mess up! Just color and voila! They are gorgeous. We recently adopted a new puppy from Animal Rescue of New Orleans, and we are playing outside all of the time with her trying to burn off all of that puppy energy.

3. Move More

It seem so hard to do. To get up off of the couch, I mean. But, according to WebMd.com, "Exercise is the magic pill," says Michael R. Bracko, EdD, FACSM, chairman of the American College of Sports Medicine's Consumer Information Committee. "Exercise can literally cure diseases like some forms of heart disease. Exercise has been implicated in helping people prevent or recover from some forms of cancer. Exercise helps people with arthritis. Exercise helps people prevent and reverse depression." Or, you can get a puppy!

4. Be More Grateful

Ugh. Yes, we are all so blessed in some way. It is difficult to always remember to be thankful, though, and this is something I will constantly work on. I looked up how to become more grateful, and found these ideas. Live more in the moment, help other people achieve their dreams, acknowledge the past, but move on, watch your words, and resist the temptation to compare your life to others.

5. Increase your Emotional IQ

Daniel Goleman coined the term emotional intelligence in his 1996 bestselling book, ”Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ”. In a nutshell, emotional intelligence is a set of skills, including control of one’s impulses, self-motivation, empathy and social competence in interpersonal relationships. This is huge, and our society could definitely use some guidance in this area. For more information, check out his website.