Resolutions

I'd just like to wish everyone a happy new year. 2011 is an opportunity for a fresh start. Actually, every day is an opportunity but more people are willing to act on New Years because a lot of people set resolutions. I'm pretty good about keeping most of mine, but I always have a few that get thrown out after the first week or two.
I think there are a couple of reasons why that happens. First, setting too many resolutions increases the likelihood that some will be forgotten. This year I have 7. Second, resolutions set without first considering what you really value are bound to be forgotten because they don't come from your heart. And lastly, once you set them you need a plan to keep them. Yes, an actual written action plan! Nothing elaborate, but by writing down specific times for action helps develop the words into reality.
This year I've set one actionable resolution for each of my 6 major values (remember THE FAM from my first post?) plus, one additional general resolution that applies to all 6. Next, I've redesigned my schedule so that I'm acting daily, weekly, or Monthly on each one.
If you have major changes I suggest not starting everything at once. Stagger the dates you plan to implement each goal so that you're not overwhelmed. Write those dates in your calendar! A few minutes of reflection and planning will turn dreams into reality and make keeping resolutions a simple affair. Cheers!

Good Food

As I continue to create more of a minimal lifestyle for myself I have been getting my eating habits back to basics. In the same way that I've been clearing clutter from my home I've also been clearing the clutter from my meals. Things that are not contributing to my health in a positive way get the boot. The difference can be felt in just a few days. I'm eating wholesome, natural foods either raw or prepared in very simple ways. The only exception is one day a week I eat whatever I want. I've followed this routine in the past very successfully for long periods of time (years).
It may seem counter-intuitive to eat whatever you want and stay healthy, but it works. Face it, do you really think you'll never eat cheesecake again? That's not only unlikely, but it's impractical . Go ahead and reward yourself one day a week for being so focused the rest of the week. You'll be able to stick to any restrictions much easier and the one day is not going to have any negative effects towards your overall health. If anything you'll actually stop craving the junk once your body gets used to feeling so good! Cheers.

Simple Values

Recently I have rediscovered a truth I've known for many years, but have lost somehow over the last few: Simplicity is a direct path to happiness. When I look back on those times in my life when I was most content it was actually when I had much less than I do now. It's very easy to let your life get out of control and end up with a bunch of stuff cluttering up your clarity. Every once in a while you just have to take a step back and evaluate your values, then eliminate everything that doesn't support those things.
I gave it a lot of thought and determined that everything I value can be put into one of the following areas: Travel, Health, Education, Family/Friends, Art, & Music. I thought about adding Spirituality, but I decided that it's already included in all of my other categories so for the sake of simplicity I just left it at the six, which I can easily remember using the acronym THE FAM. Now when I'm faced with a decision I just ask myself, "Will this support the things I value or just divert my attention away from them?". Simple.
I would recommend this exercise for everyone. The new year is a good time to do it too since many people make resolutions this time of year. Let your values guide your resolutions, and increase your focus for successfully keeping them by clearing away physical and mental clutter. You'll thank yourself when you return to simplicity