re·con·nect—re·set—re·fresh: Making & keeping New Year's resolutions for 2016

Part 2: re·set

We’re already wrapping up week 2 of the New Year and there’s no doubt that some of you have already broken one or even several New Year’s resolutions. I know I have. That one about, “Try to eat healthier”?  How’s a lady supposed to eat healthier with the remnants of a perfectly good New Year’s ham in the fridge and a Christmas stocking full of candy? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, (and the day-after chocolate sales,) I might as well call it a year and sweep that “eat healthy” resolution under the rug, right? WRONG. Here’s the thing with resolutions, you get do-overs. All. Year. Long.

The way I see it, the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions is a tool designed for self-improvement and optimism. Resolutions shouldn’t be so specific that you set yourself up for failure, (“I will run 3 miles every day”). Instead, make your resolutions broad and realistic, (“I want to run more and be more active”). This blanket resolution is specific enough to define an achievable goal, but broad enough to allow for the ebb and flow of daily life. It also leaves room for evolution and improvement.

Not only are stamps great for that resolution for writing more letters, they're also a great reminder for all of those fruits and vegetables you said you'd eat more of this year.

Maybe your “run more” resolution turns into playing on an indoor soccer team during the winter, a kickball league in the summer, and trail running in the fall. And as we all know, making New Year’s resolutions is only the half of it. The other half is holding yourself accountable.

In Part 1 of my “re·con·nect —re·set—re·fresh” post, I mentioned that while some people like to share their resolutions with friends, others choose to keep theirs private. One of the easiest and most rewarding ways of tracking your own success throughout the year is to keep a “Resolution Journal”. Keeping a journal just for New Year’s resolutions is a great way to help you reach your personal goals by creating a sense of personal accountability.

For insight on how to start and keep a “Resolution Journal” check back for Part 3. If you’re like me and you’ve already broken one or two resolutions, use this week as a breather to regroup and even revise your resolutions. Scout out one or several special journals that speak to you and then, hit the reset button. 

Check out my selection of journals and notebooks and use the code RESOLUTION2016 at checkout and receive 15% off of your very own "Resolution Journal" to start the year off right. Use #MyCHBook on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to show how you use your Crowing Hens Bindery book throughout the year!