When I was younger, I used to make New Year’s Resolutions every year. As I aged, I noticed the resolutions were basically the same with minor variations. The only big difference was the year. If I categorized those resolutions, they would fall into the following categories:
Health (Lose weight, exercise regularly, drink more water, etc.)
Finances (save money, pay off debt, etc.)
Dreams (get published, buy a house)
Totally out of the realm of realism (Marry prince charming, win a Nobel prize)
This year, I told myself I’m too old to make resolutions, especially when if the past fifty years are any indication, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll keep them. However, I am a goal oriented person. I’m all about setting goals and coming up with a plan to achieve those goals. As I think about 2018, one word comes to mind, FOCUS. I need to focus in all areas of my life.
So, I decided to come up with my new resolutions for 2018.
- Focus on my health – This means making healthier choices, taking care of my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being.
- Focus on financial security – This means planning for long term
- Focus on my dreams – It is too easy to get distracted by the day-to-day issues and lose sight of the bigger picture and long term goals. I need to remember to focus on my dreams.
Life can be hectic and there are a lot of things that are outside of my control. I can’t control politics (nor would I want to), nor can I control other people. The only thing that I can control is me. It’s really easy to get distracted by the news, the economy, and all of the craziness of life. Focusing on those things will make me frustrated and bitter. Life is short and in spite of all of negatives, there are a lot of good things like family, friends, chocolate (yep, this is vitally important). If I can remember to FOCUS on the things that matter most and not allow myself to get sidetracked, I believe 2018 will be an amazing year.