5 Simple Resolutions That Can Lay the Groundwork for Greater Achievement Throughout the Year   

Even though we all know that the end of one year and the beginning of another is an arbitrary demarcation, we all fall into the New Year resolutions trap…in fact, it may be human nature to look back and find fault with all we meant to do last year, and then set unrealistic goals about how next year will be different! So we tell ourselves that this is the year we will get that promotion, lose weight, finally get our closets organized, and read more books. But the truth is, resolutions that are made out of an urgent sense of shame and frustration are almost certainly doomed to failure. And for most women, juggling work and family and finding time for ourselves is a big enough goal to try to reach!

But if you’re dead set on resolutions, why not focus on setting a goal of taking care of you? ”Self-care” may sound like a made-up term, designed by websites and women’s magazines, but truly caring for yourself spiritually, physically, and emotionally will make other goals you set easier to achieve. Why?  Because self-care sets the groundwork for everything else.  New Year’s resolutions grounded in the concept of self-care will improve the quality of your life way more than the monthly juice cleanse you’ve been contemplating!

With that in mind, below are five self-care resolutions that you can actually achieve in 2016:

Reconnect with at Least One Friend or Family Member
The important thing to remember with this one is that you don’t want to use it as an excuse to beat yourself up. We all lead busy lives, and according to the Pew Research Center, the average Facebook user has over 300 friends. That’s a lot of cat memes and baby photos to “like,” and maybe you’ve found it too time-consuming to re-connect on a deeper level. But reaching out to someone with whom you already have a deep link can help remind you who you are and what you bring to your relationships. It can ground you by helping you feel more allied with other humans and, in turn, with humanity itself.

Find at Least One Physical Attribute you Like about Yourself
If you are like most of us, you almost certainly have a list of hundreds of physical features that you don’t like, and maybe one of your resolutions is even to “fix” some. But what about the things that don’t need improvement? How often do you focus on them? The bump in your nose that makes it unique? The porcelain skin that you inherited from your grandmother? Find that attribute (more than one would be even better!) and own it. Remind yourself that while you may have flaws, you have some amazing assets as well. This will come in especially handy the next time you’re trying on bathing suits, don’t get that promotion, or dealing with a situation makes you feel “less-than.”

Organize Something Small
We’re not talking about cleaning out your entire garage or inventing a new filing system for your company. If you can do that, great…but chances are that tasks that enormous become overwhelming very quickly, and won’t get done, leaving you feeling ineffective and defeated. Instead, what about going through the photos on your phone or computer and deciding which can be deleted to free up more space and dividing them into folders for easy access in the future? Or culling through your closet and getting rid of blouses and cardigans that no longer look like the color they started life as or or were (let’s be honest) purchased before 1999. Completing a concrete task like this can give you a real sense of accomplishment and remind you that your life isn’t as out of control as it may sometimes feel.

Commit to Putting your Phone/Tablet/Computer Aside for at Least One Hour a Day
Being constantly reachable is a boon in many ways, but it is also an enormous stressor: looking at your phone every two minutes means that you rarely have a chance to be mindful of your own thoughts and feelings – and when you’re reading email, you’re most often responding to the needs of others. Many of us use texts and emails as distractions, and that is okay up to a point. But a life of 24/7 distraction means you’re not in tune with what you’re feeling most of the time, and that can be dangerous.

Note: if you have a young child and feel that you must always be reachable because of her or him, create a special ringtone on your phone that lets you know it’s your child, school or babysitter calling.If you don’t hear that ringtone during your hour-a-day away from connectivity, don’t respond…no matter what!!! 

Do One Thing that Scares You
Yes, just one thing for all of 2016…after all, how hard can that be? But make sure it is something that is both scary and meaningful. Something that, once accomplished, will remind you throughout the year that you’re braver than you know. Whether that means asking for a raise, having an uncomfortable conversation with a family member, taking the elevator to a high floor if you’re scared of heights, or confronting a significant other about what you need in your relationship, one act of bravery can lead to others.  And even if it doesn’t, doing something that scares you will jog your memory when you face another frightening situation; it will reinforce the fact that you are a powerful woman who can overcome obstacles she never imagined possible!