NYR's

I just want to put this out there. We still haven't had Christmas yet and I know your brains are just chock-full of to-do lists -- but underneath it all, I want this idea percolating.....

Think outside the box for your New Year's Resolution. No more "get fit", lose weight, get healthier NYR's for you. How many years have you made those???

This year, get creative. Saya at Mac and Cheese Lifestyle has some novel thinking.

I like her underlying theme of connection. It is so much easier to make changes in your life when they are small, personally meaningful, and lead you to greater connections with the life you want.

Here is my example:

If you want to eat more mindfully -- call up a fav friend, ask them out to dinner (or over for dinner) and explain that you want to practice eating mindfully (smelling the dish before you take a bite, chewing the food consciously, breathing between bites, enjoying the colors of what you have chosen, paying attention to how each bite registers on your fullness scale, etc) -- get that person to participate in the experiment with you. They will describe things using words you would have never thought of. You will get to know them better while getting to know yourself better.

Or...

If you want to move more: Create a goal to visit 1 neighbor a week and plan on walking there. I know during the winter I just want to sit on the couch and watch TV, hiding from the cold. But...if I walk to a neighbor's house, I can have a quick visit and a quick walk back -- moving but also connecting with the people I won't see outdoors until April.

Make a plan to move while you are talking to your out-of-town college roommate on the phone. (Treadmill, eliptical, outside walking -- it doesn't matter, whatever works for you).

I love the idea of creating an intention for the New Year -- but be smart (and successful) about it. Like so many things, if what you have done in the past hasn't worked, change it up. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.