New Year, New Perspectives

Many people I know make New Years resolutions, but I'd prefer to call them goals, as that's in a sense what they are. My previous goals included getting my finances together, taking the LSAT, losing weight, etc. Many times I've accomplished them, some I haven't.

Losing weight - and keeping it off - is not just a one-year process, it's a perpetual thing, so although that is a goal of mine I'm tired of it being a New Years resolution - bad habits, such as poor diet, aren't dropped overnight, they evolve over time. I've been told it takes 21 days for a new routine to become habit.

That said, upon much introspection, I decided my goal for this year will to take better care of myself physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. For those of you familiar with the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, this is sharpening the saw; the theory that you perform your best work only when you take time out to care for yourself first. I have usually had a hard time doing this, much to my detriment, and I believe this is the thing that will help me function better in other aspects of my life. And, as they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, so the following is my plan to make self-care automatic in 2010.

Every other week I will forcefully integrate a new habit I will benefit from into my lifestyle, and conciously maintain that habit for 21 days, in the hope that it will become automatic afterwards.

Week 1 (Jan 4): Start getting better sleep. (Physical)
- All electronics off at 9:30 p.m., no exceptions.
- Any post-work workout ends by 7:30 p.m.
- Stick to a nightly routine, only light reading before bed.

Week 3 (Jan 18): Meditation CD 3x/week (Emotional)
I'm a fan of Glenn Harrold, this Australian guy who does self-hypnosis meditation CD's. He has a variety of them, if you're curious about this stuff I'd recommend it. After you get used to the track (each are about 30 minutes in length) and after you get past his accent, it's quite effective, I think.

Week 5 (Feb 1): Work out 3x/week (Physical)

Week 7 (Feb 15): Make a to-do list each morning (Mental)
I currently do this weekly, but I think it would be more effective daily.

Week 9 (Mar 1): Drink more water. (Physical)
Mini Goal: Drink 64 oz of water a day (8 cups, or 3 Aquifinia water bottles).

Week 11 (Mar 15): Integrate reading the daily news into my pre-work morning routine. (Mental)

Week 12 (Mar 22): GRE

Week 13 (Mar 29): Plan weekly dinner meals and portion out perishables as soon as I get home from the store. (Mental, Physical)
This goal will help save money and time; by getting into the habit of immediately divying up frozen veggies, fresh fruit and other things into individual serving size tupperware containers upon getting home, it will make for faster prep in cooking and grab-and-go ease when putting together lunches. This will help me eat healthier.

Week 15 (April 12): Pack gym clothes and lunches the night before. (Emotional)

Week 17 (April 26): Pray daily (rather than sporadically). (Spiritual)

Week 19 (May 10): Begin keeping a "thanks" journal. (Spiritual, Emotional)
Integrate into my nightly routine, before going to bed, writing things I'm thankful for in a journal to help me keep perspective.

Week 21 (May 24): Ensure I volunteer somewhere at least once a month. (Spiritual, Emotional)
I already have been trained to volunteer at a local food pantry, but I've only been once since October - beginning in May I'll make a more concerted effort to volunteer at least once a month.

Week 23 (June 7): LSAT round 2

Week 24 (June 14): Read one new book a month. (Mental)
I'm usually reading something all the time, but I have half a dozen books that are half-read; beginning in June I will make more of an effort to finish the books I start, unless they are completely uninteresting.

Other random habits I hope to remember:
- Stick to the GRE/LSAT self-study schedules
- It's called a lunch "break" for a reason, try not to become a study hermit again - Have faith in myself
- Remember that better self-care = emotional well-being

For those of you who read this, keep me honest! Any suggestions are welcome.

-Melissa