2019 is here for real and brings all the excitement of new beginnings and the hopes and dreams of promising changes. Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of massive gatherings and crowds, but this year my husband and I decided to celebrate the New Year festivities in Downtown Jacksonville which is close to where we live and observe fireworks display. The excitement, joy and colorful spectacle was awesome and beyond. I felt like a kid in wonderland!–all worth to stay out late and take a long walk by the Saint Johns RiverI realize that this tick of the clock, which is normal and ordinary for every other day of the year, elevates people’s expectations for new beginnings, anticipation for something fresh and optimism for something greater. Many people take the opportunity to create resolutions, start journals with ‘to- do’ lists and self-promises for a better, happier, more successful life.

Unfortunately, according to the statistics, more than half of the New Year resolutions fail to be fulfilled. The reason? I guess people have good intentions and are excited about the changes but they overestimate the practical part of their decision to implement it.

If you are on the fence making commitments for the New Year, here are some thoughts that might be helpful and have worked for me in the past:

1. Do not over-promise. Just ask yourself deeply in the heart if this is the right time for you to make a new commitment. Because other people make resolutions does not mean you have to do them too.
2. Start by making only one resolution. If you wish to lose weight, wake up an hour early, write a book, stop biting your nails and go to church more often, chances are that all these new habits won’t stick at once . . . . Science says it takes 21 days to establish a new habit, so be gentle with yourself and take one or two steps at the time.
3. Find a support system. Let your family or friends know your new decision and ask them to lovingly remind you (not nag you) about your resolutions.
4. Make your resolution achievable. You can’t lose 50 lbs in two weeks, nor run a marathon if you haven’t run for years. Make sure that your resolution doesn’t require a magic wand!
5. Write down your intentions and keep track of your progress. The written word tends to have ‘more weight’ in our mind. Besides, you can always go back and see where you started and where you are going. It is a standing witness of your journey
6. Keep it simple. Sometimes people get into complex systems and strategies on how to get into their new habit and the super-analyze this and that. Find one or two tips that are helpful to you and stick to them. Tah-Dah!
7. Be specific. It is a good thing that you might want ‘to eat better’, but making a goal to adopt a healthier eating habit may not be specific enough. How about making a decision to quit drinking soda or eating processed food? That might register better in your mind and you will know exactly what to do or not do.
8. Make it your own. There are many resolutions out there and you only need the one that works for you. Make sure that you are taking into account your needs and personal situation and you don’t just follow your friend’s resolution just because it sounds ‘cool’.
9. If you fail once or twice, don’t quit. Failing might be part of the process and can happen to all. Don’t beat yourself up and certainly don’t give up on your dreams. Start over again, and again if needed.
10. Truthfully, you don’t need a New Year to make a resolution. New beginnings happen any day, and yours can happen when it is your time to choose something different. A New Year is just an opportunity to review what works for us and what doesn’t anymore and step into better possibilities.

I personally don’t wait for the New Year to come to make a big change. But I live fully with intentions and I always aim for something new and exciting, even if it means it might get out of my comfort zone. If you told me several years ago that I would be ‘blogging’ today, I would laugh at you. The language barrier was so big that I needed somebody to correct every other sentence . . . . But today writing and creating feel so light to me! I still make mistakes but that’s okay, I have fun sharing myself and my ideas.

So my 2019 new focus is to put more Chroma in my world . . .

And what does that mean? It means allowing more SELF-LOVE!No, it is not narcissism . . . It is rather self-care. I am a giver by nature (I am a mom after all.) but in my culture women are more than giving. Nothing wrong with giving. But sometimes we need to nurture the inner child first and be more loving to ourselves. Loving ourselves can be many things. For me, it is to:

God is in the details.

How about you?

xoxo