New Years is probably one of my favorite holidays. Many people look at a new calendar year as a fresh start. It’s the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae of good holidays. Either way you look at it, it’s the connecting holiday that ends one year and starts another. The old and the new being celebrated together. A time for reflecting on the past and looking ahead to the future. Toasting to what was and what is yet to be.
Many people use New Years as a chance to get rid of old habits and/or start new ones. A time for making changes in your lifestyle. It’s also a time of self reflection and evaluation. As a result, people decide to lose weight, stay out of debt or be a better person in some regard or other.
According to Nielsen.com here are the top 10 New Years Resolutions from 2015, with 16% of us,( myself included) not making any resolutions at all.
TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
| Stay fit and healthy | 37% |
| Lose weight | 32% |
| Enjoy life to the fullest | 28% |
| Spend less, save more | 25% |
| Spend more time with family and friends | 19% |
| Get organized | 18% |
| Will not make any resolutions | 16% |
| Learn something new/new hobby | 14% |
| Travel more | 14% |
| Read more | 12% |
| Source: Nielsen | |
My husband loves to make resolutions. He has even written down his resolutions on paper, dated it and had me sign it as a witness to hold him accountable. What I love about him is that he is a loyalist, a steady eddy if you will. He is someone who will stick to his resolutions. I on the other hand, not so much. Flying by the seat of my pants, spur of the moment person who hates routine and structure, that is me. Making resolutions every year is not my thing. I start out with good intentions but always end up failing about two weeks into January.
Yet I still look forward to a fresh start to the year. Something that I can focus on.
A few years ago I came across a blog post about choosing a word for the year. The idea of a word as my focus instead of making resolutions I know I won’t keep was perfect for me. My word that God gave me for 2016 was Flourish. After coming off of a year that had me feeling a little lost and struggling, I was glad to have a word to focus on in my life.
This year really has been so good, and God has used this word in my life in ways I never imagined. Thinking about my word and goals when making decisions and where life is taking me has been life changing. ( My friend Amber made me this beautiful wood block with my word for this year on it.) I love having this as a reminder in my home.
Instead of just floating through the year, I have a word! But my word is more than that, it’s who I am becoming, what I am focusing on and how I want to live my life in 2016!
I wanted to have more than a word and kept coming across a certain verse of scripture. It fit perfectly with my word for the year and helped anchor me. For Valentine’s Day this year, my husband bought me a bar necklace off of etsy. It has my word for 2016 and my verse inscribed on it.
Hands down, this is probably one of my most favorite gifts I have ever received. I wear my necklace almost everyday and love that reminder around my neck. Again, having something to focus on and remind me of my word is so helpful for me.
If you don’t love New Years Resolutions but want to find focus for the New Year, maybe find your word for the year and see where it takes you! Bonus to choosing a word instead of resolutions: you can eat ice cream and not feel guilty about it!
