As always, I spent some time thinking about what my New Year’s Resolution/s would be this year. Part of this process was reviewing my resolutions from the last few years – which is easy for me to do since I devote a column every year to the subject. It’s become a stroll down Memory Lane for me, as well as a good analytical tool. I can see which resolutions became habits and routines that I still follow today, as well as ones that I’m still working on or that never really got off the ground.

I was surprised to discover it’s been five years since I developed the habit of lighting a candle, making a cup of tea, and sitting down at my kitchen table every morning to organize and prioritize my day, as well as my goals, plans, and dreams for the future. That ritual grew out of a New Year’s Resolution inspired by a scented Christmas candle I got as a gift from one of my sisters that year.

Another year, I resolved to spend 15 minutes a day decluttering. I still try to do that, but I’m not as consistent as I’d like to be. Maybe I need to hook it onto the morning ritual I already have in place. I can resolve that after I get my organizing and prioritizing done, I’ll spend 15 minutes decluttering before I blow out the candle. Since my office is getting to be in serious need of decluttering, I can focus on that first, which will also facilitate a smooth transition from my kitchen table to my office desk, where I can then dig into the day’s work.

I’m making that one of my New Year’s Resolutions, but the main one I want to focus on this year is a more spiritual one. I decided this after realizing that my New Year’s Resolutions have always been related to improving myself physically, working more efficiently, or improving my surroundings. I’ve never focused specifically on my spiritual life, and I actually think I have a pretty solid one to begin with. Still, I figure that a New Year’s Resolution focused on that will only make it stronger. And it will likely bring about unanticipated benefits in other areas of my life as well.

So my New Year’s Resolution this year is to read at least one chapter of the Bible every morning, with a goal of reading the entire Bible, cover to cover, in 2016. I’ll need to read more than a chapter a day in order to accomplish this, since the Bible contains over a thousand chapters. But if I start by reading a chapter a day – which I’ve begun doing as soon as I turn my computer on in the morning, while waiting for it to boot up – I can build from there.

Establish a routine, and develop a habit. I believe that’s the secret to success, whether we’re working on a New Year’s Resolution or our life’s plan.

My New Year’s wish for you is success in whatever you resolve to accomplish – in the coming year, and in the rest of your life.

The column “Find Your Buried Treasure” appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on December 31, 2015.
©Betty Liedtke, 2015

Are you making any New Year’s Resolutions this year? I’d love to hear what they are, and what your plan is for implementing them. Please be aware that all responses will be moderated and approved before appearing on this blog, in order to protect all of us from unwanted spam.