Dog Farts & Living Better

 It’s January and every year people set goals they would like to accomplish in the next 12 months. Most of us, however, give up on going to the gym, eating better, and losing weight sometime around mid-February, if we make it past January 3rd.  It is not that we don't have the best of intentions. It's just that change is hard, and life is busy and messy. There is so much else going on. So much more to keep track of and do. 

Instead of doing the traditional and making huge changes that are hard to stick with, do something crazy. Make small changes that are fun, that you want to do, and that don’t take much time.   Do a quick Google search for strange, fun, and unusual New Year's resolutions.

The ideas are endless. And while I am not sure what it means to have a chicken party or why anyone would want to try extreme ironing. Other ideas sound promising.  The experts, whomever they are, say that when trying to make changes, start small, start with something easy, and don't be hard on yourself.

For instance, one of my favorite ideas was to stop blaming farts on the dog.  While I don't have a dog, this does seem like a good idea.  Although now it has become a joke, and everything is now being blamed on the nonexistent dog.  Another idea was to wave at people and smile more. This seems easy enough. It is a way to get out of your head, observe your surroundings, and be a better person.  Somehow just a simple smile and a wave can mean so much to so many people, it costs you nothing and it's easy to do.  

The idea of being better at learning people’s names sounds incredibly appealing    It might be cheating in today’s world of zoom when everybody’s name is in the bottom left corner, but it is the effort that counts.   It's also a way to make a more personal connection in an online world.   

Take photos in new places.  We all have camera phones so taking photos isn't a problem, getting out of our comfort zone/rut and finding a new place to take the picture is.   Find new things to explore, even if it's just in our hometown that we've lived in forever.  There are new businesses and a new statue.  A park trail we haven't tried before. All in the effort to just take a picture. That should be easy enough, right?

Prioritizing sleep and rest is a good New Year's resolution. So is planning a supper with your friends once a month.  Or having the resolution to not feel guilty for not making your resolutions, be easy on yourself.   Maybe perfect your celebrity impressions or learn a new party trick for your friends at your monthly dinner parties or coffee dates.  

Listening more and talking less helps to become more flexible mentally, emotionally, and maybe physically. It is OK if plans change. It is OK to do something a little bit differently and not feel guilty about it.  It is also OK to just say “I don't know.”  Let people tell you their opinion you don't have to agree, but you don't have to argue either. They're entitled to their opinion just as much as you are entitled to yours.  (Opinions are personal after all)

New Year's resolutions don't have to be this long list long checklist of things to accomplish throughout the year.   Do the little things that just make your life that much more enjoyable. Wouldn't that be awesome? And I'm sure the dog would appreciate not being blamed for farting.