New Year's Resolutions

Donation of Time or Money

    The good thing about helping others is that we usually end up helping ourselves in the process. So the resolution to give back to an individual or the community often proves mutually beneficial. Continue the feelings of generosity that may have sprung up during the holiday season throughout the rest of the year. Volunteer at a senior center, or become a mentor for disadvantaged children. Find a charity to which you can really relate and regularly donate money to their cause.

Repair Broken Relationships

    We have all said and done things we regret later. Sometimes these involve bridging gaps between the people we love. This year, resolve to fix relationships that need a little work, or reconnect with a long-lost friend or relative.

Spread Some Joy

    Why not do something just for the sake of bringing a smile to someone's face?

. Mail a greeting card to one of your neighbors who may seem lonely.
. Find out if there is an elderly resident who could use some help grocery  
   shopping, or just needs someone to sit with him or her for a few hours 
   during the week.
. Think like a child and absorb all of the little joys you experience every
   day and often do not give any thought.
. Send a note to your child's teacher saying how much you appreciate his
   or her dedication.
. Ask to see a supervisor at a store and compliment the job done by an
  employee, rather than complaining about something that's wrong.

These little measures can bring smiles to many people and don't require much effort at all.

Resolve to Have No More Resolutions

    If you look at it one way, resolutions may seem like we're given free reign to act poorly the rest of the year and then clean up our acts each January. Instead of  coming up with ideas you only stick with for a month or two, make resolutions a part of your daily life and make any successful resolutions a part of that routine.