As the year draws to a close, everyone starts thinking about those things that we need to change about ourselves so that we can proudly announce on New Year’s Eve our resolutions for the coming year. We feel so confident that with the dropping of the glittery ball we will instantly dissolve habits that have been ingrained in our psyche. In a short two or three weeks, we are dismayed that we find ourselves drifting back to old habits.
May I propose a new system for the coming year.
First of all, I acknowledge that I am good for thirty days of trying something new. Secondly, I accomplish so much more when the tasks at hand are small. And finally, I am in favor of change that does not affect my bank account.
I begin by listing twelve actions that fit the criteria of requiring a short amount of time and do not cost a lot of money. Next, I put them in the order in which I want to attempt to accomplish these tasks and assign them to months of the coming year.
Here are my tasks for 2024.
January: This month finds me wrapped up in my blanket and sipping a warm liquid, so this month’s goal is to call a different friend or acquaintance every day to see how they are doing or how their holiday went. It can be a short call, but my husband would attest that it would be more likely a long one. It could be just to say thank you for a job well done or to share a memory from long ago.
February: This month is for love. I plan to hug at least one person every day. This is a little selfish on my part. When I hug someone, I get more than I give. A hug can be an embrace. A hug can be given in an email…(((hug))) or with words of kindness. A word of caution, some people are very protective of their personal space, so asking before hugging is a good idea.
March: Winter is breaking so traveling outside my house happens more often. With the emergence of the sun, the warm cozy feeling begins to grow inside. I want to spread that sunshine, so I plan to give a smile to at least one stranger every day. That means that 31 random people are going to be wondering just where they have met me.
April: Spring is on the horizon, and the air is filled with the aroma of promise. I want to present 10 people with a bunch of wildflowers from my woods. Many people are unable to get out and smell the wonderful fragrance that fills a wooded area this time of year.
May: How often do we forget to compliment someone? I hope to give a heartfelt compliment to someone every day. Caution should be taken to not make the compliment too personal because there is a tendency to label that type of compliment as creepy.
June: The summer months bring warm weather. I will seek out the neighborhood lemonade stands and purchase at least one glass to encourage these fledgling entrepreneurs. In full disclosure: I probably won’t drink them, but I will wait until I arrive home to dispose of them.
July: I must confess that an extraordinary number of deliveries are made to our address. Those July days can be brutal, so I plan to have a cold bottle of water waiting in my refrigerator to present to the UPS, FEDEX, or PRIME driver that is dropping off my package.
August: It’s back to school we go. I know from experience that this can be straining on a new teacher’s pocketbook. I also can’t stay away from the school supply aisle at Walmart. Old habits die hard. I will gather a few supplies that every classroom needs and present them to a new teacher.
September: I occasionally find myself in a takeout line. I often think about paying for the person behind me and rarely do it. This month I hope to pay it forward to at least four people. Again, this will cause four people to wonder who I am.
October: Laughter is the best medicine. It warms your soul and spreads light to the dark corners of your mind. I find the best humor is the kind that makes the person telling the story the foolish one. It is always better to laugh with someone, rather than laugh at someone. So everyone, be prepared to laugh with me.
November: It is the month of giving thanks. I will create a thankful jar. Every day I will write one thing I am thankful for on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. At the end of the month, I will have 30 things to be grateful for.
December: I say this every year, but I will mail my Christmas cards in December, not one- or two-months afterwords. Probably in the last five years, I have accomplished this perhaps twice. My friends will be shocked.
Here’s the Thing: New Year’s Resolutions are feasible. Make them simple and very positive. Take what is good about you and spread it around. I guarantee after a year of doing positive heartwarming things for others and yourself, you will look back on 2024 as the best year ever!
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Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of articles written by a group of retired and current teachers — LaNae Abnet, Ken Ballinger, Billy Kreigh, Kathy Schwartz, and Anna Spalding. Their intent is to spur discussions at the dinner table and elsewhere. You may also voice your thoughts and reactions via The News-Banner’s letters to editor.
