I stopped doing resolutions like what seems a couple decades ago. Maybe you guys are on to something with writing a list that incorporates changes over the months then deciding whether you want to incorporate them permanently. Looking at the short term commitment seems more doable, it's not like you are saying to yourself "man I am committing to do this forever" and you just give up. Letting yourself decide at the end of four weeks whether you'd like to continue seems reasonable plus if you decide not to it doesn't seem like an all out failure if you say to yourself, "okay this wasn't for me but let's try this one"...then maybe throughout the year you gain a handful of positive improvements instead of one big failure of an improvement.

I know last year that after several years of being highly stressed out and things started mellowing out again my big thing was to just relax. My (adult) kids and their families are beginning to mature more, one more than the other, so financially having to help them out wasn't so burdensome. Top that with last year being the first time I went into the year not having anybody stay with me for whatever reason I was really into not having to follow any particular considerations when it came to what to eat, tiptoeing around someone else's sleep schedule, keeping up on the dishes, leaving stuff laying, etc.,....which did get broke temporarily when my sister came to stay with me for a couple months but then I was back to my just being able to relax. Relax in a way I'd never been able to basically my whole adult life. When you consider you first start out with nothing and trying to survive, then go into having kids and all that entails it was rather nice to not have to worry financially either.

The one main goal I said I would really try and accomplish this year is to pay off my house, I am so close I set that as a goal. That would enable me to set up some much bigger goals the following year. The other is to try and not be stressed about going outside the house. Not just last year but for several years it's been an attitude of if I don't go out there nothing happens. It's safe in here. lol. It's horrible but somewhat true, if you don't wander into it then you are not part of it. I use to love to walk, though I called it "hiking" and I could go on nature hikes or long strolls for hours, so I am going to try and get over my anxiety and walk more often.