The Holidays are past, and it’s time to get back to whatever we all do every other week of the year.

For many of us, the new year is a time to reflect and plan for the coming months. I know it sounds cliché, to make goals and hope that they last more than a month, but we all imagine and hope that we can keep the Christmas spirit alive all year long, so why not keep our ambitions high all year long as well.

In truth, if we’re to keep the Christmas spirit alive throughout the year, that takes some supreme ambition and effort on our part to accomplish.

Age matters very little. Whether we’re enjoying the high life in one of Leisure Villas’ wonderful 55+ communities, or still raising kids, we can all work to improve our personal lives.

To help with this, I’d like to share a few things that I like to do around this time of year. Maybe you have a better idea, and that is fine, too, but here is how I do my New Year’s personal renovations:

New Year’s Traditions

Celebrate

First of all, you made it through another year!

Maybe it was a stellar year, or maybe you had some difficult challenges. Maybe someone you love passed on and you don’t feel much like celebrating. Each year brings its own cornucopia of experiences.

Regardless of what I’ve gone through, I like to set a day apart. My own tradition includes watching a good movie with my family and splurging on some fancy cheese and crackers. I know, that probably doesn’t sound much like the way you’d want to celebrate, but I love crackers, cheese, and movies.

The other thing I do, aside from promise my wife that I will not spend any more money on weird cheese for the year, is I like to work on my personal growth plan.

Personal Growth

Yes, it’s true, I have a personal growth plan. I was inspired to put one together after reading one of John C. Maxwell’s books, though I can’t remember which one it was. (I’ve read a couple of them)

Here’s what my personal growth plan looks like:

At the beginning of each new year, I take a look at a list of items that I would like to improve about myself. I have this on an excel spreadsheet. I take stock of what I’ve worked on, and the progress made on each of those. I then scrutinize the other items on my list, maybe add a few, and then I prioritize them.

Then, I create an image template that I set as the background for my computer. This image is one solid color, so that my attention is drawn immediately to the words on my screen every time I turn my computer on (which is every day for me).

On this image, I have a short list of reminders, personal strengths that I hope to develop, things I want to be working on that week. I may also have a spiritual thought, scripture, or other quote that helps inspire me each day.

I used to try and update this image each week, but found that I struggled keeping up with it. Now I sit down on the first Monday of each month, when I put together a rough schedule for my month, and update this image.

This way, each month is like a new year resolution. I can keep my goals fresh, and I can re-evaluate them constantly.

I’m a big believer in change and growth. I also believe that we are all changing and growing in some form or another. Personally though, I want to have as much control on the areas that I grow and develop in.

Not only do I believe that this will help me get better, but I will do so faster. I want to be an active participant in the course direction of my own life, and that of my family.

So yes, New Years resolutions can seem pointless or overstated, however, with a little planning and a bit of discipline, it can be a rewarding experience that can last throughout the year. My personal methods may not be perfect, nor are they a sure-fire approach for you, but setting some process or standard for personal growth in your life might make this year the best it can be.

Happy New Year! May it be a great one!