New Year, Better Choices

First sunrise of 2023 | South Pointe Park, Miami Beach. Photo take by me.

The new year always brings sense of starting over. We (myself included) get overexcited about starting new ventures, setting new goals, and overhauling our lives... only to burn out less than a month later.

This year, I decided to take a different approach. Rather than making radical changes I have decided to simply do a bit better in four core areas of my life. In doing so, I will avoid overwhelm and have a better chance of adopting simpler changes into lifelong habits. Here's what I came up with:

Spirit: I have a set evening schedule for writing in my prayer journal already, but now I'm adding focused Bible reading to that time. I'm following a daily plan through the Bible app to keep me on track to read it from Genesis to Revelation in a year. While this is not the first time I have done so, I felt that it was time for a full refresher. Aside from keeping my faith strong, it also helps me clear my head after hectic days.

Health: rather than committing to a rigorous gym schedule that I will never keep, I'm committing to at least 15 minutes of focused movement a day. I find that in doing shorter, at-home workouts, I am more likely to knock them out as soon as I wake up. Bonus points: no awkward showers in the locker room at the gym with strangers, and no fighting for a parking spot.

Money: I'm naturally a saver, but now I'm adding a bit more to my nest egg. This includes meal prepping at home to avoid buying lunch out, adopting an empty container policy before buying a new product, and cutting back on clothes shopping. It sounds extreme, but I truly do not need to buy another piece of clothing or beauty product for months, if not the whole year.

Learning: I have several unfinished online courses that are waiting to be completed, all of which are meant to help me further my career and build my character. I have a daily half-hour set aside to completing these courses that are already paid for. As I acquire the knowledge and adopt the skills I develop, something tells me that my life will change drastically, and for the better.

So tell me: what's a small change you're making in 2023 with the hope of making a big impact?