New Year Resolutions

It's time to focus on the new year ahead. It's time to resolve to change, to make improvements, to make our life simpler and happier. A bit of planning can lead to significant life changes, if we follow through on our promise. There are the standard resolutions that most of us will jot down: lose weight, exercise, eat right, stop procrastinating, call parents, and stop screaming. These are certainly notable and should not be overlooked. However, I wanted to list some more specific resolutions for those that are particularly conscious of their physical, mental and spiritual health. The following are simple resolutions that have great returns. Just adding one of these to your vows will go a long way. Consider one ore more of these this year, and make 2018 your best year ever.

Resolve to:

Become a sevak at Chinmayam
Get more involved with your child's education, including Bala Vihar
Join a hatha yoga class
Help another family by getting them to join Chinmayam
Practice 10 min of deep breathing at work during lunch
Have two fruit every day at breakfast or as snack
Eat 10 almonds every morning (soaked and peeled)
Bring out your old juicer and drink one glass of fresh squeezed juice daily
Reduce caffeine to only one cup per day
Sub your dairy milk with almond or coconut milk, including tea/coffee
Read 3 verses of Bhagavad Gita with translation at night before sleeping
Have family hour once per week and watch Gurudev's videos in place of movies
Brisk walk every day for 30 min
Practice 15 min of yoga asana daily
Once a week, set time to be outdoors (walking, gardening, playing with kids)
Get out your old bread machine and bake homemade bread
Allow TV and internet at home only on certain days
Go to bed by 10pm and wake at 6am
Become a vegetarian (or vegan if you already are one)
Reward your child with points that can be used towards healthy purchases - art, books, yoga mat, etc
Enforce a one hour minimum before responding to a disturbing email, call, thought, or dialogue
Give happiness to your family by being happy yourself - if you're not happy, fake it
Whatever happens, resolve to remain calm and composed