Some of use will hit the town, ring in the New Year in high style and with much hoopla. Some will choose a quieter gathering with friends and loved ones, while others will watch Twilight Zone reruns and the ball drop in Times Square on TV. And then, some of us will be sound asleep when we cross from the old into the new.

It’s our annual rite, marking the passage of time by signaling the movement from one year to the next. And while some of us will do that with a great deal of fanfare, in reality I typically find that not much changes as a result. I’ll wake up the first day of a new year and it will feel like most other days. Before too long, I’ll forget that anything actually happened and will just carry on, doing my best to remember to write the new year down whenever I have to note the date on anything. Otherwise, it’s the same old same old.

We do have a tradition of declaring our New Year’s resolutions, promises we make to ourselves but typically don’t keep. Most of my past New Year’s resolutions ended up on the scrap heap pretty quickly so now I don’t even bother. Which is a shame because taking inventory and formally naming your goals for a coming period of time is a good practice to get into. So, this year I have decided to make a resolution… and that is, to make a resolution!

We can positively change our behaviors and improve our lives by taking baby steps first, by breaking bigger goals down into smaller habits that are easier to form and to keep on a regular basis. A good starting point would be to identity that one thing you are going to try to repeat on a regular basis. The one thing that helps move you closer to something you strongly desire.

This could include improved health, better relationships with those around you, or a more fulfilling spiritual life. In all these cases, it pays to figure out that one thing that you can do often, let’s say every single day, that will make a positive difference. Here are some examples of those “one things” for each of these categories:

Improved health

• Determine a minimum step count goal for every single day and commit to hitting it (note: start small and increase over time)
• Commit to skipping soft drinks and choosing water instead
• Stop all after dinner snacking or… if you must, pick fruit instead of chips and ice cream
• Avoid screen time two hours before bed every day (this one makes a real difference)
• Target a minimum number of hours you’ll sleep every night

Better relationships

• Commit to actively listening and being more present with others (note: this takes real work at first but it gets much easier over time)
• Choose a time every day when you will reach out to someone in your life just to tell them you are thinking of them
• Seek feedback from others, then take it without becoming defensive
• Ask someone you offended to forgive you
• Contact someone you used to be close to and reconnect

A more fulfilling spiritual life

• Schedule time on a regular basis to visit the Adoration Chapel
• Commit to the Sacrament of Reconciliation
• Choose spiritually themed books, programming, and other materials instead of binge watching tv shows and movies
• Introduce daily practices, such as the Rosary or Liturgy of the Hours, into your routine
• Find just ten minutes of prayerful silence every day

These are just a small handful of “one thing” possibilities you may want to prayerfully consider for the coming year (and beyond).

Best of luck and Happy New Year!