Resolutions x4 2021 Edition

2021 is a year to focus more on family, friends and personal relationships that will help our Earth heal. We have already started seeing changes in our environment from cutting back on the amount of fossil fuels we burn going to work and the destructive behaviors tourism generates. As we go into 2021 lets focus on these resolutions to reset our mindset and help our planet get a Fresh Start.

1) Practice no waste cooking and consuming. Focus on saving trimmings and bones from meats and veggies to create flavorful soups and stocks with minimal effort and cost. Experiment with flavors you love. Doing this will stretch your budget and put less waste into the environment.

2) Take less trips. Make a list of things you need from the store every week. Fill your gas tank all the way up. Don't go 'grab that really quick' from the store. Make plans and stick to them as best you can so you are not burning fuel.

3) Plan days to go clean up your community. This will get you out and feeling social, even though you are practicing social distancing. Cleaning up your community gives a sense of purpose and helps you feel like you are a part of something.

4) Reach out more to your friends and family. People are social creatures, but in times of worry and anxiety we tend to become introverted. Oftentimes this can lead to depression and greater anxiety or worse. Reaching out, taking the first step is healthy for you and others.

5) Learn a hobby or skill. Teach yourself to sew and mend, pick up a musical instrument you have always been curious about, build and fix things with your hands. There are so many great resources online to help you along your way (for free!) that there are really no more reasons to be bored anymore. Humans have a natural curiosity and a need to learn new things, go forth and explore!

6) Volunteer some of your time each month at a shelter. Be it homeless people or animals, the world needs more of your time. Contact your local shelter and volunteer. Walking dogs can lower your stress levels, and connecting with others to make a difference in their lives will give you a sense of fulfillment.

7) Save more money. Pick one habit and start the savings there. Do you buy coffee more than a few times a week? Do you grab fast food? Is there a subscription service you can live without? Put that money into savings and you will be surprised with how fast it adds up!

8) Exercise! This resolution can be accomplished in so many ways. Dancing around the house to your favorite music while doing chores, parking further away at the grocery store and walking around the block a few times by your home are a few ways to get started.

9) When in doubt, throw it out (donate it!). Every year it is good to go through items in our home. Broken things should be fixed or recycled. Clothing should be mended, and anything that is out of date and not being worn should be donated. Old magazines and newspapers should be gone through and recycled and household cleaning items, makeup and self care items should be looked at. Pantry shelves should be rotated and inventoried, anything that is not being used and not expired should be donated to the local food pantry.

10) Lose a vice. Are you smoking tobacco? Are you drinking more than you want to be? Do you worry about your marijuanna consumption? Is your caffeine intake out of control? Make it a goal to quit, and stick to it! You will see the difference in your health and your wallet.

Please join me in these resolutions for the year 2021 and beyond. A focus on a healthier future for ourselves and the next generation could start turning around the issues we are now seeing with global warming and homelessness. Wouldn't we all like a Fresh Start?