As much as I’m not a New Year’s person, the post-holiday frenzy and symbolic changing-of-the-calendar is a totally natural time to breathe, reassess, and start fresh. It’s resolution time!

And, all the other bloggers are doing it. Peer pressure is a powerful motivator.

image by The Crafted Life; print by Jordan Brantley (click for the free printable)

What’s NOT motivating, at least to me, is writing a long intimidating list of all the things I want to accomplish and hanging it above my desk to glower at me for a few months, until I realize I haven’t made any progress and relocate my plans to the recycling bin. Been there, done that. I am a very ambitious person, but it’s HARD to make changes. Just in case you didn’t know that.

So this year, I’m trying something new: making resolutions for each season of the year.

And because I’m totally anal, I’m breaking each season’s goals down into manageable tasks. Put your glasses on, it’s time to get nerdy.

Winter Goals: It’s all about building healthy habits.

I’ve written before about dealing with chronic migraines and fibromyalgia, so all I’ll say here is—I want to get as healthy as I can within the limits of those illnesses. And while I’ve worked hard to manage the symptoms and have a good treatment plan, there are some lifestyle changes I could make to help myself further and have more good days. So it’s high time I made them already!

Start and STICK WITH a daily mindfulness practice.

Anxiety makes all health issues worse, and especially migraines. I’ve tried yoga for relaxation in the past and found it to be very helpful, but never made it into a habit. This is the year—or should I say the season.

>> start with yoga and/or meditation 1x per week; build to 2x per week, 3x, etc. until I can make it an every day routine

>> try both morning and evening practices to see what is most relaxing to me (possibly yoga in the morning and meditation before bed?)

Walk for 20 minutes a day.

I was really good about walking last spring and summer, and then just stopped out of nowhere. Exercise is really important for migraines, but really difficult with fibromyalgia; slightly brisk walks seem to work best to keep me strong. A walk is also a great time be mindful, and I love getting away from all the devices and screens and just enjoying the sights.

>> start with 2x per week and build back up to every day.

Drink more water.

Whenever doctors ask me if I drink enough water, I answer “Yes!”…but I’m not consistent with it. (Are you seeing a theme here?)

This is a tough habit to build because it’s all about regular reminders, which can be hard with unpredictable schedules. I already drink only water throughout the day—no soda, juice, alcohol, or anything else other than the occasional cup of tea or morning smoothie. I’m thinking of trying this strategy of breaking my daily water needs into an hourly goal—what do you think? Any other tips on staying hydrated?

And those are my winter goals! I feel positive about this experiment. Long-term goals can be hard to keep up with because it feels like there’s no end to them. With this seasonal strategy, I have a 3-month “deadline” to work on my healthy habits—long enough to give me time to work on them, but short enough that I can remember them and stay motivated.

We’ll see! At the very least, here’s to trying something new!

Are you a resolution/goal-setting person? What has worked or failed for you in the past? Is it above 20°F where you are? (If so, may I join you there?)

There’s been some awesome posts about goals in blogland this year, check out some of my favorites:

Rethinking the Resolution: 4 Tips to Make Those Goals Stick, by Max Tielman for Design*Sponge

Five Things in 2015, by Paper & Stitch

2015 – Things to Enjoy, by Homey oh My!

and The Ultimate List, culminating in the best goal of all, via Dreams, Rings, and What Life Brings