Well, now that the new year is in full swing, have you been thinking about what you will do differently this year to make it your best year yet?  I have decided that I will GIVE UP one thing each month that is negatively impacting my health, happiness, or success in some way, and I will ADD IN one thing each month that will positively impact my life.  Here’s what I have come up with so far: 

January

• Give Up: Eating a bag of tortilla chips (with my husband) weekly!   I know that sounds so terrible, but we don’t have many snacks in the house, and this was always one of the only ones.  Tortilla chips were my weakness.  But, since the New Year, I have decided to only eat tortilla chips when I go out to eat as an appetizer or when visiting friends or family from now on.  Even though they aren’t the worst snack I could ever eat, they also aren’t the best thing I could be putting in my body on a weekly basis.  They are empty calories, and they contain lots of oils.  Time to give up the habit!  So, starting earlier this month, I have been getting healthy crackers instead such as Mary’s Gone Crackers which are so crunchy and delicious! 
• Add In: Start meditating daily.  I’m so excited for this one!  I have been wanting to do this for so long, and now I am finally putting it into practice.  And, the universe even helped me with getting started!  My friend, Lisa, recently lent me a book called Living in the Light, which has a different meditation at the end of each short chapter.  Perfect!

February

• Give Up: Watching TV daily.  I never have been a huge TV watcher, but in the last couple of years, I have really gotten into the habit of watching quite a bit of TV (maybe an hour or 2 a night on most nights).  I always feel so much better when I am not wasting so much time watching TV.  So, my goal will be to watch TV 2 nights a week (at the most) for one hour or less.
• Add In: Start exercising at least 5x/week.  I have always been a yo-yo exerciser, getting really into it for months, and then taking a break for a little while, and then getting back into it again.  This time, I’m going to stick with it consistently!  I have already started, but will hit it hard in February.

March

• Give Up: Excessive computer time.  I love using the computer, but the internet has become a bit of an obsession for me.  I will plan to check my email, blog, facebook, twitter, and pinterest pages one time a day.  Then, that will leave me with more time to live life and really enjoy each moment.
• Add In: Using a compost bin.  My mother-in-law gave me a mini kitchen compost bin, which I have been using since Christmas; however, I haven’t gotten a big compost bin to transfer it to once it’s full yet!  I plan on getting one by March 1st, so that I can have even less garbage going into the landfill, and I will feel even more like I am doing just that much more for the environment.

I am going to keep going with these goals each month for the rest of the year, but I am going to wait on making the rest of the goals until I get closer to each month so that I can decide what is most important to me at that time to “give up” and “add in.”  What will you “give up” and “add in” this new year to make your life the best it’s ever been?