We’re now three weeks into 2018, and most New Year’s resolutions don’t make it past January.  How are yours going?

As you know, I didn’t set traditional, measurable resolutions this year, but I did make some goals for myself about how I want to live my life. Circumstances are helping with my intention to go with the flow. I’ve reached the point in my pregnancy where the baby could arrive any day now, or not for another six weeks. The government shutdown brings added uncertainty to my financial life and maternity leave prospects. So I really have no choice now other than to take one day at a time and be open to whatever may happen. It’s rather freeing, really.

In late December, I asked Alexigraph’s Facebook followers to share their resolutions for 2018. Here’s what some readers of the blog decided to focus on this year:

1.  “My resolution is to believe in myself and keep thinking positively.” —Kathleen
2. “I think for 2018 I am aiming to focus more on creating an atmosphere where my family can thrive, instead of just going through the motions or being distracted or discouraged.” —Sarah
3. “To focus on taking better care of myself, mentally and physically.” —Michelle
4. “Focus on health in 2018!” —Sarah
5. “My resolution is to have more patience with my kids. Especially the 2 year old!” —Nichole

I love these resolutions because they represent guiding principles and values rather than tasks or targets to check off a list. These kinds of less concrete resolutions can be hard to fulfill, though, unless we continually remind ourselves of them and recommit ourselves to them.  If you need a little motivation to stay on track, here are my suggestions:

1. Put your resolution in writing and display it in a place where you’ll see it regularly. Read this post from last year for inspiration.

2. Assess how you’re doing so far and consider whether you need to identify specific daily steps to help you along your journey. For the resolutions listed above, examples of small daily steps might be meditating for 5 minutes a day or eating a fresh produce item at every meal. The steps don’t have to be huge. It’s better to choose small steps that can become regular habits than big goals that are likely to fall by the wayside. For more thoughts on setting small, attainable goals, read this post.

3. Watch a relevant movie or read a book to re-inspire you. Netflix is full of motivational documentaries on just about any topic, and there’s no shortage of memoirs and self-help books relating to nearly any goal. Use them to refocus your attention on the “why” behind your resolution and remind yourself of how others have successfully gotten to where you want to go.

Good luck as you continue to move forward! Let us know how it’s going in the comments.

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PS: Today’s photo really has nothing to do with this post. I just thought you all might like to see what I’m looking like these days. One month to go!