Have you read the latest round of articles on New Year’s resolutions? It seems everyone is downing the annual practice of setting goals for a better life as a futile waste of time. Admittedly, I gave up on creating New Year’s resolutions several years ago. But, it’s not because I gave up on hope that I could do better and be better.

I still write down my goals or intentions every New Year’s eve, but in a different way. You see, my list takes shape in the form of a letter to God. It’s an admission if you will, that I need help. We all do. Support and inspiration, wherever you draw them from, are essential ingredients for success.

There is an added benefit to writing the letter though. Instead of just a list of things that I want to accomplish, writing the letter provides context, a bigger picture, if you will, for the changes that I want to see in my life. The letter is a way of connecting the dots between my goals and what I value.

Goals are values

Our goals are markers for what we value. The desire to take better care of yourself is a value statement not to be taken lightly or tossed out the window—ever. The fact that we come back to the same goals or resolutions every year is a reason for celebration, not disappointment and disillusionment.

It can be frustrating to feel that you haven’t made progress, but setting an intention or goal is not the problem. Deep down, we all want to grow and evolve. So despite a lost of focus or unsuccessful attempts to change, we keep trying. Born out of the so-called repetitiveness of New Year’s resolutions is recognition that change is possible.

The problem with health resolutions, regardless of when we set them, is that far too often we view our health as something separate from the rest of our lives. It’s convenient to do this. It’s the rationale behind binging over the holidays and then waking up on January 1st proclaiming that I’m “ready to make changes.”

Unfortunately, serious illness is the one thing that wakes us up to the reality that, yes, without our health, nothing else matters. But why wait for an unfortunate turn of events?

Change occurs gradually

Change is a process. It doesn’t have to be the “all or nothing” approach that often characterizes (and sets us up for failure) New Year’s resolutions. As I prepared to write my letter for 2008, I looked over my letter from the previous year and saw that many of the things that I wanted for this year were in my 2007 letter. My first reaction was to think that I had not done enough. But, I stopped myself. As I reflected on the year, I was able to see the progress I made in 2007 and instead of knocking myself for not “doing more” I smiled at all that I had done, and looked forward to the continual unfolding of myself and my dreams.

Acknowledge your successes. What changes have you already made? How can you continue the growth process? What will you do this year to bring you closer to your goals? What is realistic for you?

The New Year is fresh and forgiving

Call me an optimist, but I am excited about the New Year. It’s a time to start over again. It’s a gift to have made it through another year and to be given an opportunity to recreate ourselves. The New Year is open and expectant. It’s a blank slate from which to write a new direction for our lives—when we’re ready. The New Year is forgiving. Whatever you did or didn’t do last year, you can let it go and start anew.

So what’s my new year’s health resolution? It’s the same one I had last year: to completely and fully embrace health. In other words, surround myself in all things healthy and good for me. I want to be health, live health and breathe health.