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A New Year, A New YOU: Part One

© Kristen Pasculli

A new year is a time of rejuvenation, new changes and fresh starts. Through this month's four-part feature, "A New Year, A New YOU," we'll explore you as an ever-changing person, and discuss ways to improve yourself emotionally, physically and mentally.

First, let's set down some goals. Not resolutions--that word sounds too final, as in, if we break them, all hope is lost. Not so--you can fall short of a goal and readjust it to make it work for you. So for our purposes, let's make some goals.

For this entire series, it will be necessary to have a journal or notepad and a pen handy. Writing will be an integral part, you'll see, of your path to self-improvement.

Here are some areas that you should make goals for.

1. CAREER. Do you want to get a new job? Do you want to perform better at your old one? Do you wish to meet more people where you work? Change your entire career; or perhaps, follow your passion and implement that into a career?

Think of what you want out of your job, and what can be improved upon. Think of what you don't like about your job. What do you wish to change?

2. LOVE. Do you want to bring your relationship to a level of more intimacy? Is it an area that needs attention at all? Do you want to find someone to be with, or be single? Whatever your status is, it can probably use some clarification or enhancement.

The grass is always greener on the other side, but you can always make things better in any area--and you deserve to, also.

3. FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Looking to meet more people, or better those relationships which you are already in? Again, this is another area of your life that you an always improve upon.

Maybe you want to rid yourself of people in your life that are not healthy for you. Though it may be a hard thing to do, after a great deal of classification, it is easy to recognize if someone in your life is more hindering than helpful. The hard part is going about ending the relationship.

Maybe you want to be a better parent to your children, if you have any. Now is the time to look into parenting classes or splurge a few dollars on a subscription to a parenting magazine or book.

4. MENTAL HEALTH. Though you may not have a psychological disorder, mental health is an area that must be maintained by all of us.