Don’t let your New Year resolutions weaken… this is the first month of a new year and you have the entire year ahead of you to make a plan. Everyone uses markers in their life, whether it’s birthdays, or specific events, they mark your life. You know, oh we did that before the children were born, or I went there before I graduated from high school/college and I liked that before we got a dog…you get the picture, well, whatever your marker is, (you have one), we all use them, mark a place in time and get ready for some new change.
Many of us don’t like to make New Year’s resolutions. Why? Oh, I’ve heard the reasons, and there are many: I don’t believe in them, they are stupid, I won’t be able to do it anyway…I can’t keep them, I forgot I made them, or the classic I don’t need any resolutions.
New Year’s resolutions are markers in our life. What a great opportunity to have a starting place, a marker that synchronizes with the calendar year. So to make 2014 your year, I challenge you to try a few of these 14 tips and if you actually do them and follow through, I guarantee 2014 will be a great year.

1. This first tip is crucial to the success of the other 14. Get out a piece of paper, or use your smart phone, tablet or computer and make a list of 14 things you want to achieve in 2014. If your first response is, I don’t have anything I want to do, then, seriously this exercise is for you. Let’s break this down, just 14 items on your list made up of things to do, places to go and goals to achieve. If you can’t think of 14 things to do over the next year than what a boring year you will have. They don’t have to be monumental items. You don’t have to say” I’m going to lose 20 pounds,” or” I’m going to work out every day” they can be easy, simple, fun resolutions. So get out a piece of paper and actually type it or write them down. Here are some ideas to get you going.

2. Plan one Rocky Point trip each month. See that’s a simple New Year’s resolution. Get out a calendar, look at the weekends and figure out one weekend a month that you can come down and enjoy the beautiful sea. If you plan ahead, you might even get some great deals.

3. Break your year in quarters. Think about one thing you’d like to do in each quarter of the year. Places to go, financial goals to make. Use the seasons and that makes it easier. Now you have 4 more resolutions.

4. Recycle, reuse and recharge. If you haven’t been a recycler, at least try, start slow, buy a new garbage can, to put the aluminum cans and plastic bottles in. They say it only takes 21 days to make or break a habit so, in 21 days, if you get in the habit of recycling it will become an old habit. You will already be making it a better year, by adding positive energy to our environments. Reuse containers at least once. There are so many food items, to go boxes, boxed up in common containers. Before you recycle them, reuse them. Change a few old fashioned light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs. Find a way to help our environment out this year that you didn’t do before, it will make a difference.

5. Learn a new language. Okay, if you don’t know Spanish and your spending time in Rocky Point, that’s a great resolution. Your goal doesn’t have to be, to be fluent, how about learning a list of 20 new words. Figure out the most 20 common phrases, write them down and practice. In Rocky Point, everyone would be glad to converse with you as you learn.

6. Try a new restaurant in Rocky Point. Yes, there are constantly unique restaurants opening up in Rocky Point. Stop going to the same old place every time, we all have our favorites and keep going back, but try something different. When you drive by and see something new opening up, or you read about a different hot lunch spot, stop in and grab a bite to eat. Just trying something fresh, meeting new people changing your location can advance your mind. I like to go even further and try a new place on every visit down to Rocky Point.

7. Every morning you’re in Rocky Point, take a walk on the beach. It is right there. If you haven’t tried a morning walk, you don’t know what you are missing. Whether you can walk 5 miles or half a mile, getting up and moving, looking at the beautiful Sea of Cortez and breathing in the fresh salty air will do wonders for your year.

8. Volunteer. Even if you only volunteer one time touring 2014 you will have succeeded and touching another’s life and giving back.

9. Pick a date or dates and have your own little “be kind to stranger’s day”. You don’t have to tell anybody about this resolution, in fact it’s better if you do it and not talk about it. But pick a date on the calendar, and decide that day, you’re going to be extra kind to a stranger. Whatever that entails, whatever that means do something for someone else on purpose at random. It is sure to change your year . I dare you to try it.

10. Buy a piggy bank. Find a jar, a recyclable container or go down to the Malecon or Cholla mall and buy a piggy bank. When’s the last time you actually had a piggy bank? Well if you haven’t had one for a while try out this resolution. Every night empty your purse, your pockets and put your change in the bank. Do this for year, and you’ll be excited to see how much you saved.

11. Learn something new. It’s as simple as that, think about something that you don’t know about and decide to try it. Write it down on your list and then figure out how you can achieve this. In the world of technology, YouTube videos and libraries, there are plethora of resources out there to help you learn almost anything. Google it and find out how to learn to do it and try it.

12. Invite a friend or family member down to Rocky Point. A lot of the good memories of our life are made of vacations and weekends away with friends and family. Be the catalyst that brings someone who’s never ventured down here to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico to come experience all our wonderful little spots the Sea of Cortez has to offer.

13. Create something. Everybody has some type of creative bone in their body. Sure, we may not all be musicians or artists or writers, but we all see ideas. Whatever it is you like to do, whether it’s building something, painting, make this one of your actionable items on your list. Whatever you create, is a part of you that will be around forever. It can be as simple as collecting a few seashells, gluing them on a recyclable material and making a sign. Or make a video with your phone of Rocky Point and share it on line. Go ahead and use your inner artist that’s just dying to get out.

14. Keep your 14 resolutions handy. Hang it up in your office, tape it to the refrigerator, put it in your Bible. Keep it in the drawer beside your bed. Put your list of 14 goals, so you will see them and then set out to achieve them. Creating an actionable weekly ‘to do” lists can help complete them.

Remember, you owe it to yourself to sit down and make a list. What can it hurt? If you’re lucky to be reading this sitting in Rocky Point, visiting, or living here full or part time, go to the beach with a blanket, grab your writing device and make your list. There is something about the deep blue sea, the salt water, and the sound of water that expands your mind.  If nothing else, making a list of 14 things you aspire to do in 2014 and this will help set the year as a new marker.

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” –Benjamin Mays
Start now…just do it
Make 2014 your best year ever

Anita Kaltenbaugh is the Mexico travel examiner at examiner.com and author of the book “Travel Secrets- Insider guide to planning, affording and taking more vacations” available on Amazon.com as an e-book or paperback. Create your travel bucket list today.