Delights to Cultivate in 2017

I've given up New Year's Resolutions. You know those terrible little nagging tasks we outline for ourselves at the beginning of each year... that horrible list of things we neglected last year that we drag into the new year to haunt our idle hours. Yes... New. Year's. Resolutions. I gave them up. Why? Because new year's resolutions always seem to be about NOT doing something or losing something or stopping something. Lose weight. Quit wasting time. Stop mindless spending. That doesn't interest me nearly as much as it used to. I want to live more fully in the present moment. I want to sink into my experiences and really imbibe the beauty all around me.

In THIS lovely article, Laura Grace Weldon explores the idea of "Delight-Driven Willpower" and creates a great list of goals for the new year. She talks about traditional goals and how they zap energy from the truly delightful things in your life. I couldn't agree more. So again, for the third year in a row, inspired Ms. Weldon's example, here are my delight driven goals for 2017.

1. Nourish my children in a peaceful demeanor.

2. Romance my partner in surprising ways every day. 

3. Celebrate each morning with a long stretch.

4. Explore the world of deep breathing and meditate.

5. Walk for pleasure.

6. Enjoy my naturally greying curly hair by wearing it down.

7. Tune into sensory pleasure - herbal tea, warm breezes, fresh sheets.

8. Explore new painting techniques in the studio.

9. Be a woman who listens deeply to the world around her. 

10. Write and send letters via snail mail to my friends.

11. Wear fabulous statement jewelry.

12. Share whatever goodness comes to me.

13. Read wonderful writers.

14. Relish whole foods and clean eating. 

15. Write my story. 

Interested in more from Laura Grace Weldon? 

Check out THIS great post about creating Life Lists.

And now it's your turn, dear reader. 

What delights do you want to cultivate in 2017?