12 Months of Resolutions

A good friend of mine (who also happens to be a fabulous blogger) and a bunch of her fellow bloggers have committed themselves to make lifelong changes in 2012; "resolutions," you might even call them. As she writes, “The difference here is that instead of setting lofty or ambiguous goals, each month, we'll each focus on one smaller goal, building better habits that we'll hopefully integrate into our lives.”

Everybody’s list of priorities differs based on they you are in life and how much time they have. Still, most of us want to do better and to be better. Because there’s no time like the present (yes, I know we’re well into January already), here is my challenge to you: Reflect on your Jewish values and commit to 12 months of positive change to influence changes in those around you. Learn from your mistakes and failures, and build upon your successes. Here are 12 suggestions. You pick the order!

• One month of charitable giving. This doesn’t mean you have to give a handout to everyone who asks, but every day, choose to put a few coins into your tzedaka box, find a homeless person to feed, or even write a check to your favorite charitable organization.
• Be mindful of what you eat. For some of us, Kashrut means making sure every food item we ingest is properly supervised. For others, it means the basics – avoiding pork, shellfish and food items that mix dairy and meat ingredients. And yet for others, food choices take on an ethical meaning, like making sure the workers and farmers are fairly treated, or that the animals are not tortured before beings slaughtered. Take a moment and think before you eat.
• Volunteer. Every institution I know of is always looking for an extra pair of hands. Call your local school, synagogue, soup kitchen, hospital, etc. and commit a bit of time over the course of a month to help out.
• Pray. Many of us are connected to houses of worship but aren’t always good about attending services. Plan to attend services once a week, whether with a friend, a family member or alone. Go back to your old synagogue, or try a new place of prayer. Who knows? You might make new and interesting friends and discover a strong sense of community. If prayer in a communal setting doesn’t do it for you, spend a few minutes on your own every day.
• Reach out to the ill. In Hebrew, we call this Bikkur Cholim. Jewish tradition tells us that every time we visit someone who isn’t well, it takes away 1/60^th of the sickness. Offer specifics on how you can help: babysitting, driving carpool, preparing a meal, etc. If you can’t make an actual visit, pick up the phone, write a note or send flowers instead. Also, check with your local assisted living facility or hospital to see if there are visiting opportunities, especially for those who don’t receive visitors.
• Find a meaningful way to mark the Sabbath. For many Jews, finding a way to mark the Sabbath is routine and comes easily. For others, Sabbath observance is familiar, but isn’t incorporated into their lives. Consider adding one more way to enhance your weekly Sabbath observance. From lighting candles to making Kiddush, from going to synagogue to desisting from using all forms of technology, there are many ways to mark the day.
• Health. We all talk about dieting and quitting other behaviors that are harmful to our bodies. But let’s deal with the basics: How many of us put off scheduling appointments? Every year, I schedule my annual physical, mammogram, etc., during my birthday month so I never forget about it. What better way to celebrate your birthday than with a clean bill of health? Schedule your medical appointments, and remind your loved ones to do the same.
• Exercise. Enough said. Seriously! Plan out a regimen you can stick to, and if you skip a day, just pick up where you last left off instead of giving up. Are you one of those who already carves out time to work out? Then you can resolve to try and help get a friend more fit. Find a friend who doesn’t exercise already help whip them into shape.
• Write a letter. Yes that’s right, write a letter. Better yet, write lots of them!- and I don’t mean an email, a Facebook message, a tweet or a text. There are few gestures I find more touching than receiving a hand-written note. Acknowledge your friends and family the old-school way.
• Be kind to the Earth. Many of us recycle, use canvas shopping bags, and even compost. Many of us don’t. We know better; now let’s do better.
• Study Jewish text. If you want to better understand Jewish values, go back to the basics.  Find a friend to study with, and during the course of a month.  You can even treat your text study like a weekly book club. Your Jewish learning will enrich your life and those around you.
• Effect change. No matter where in the world you live, there is some social issue you find troubling. Research the issue and write a letter to your elected official. If you can, schedule an appointment to meet with your elected official or his or her staff. Encourage your friends and family to do the same.

You can start your 12 months of renewal and commitment to do good today, or wait until the first of next month – but don’t put it off for too long. As Hillel said in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers), “If not now, when?”