The New Year is here, and with a new year comes new resolutions. Common resolutions are working out more, eating healthy, getting better grades, and stopping procrastination. Although these are all great and very important, why not incorporate faith too? Here are six resolutions to strive for that will help improve your faith and relationship with God.

1. Once A Month, Choose to Forgive Someone Who’s Done You Wrong

We have always been taught to forgive and love our enemies but it is difficult to do and many people struggle with holding grudges. It is a major thing that Jesus taught his disciples. By choosing one person at the end of each month to forgive, we can stretch our ability to let animosity go. After making a strong conscious effort to stick this resolution, it will start to come naturally and will start to be apart of your character.

2.  Remember To Trust In God’s Plan For You

In this day and age it is more than easy to get hung up on the little problems we face during a day. It is important to have perspective and to not let these problems take over your happiness. This resolution can be kept throughout the year in asking God for strength to trust in his plan for you. It is also helpful to ask God for guidance in important decisions.

3. Take care of your body with proper exercise and nutrition

Taking care of your body with regular exercise and nutrition is a vital and common New Year’s resolution. It is important because when your body is healthy you are able to be the best version of yourself that you can be. It seems unfair to waste the beautifully and wonderfully made bodies that God gifted us with, doesn’t it? Although this is a difficult resolution to keep, a tip is to set up a exercise and nutrition plan to keep yourself on track. It is also good to have a purpose behind this resolution because it will give you motivation to keep with your goals.

4. Feel good about what you contribute to the world

Make your mark! Help others, contribute to society, or just lift up a friend that’s feeling down. Feeling good about the way you present yourself to the world is very important. Leaving your mark on the world by doing things that cause are positive is a concept that is commonly expressed in the Catholic faith. By volunteering and doing good towards others, you are being selfless and emulating the Church’s philanthropic goals. If it sounds tough to keep up with this resolution, get others to join you so you will have more motivation!

5. Learn to Appreciate Small Joys in Your Daily Life

Always focusing on negative things and not appreciating the little doses of happiness is no way to live. To fulfill this resolution, you have to take time in your day to pause and reflect on the good things that happened to you (no matter how small) during the day. Having all of these good feelings constantly in your mind will make it easier to face the bad things in your day.

6. Learn to distance yourself from people or things that bring negativity to your life

Removing yourself from negative people or situations is a major way to increase your happiness. Often, the hardest part of doing this is accepting that some relationships are not beneficial to your life. It is difficult to start this resolution because it involves hard decisions but it can have the most impact on your overall happiness. It is important to ask God for guidance and help to be successful.