The Quality of Life - guest post by Randall Friesen

Randall Friesen

          Each New Year I choose a quality that will be the focus of my life for the next twelve months. I write the quality down on a few index cards and place them in some strategic places—next to my bed, on the refrigerator, in the money section of my wallet. Then I make it a point to apply this quality to every aspect of my life as much as I can throughout the year.

          Last year I chose zest. During the year, I approached every activity in my life with a sense of zeal and enthusiasm, even when the task was onerous, such as filling out my taxes or sitting in a traffic jam. It wasn't always easy; I often forgot and had to “remember to remember.” But now, at the end of a year in which I brought a zesty attitude to everything I did, I find that the quality of zest has become an integrated part of my personality. I have become naturally zesty, even when I don’t consciously choose to be. Now, it is simply who I am.

Habits Make the Person

          To a great extent, who we are can be attributed to our habits. The good news is that we aren’t stuck with them. We can break or make habits as we wish. It does, though, take concentrated attention and consistent practice.

          Choosing a quality you want as part of your life at the beginning of a new year, and consciously applying that quality over the course of twelve months, is a sure way to create a habit that becomes a permanent part of your life.

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