Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful first day of the New Year and I’m excited to kick off this first week of the New Year with you on Pizza Ranch Serves.

We all know about New Year’s Resolutions and studies show that close to 40% of adults make them every year. Some popular New Year’s Resolutions include:

Exercise more

Lose weight

Get organized

Learn a new skill or hobby

Save more money / spend less money

Spend more time with family and friends

Interestingly enough, none of these include what I’m going to challenge you to consider doing this year – change your thoughts. Sure, some of these include a change in priorities (getting out of your warm bed early enough to work out is definitely a change in priorities). However, a change in how you think is just as impactful as some physical changes you can make.

How we think about things impacts our emotions, decision-making, behaviors and perspective. If we are thinking negative thoughts, our emotions, decisions and behaviors will follow; the same rule applies to positive thoughts.

The Bible tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). May that help to guide our thoughts at the beginning of the New Year and set the pace for the whole year.

As a bonus today, I love to read and have a few suggestions on some books you can check out if you’d like some ideas on how to change your thoughts or widen your perspective:

• Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen
• Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff
• Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons
• Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown
• I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt

Photo credit: Thought Catalog via Unsplash.com