The first of our New Year's goals is to develop a habit. For our purposes, a habit is something you do daily or weekly, as a matter of course. It's not something you have to schedule. It's just what you do.

The habit you choose to develop can be very simple and it can fall into a variety of areas. The key is that you do it consistently over an extended period of time. Now, of course you'll forget occasionally. But the key is to keep coming back to it until you don't even think about it — it's second nature — a habit.

So, here are some ideas.

If you want to improve your health, you might develop one of the following habits:

• Park as far as possible from the door at work so you walk a bit further each day.
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Eat a piece of fresh fruit every day.
• Drink a glass of water before every meal.

If you want to take better care of your house, here are some possible habits:

• Make your bed every morning.
• Don't go to bed with dishes in the sink or dishwasher.
• Spend 10 minutes every morning or evening getting rid of clutter and putting things back where they belong.

If you want to calm your spirit:

• Pray or meditate at least ten minutes a day.
• Limit screen time or noise (television, radio, music).
• Turn off electronics after a set time each day and don't go online again until after breakfast.

If you want to save more:

• Start carrying your lunch instead of buying it out.
• Set up an automatic deduction.
• Empty the change from your pockets or purse each night. Wrap it and deposit it monthly.

The key is to choose one thing and commit to it. You may have to leave yourself reminders, especially at first. Use post-its, reminders on your phone, or other clues until it becomes second nature.