5 Elul Resolutions

I learned a new word, recently - listicle. It’s a combination of list and article, a numbered list. You've seen them online before - "10 Best Cities to Visit in Europe" or "5 New Homemade Salad Dressings to Try."

A listicle may seeming like a new phenomenon of the internet and social media age. However, if you think about it, Moses gave us the 10 commandments, and we've been making lists ever since!

Ki Tetzei, this week's Torah portion, is one long listicle of commandments. And as a community, we've been preparing for the High Holy Days during this month of Elul, the month of spiritual preparation for the new Jewish year.

I’ve been working on a listicle of Elul resolutions - things I am doing this month to personally prepare for the new year. I’ll share my listicle, my 5 Elul resolutions, and I’d love to hear some of yours!

1. Unsubscribe from all email advertisements. I'm clearing out the internet clutter.

2. Spend time with a friend. This is a time for repair of relationships, whether a serious rift or someone you haven’t spent time with recently.

3. No social media on my phone. I know, in a listicle, this is a bit ironic. This is really helping me go into the new year with a clear head, connecting with people in person or by phone whenever possible. You’ll still see me posting from time to time, just sparingly.

4. Read more books. I’m a big news reader and I love listening to radio and podcasts in the car. I’ve gotten out of the habit of diving into a book. This month, I started two at once!

5. Saying thank you to friends, family, everyone, whenever possible. Making time to express gratitude.

So what’s in your Elul list, or what would you like to try in the remaining weeks to prepare you for the year 5779?