Did You Do It?

Here we are in a new year already. For many of us, it is a time of renewal, resolutions and a sense of a new start.

I get a little amused when I watch some of the daily shows and see a sudden increase in stories about health, fitness and joining a gym for workouts. Actually doing these things is not funny, but it is such a normal process each January to see this happen.

I know many people make New Year’s resolutions, and that is not a bad idea. Yet, many who do make resolutions find it hard to continue with them after a couple months. I made a resolution to start going to the gym, so the other day I drove by the gym and figured I made a good start.

I think one reason many people do not follow through with resolutions may be for the reason that we often make too big of plans. We go a little overboard on our expectations of what we can actually stick with doing. Too many goals and too unreasonable ways of accomplishing them burn us out pretty quick. I think it is better to go small and stick with one or two goals for a start.

It is best to be specific in your goal. Try not to generalize such as to get healthy, but rather to start walking ten minutes a day (see, you do not have to go big). Also, plan on days you are really rushed or not feeling your best. Whatever you are doing to follow your goal, do not be afraid to cut your time down on those days and do less. A three-or-four-minute walk on a treadmill or reading two or three pages in a book can still give you the feeling of accomplishment for the day.

I know some people like to journal each day what their goals are and what they actually accomplished that day. Others like to have an accountability partner that they are staying in contact with about their goals. Just do what works best for you and stick with it.

The longer you can stick with a goal the better. I have heard that it takes approximately 66 days (give or take, everyone is different), to form a habit. If you can get that far, you should be able to add another item to your list and go from there.

For those of us like myself who are in their early 70s, sometimes the idea of making resolutions just does not seem like the thing to do, and there is nothing wrong with that. I feel I want to continue what I have been doing, reading, keeping active, enjoying my family, treating people with kindness, love and respect without adding something new right now. Maybe the fact that having fewer years ahead of me and more years behind me lead me to feel this way about resolutions.

Right now, I am actually pretty satisfied with my life and the way things are going for my family. I see no need to make new resolutions other than to continue doing what I am doing and enjoying life.

For those of you who do make resolutions, I wish you the best and hope that you do well and stick with it. There is certainly nothing wrong with trying to better ourselves by staying fit, active and accomplishing the goals that we set for ourselves.