A recent discussion with a friend brought up the topic of New Year's Resolutions. Usually the ones at the top of many people’s list are the resolutions to lose weight and/or exercise more often. After getting married, having two children and hosting the new pounds that seem to come as a birthday gift each year, I found myself making those same resolutions. Mine went something like this:
2003: I will get my weight below 150
2004: I will count my calories until I get below 160
2005: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 170
2006: I will try to develop a realistic attitude about my weight
2007: I will work out 5 days a week
2008: I will work out 3 days a week
2009: I will try to drive by a gym at least once a week.
NOTE: I can’t believe I just shared my personal past New Year’s resolutions! All fictiousous numbers of course! A girl never discloses her real age or weight.
This year I resolved to simply make resolutions for others in my family. I told my kids their New Year’s resolution is to make their beds and tidy their room every day. Just like adults and their resolve to stick to resolutions, my kids’ eagerness to accomplish this goal lasted about a week.
My friend actually said the topic of resolutions made her think of one of my past blogs, “Type Aim-less for the Holidays” http://www.longos.com/rosanneblog/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogNumber=63. She decided the focus of her resolutions was to put more emphasis on her “want-to-dos” instead of her “have-to-dos”. What a great idea!
My first thought was “Wow, something I wrote about actually resonated with someone and even stuck with them 2 months later!” She decided that for every “have-to-do” or resolution, there should be 3 “want-to-dos” that get accomplished. Kind of like a reward for sticking to the “have-to-do”. Of course I am immediately reminded that I have to lose 10 lbs by March Break because I want to indulge in all that endless 24/7 cruise food while we’re away!