New Year's Resolutions. Pick One

Image via Wikipedia

Everyone knows the drill.  You make New Year's Resolutions and bet on how long it's gonna take you to fall off the wagon.  I just wanted to share what I've learned over the past couple years.

2008: I was feeling a little guilty for not reading enough.  My New Year's Resolution was to read 2 books a month for the entire year.  By the end of November, I'd read 24 books and people were telling me to stop reading and start doing.  In short, I was addicted to my books.  Reading was now a habit.

2009:  My doctor had told me that my Body Mass Index was a little high.  That's a polite way of saying "You're fat".  My all-time high was 210 lbs.  I weighed in at 196 on January 1 of last year.  To achieve a healthy BMI, I needed to be under 175.  Now, I am really lazy.  So, there was no exercise involved.  I just watched my portions for the first half of the year.  After being diagnosed with hypertension in July, I started watching my sodium intake.  It's amazing what happens when you start reading nutrition labels.  The only processed food I have in my house now is Cheerios (because they are supposed to lower cholesterol).  I weighed in again on Dec 31...173 lbs.

So, now I've got to figure out what my resolution is for this year.  But, I think the key is to pick one and only one thing to focus on.  Once you've experienced success, it makes you more confident that you can tackle anything.

Comments

[Barb]

Good for you, Derek. I have heard it takes 21 days to create a habit. I think it is easier to break a habit, especially a good one. I hope you do as well with this year's resolution.