New Years Resolution 2006

[damontucker]

In 2004, I made a resolution to quit smoking as my wife was pregnant and we were expecting in June.
I went on the patch and was successful as was her pregnancy... and have not had a Smoke since.

This year, my resolution is to lose the weight that I have gained since I quit smoking.

I think I have gained as much as she did when she was pregnant!

[adrian]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

I forget my resolution, so I think this time I'll write it down (or put it somewhere it won't be easily erased).

I need to stop ignoring people, lose weight, get a job, graduate from school (or atleast pass the classes) and stop spending so much on cell phones (either getting a new one, or accessorizing it like the dickens)

[Menehune Man]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

I resolve to become a better husband/man than I've been. Not that I'm so terrible, but I know what I can improve. Attitudes, Actions/Reactions and just generally be an easier going guy. Wish me luck!

[1stwahine]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

My New Years Resolution last year was to lose weight. Well, with the struggles over the months...I get really sick. Yep, I lost the weight. What a way to lose the pounds. So, my New Year's Resolution is to keep it off! I like the feeling of my pants falling down. I get to buy me a whole new wardrobe next year!

btw: Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Auntie Lynn

[Lalalinder]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

Happy Holidays everyone! And I hope your Christmas was great Auntie Lynn.

My resolution is to get rid of all the stuff I don't use because I have lived in this house for thirty years and am at that point in my life where I don't really need anything else.

Except new clothes, shoes, jewelry.......see? I broke my resolution already. Oh well, I have a few days to get back on track.

[pzarquon]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

How neat. We can look back on our New Year's Resolutions thread from a year ago to see how we did! Well, only Lynn, Helen and I posted in that one, but...

Well, as I wrote then, one of my resolutions this year was to cut down on soda. I used to down three cans of full-test Coke a day. That's a lot of sugar. As of today, I drink maybe one can of diet soda a day... and more often than not, settle for a nice bottle of water.

Not sure if I lost those ten pounds, but I'm taking better care of myself overall. My wife and I joined, then quit, the gym, but we do take night walks together, and overall I'm eating better -- as I mentioned in an earlier "What's For Lunch?" thread, I'm making an effort to eat leftovers at work rather than Big Macs.

So I think one of this year's resolutions is to continue to reduce my at-work consumption of fast and not-so-fast food, maybe no more than two lunches out a month. Er, okay, three. I also want to keep up with those walks.

The underlying goal is to get my blood pressure down. This summer (due largely to things at work) my numbers were so high my doctor couldn't believe them and was threatening drastic measures. I want to naturally reach the "high end of normal," at least.

[scrivener]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

Okay, listen up, everyone who wants to improve his or her life in 2006. I'm going to drop some wisdom on you that will make it much more likely you'll succeed in keeping those resolutions. I'm a huge believer in resolutions, because they imply a certain optimism -- a sense that not only can the world get better, but so can our own participation in the world -- and it never discourages me when I don't keep my resolutions past March; I simply make a mid-year resolution and go from there.

The thing is, you've got to make your resolution measurable, else you will never truly be able to objectively mark progress. Pzarquon's resolution to "cut down on soda" was a worthy goal, and it's nice to see that he was successful. He may not have stated an explicit measurement, but he was conscious of "three cans a day" and so it was easy for him to measure progress, perhaps at first cutting it down to two cans a day, and now just one can of diet soda.

So, if you just say "exercise more," you're first not setting something meaningful; if you exercise just one second more for the whole year, you've succeeded in meeting the goal, but you haven't REALLY succeeded in meeting the goal because the goal was to make yourself better, and one second more of exercise is not really better. Instead, ask yourself how much exercise you get now, and set a meaningful, attainable, measurable goal as your resolution.

Now, you could take it in steps; let's say you'd like to exercise for 45 minutes per day. If you're currently exercising 45 minutes per month, that's probably not a realistic goal right off. For this reason, it helps to set intermediate goals; say, 45 minutes twice a week for the first two months, three times a week for the next two months, and then a reasonable increase from there, with the hope of hitting 45 minutes a day six days a week by the end of the year. Now you've got something you can shoot for and something by which you can evaluate yourself regularly as the year progresses.

Perhaps you've identified a LOT of areas in your life that need improving. Well, if you make several resolutions, even if they are meaningful, attainable, and measurable, you are probably setting yourself up for failure. Our lives are long, complicated things, and failure (or weakness) in one area often leads to failure (or weakness) in other areas of our lives. Maybe you do need to lose weight, and maybe you do need more exercise, but are you perhaps not disciplined in your eating or exercising because you don't make good use of your time? My problem with picking up breakfast at the drive-through is a huge problem, but what it comes down to is that I don't make necessary preparations the night before for each day's breakfast. And the biggest reason I don't make those preparations is that as soon as I get home, I turn on the computer and vegetate for a couple of hours. This pushes back dinner, my shower, my preparation for work the next day, and other things that need my attention before I go to bed. If I simply make myself do these things before I settle into a mindless stupor for the rest of the evening, perhaps I will find myself having breakfast before leaving the house, and I'm quite sure that will result in at least some weight loss.

I can make it measurable by saying, "no computer or television for the first half hour after I get home," and perhaps increase the amount each month as the year progresses. Or maybe I can say, "check three things off my list before touching the computer each night," which puts the emphasis on getting stuff done rather than time spent.

If your life is completely messed up and you can't narrow it down to one or two resolutions, you probably need to set quarterly resolutions. Attend to the most urgent (or most influential) needs for the first three months with the intention of picking up your next resolution in April, another in July, and then another in October. This way, you can identify four behaviors or skills and monitor them even as you attempt new ones. Understand that your October resolution will probably be less developed by the end of the year, but that's okay; you can start there for your resolution for the following year. Or, if you sorta let the January and April resolutions fall by the wayside, then the October resolution will maybe be stronger, as you've only recently begun to make adjustments.

I apologize if I'm babbling; I am just an ardent believer in goal-setting, and I have seen myself and my students fail far too often because systematic, measurable goal-setting skills aren't stressed enough.

Having said all that, I'm not ready to take my resolutions public yet! But I do love hearing all of yours!

[LikaNui]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

New Year's resolution? That's easy: make next Christmas just as good as this one was for the keiki of Mayor Wright's Housing!

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

I have one resolution: to start a business. I know what I need to do in order to do it. And this is the year (already started on the business plan; I like to cheat a little and jump the gun before the new year)

[jdub]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

my resolution is to leave 2005 in 2005...it was a fine year for me professionally, but there's a lot of emotional baggage i'd like to leave by the wayside...also, i hereby resolve to write my ass off...

[Shan-n]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

My resolutions for 2006 are: 1) to exercise at least 3 times a week 2) start and finish up my internship by June

[tutusue]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

Work less...
Exercise more...
Live in a little grass shack...
Be a part of another good Christmas deed!

[helen]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

1) Give up caffeined soda and switch to water.
2) Finish up writing the novel The Engineers of Fear.

[Donna]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

My 2006 resolutions:

* Make wiser eating choices (i.e., choose the salad over the plate lunch more often than not)

* Exercise at least 30 minutes 3-5 times/week.

* Read the entire Bible, cover to cover!

* Study for and pass all my CLEP/DANTES tests so that I can earn my last 15 credits and get that degree once and for all!

* Plan an activity or "date night" with Hubby at least once a week.

* See friends at least once a month.

I'm sure there's much more that I can improve on, but I've been trying not to bite off more than I can chew these days.

[miwa]

Re: New Years Resolution 2006

My resolution is to improve my inner self: be less judgemental and critical, and more forgiving and understanding.