Wow, 2016 is here.
Twenty years ago, we feared the impending year 2000 because of Y2K where all computers were going to quit and the world was going to stop. It was the uncertainty of what would happen once the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1, 2000.
Sixteen years later, all is well. Computer gurus all over the world came up with solutions and remedied the problem, averting catastrophe.
Resolutions
A new year often means a new you. It’s resolution time for many of us and, even though I’ve never publicly declared a New Year’s resolution, I try to set goals for myself. Many resolution facts recently appeared in a WebMD.com article about how to conquer issues for the new year.
For example, you are more likely to succeed on a goal if you let people know. Support is the key to any personal goal. If you share your goal, your accomplishments could be more successful and less scary.
The percentage of people sticking to a New Year’s resolution six months out is 40 percent. That’s not bad. I was expecting a percentage far less than that.
Breaking habits can be difficult, but you are more likely to succeed if you break patterns one at a time.
Expect to slip up while trying to achieve a better you. You can’t fear that. If anything, you have to embrace it – learn from it. For example, if you want to quit smoking, you’ll need to avoid being around smokers..
Be aware of your triggers. If your downfall is fast food, you’ll have to dig deep since it’s easy to drive by tons of franchises all over the valley.
Reward yourself through your goals but not with something you’re avoiding. If you’re goal is losing weight and again, fast food is your downfall, don’t reward yourself for losing 10 lbs. by going to McDonald’s for a Big Mac. Buy yourself a pair of shoes; you’ll be better off.
Over the years, I’ve heard breaking a bad habit or creating a new one could take three to four weeks. According to WebMD, it could take as long as eight weeks or more. Again, don’t be discouraged. It’s easier to build a new habit than to stop an old one.
The article explains it’s easier to set smaller goals than larger ones. If you want to lose 50 lbs., don’t look at the big picture, but rather work in increments. Try smaller goals of five or 10 lbs. at a time. Don’t rush the process. Whether it’s smoking or losing weight, keep in mind it has taken possibly years to create the situation.
If your goal is losing 30 lbs., losing five lbs. a month is realistic. In six months’ time, you will have lost that 30 pounds and you’ll be wearing that bikini to the beach. Keeping records of your progress is always helpful.
According to my physician, losing just five or 10 lbs. will improve insulin and blood pressure numbers. If you are a Type 2 diabetic, dropping unwanted pounds could make the difference of being on insulin meds or not.
My dad was a Type 2 diabetic so I know diabetes runs in my family. A few years ago, I was placed on an insulin pill because my levels rose to where I needed help. I decided I didn’t want that lifestyle so I lost weight and the next time I went for blood work, my levels had dropped to a normal range.
As my doctor says, weight affects everything. Smokers, whether you admit it or not, you know it’s a bad, nasty habit that, over the years, will affect you.
You don’t have to be on drugs or alcohol to have an addiction. We all are addicted to something. Breaking those addictions is never easy, but if you try hard, set goals, avoid situations, in six months you can be nicotine-free on a beach in a bikini drinking a non-alcoholic ice tea, enjoying life under a blue sky and bright sun.
Let’s go 2016 – bring it on!
Quote of the week
“Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it.” — Don Marquis, American writer.
Thought of the week
“Advertising: the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.” — Stephen Leacock, Canadian humorist.
Bumper sticker
“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Eden Phillpotts, English writer.
