If you’re anything like me, your list of New Year’s resolutions reads like a sort of to-do list. We resolve to change our diets, exercise more,enjoy life more, help others, get organized and so on.
My list always starts with about 10 things that I plan on changing in my
life, its the follow through that beats me in the end. So on my list this year
is to “follow through” on these changes. Then I realized my list became more of
things I needed to work on which involved doing more than I do already so I started a new list.
So my new list is to focus my energies-and goals-on what I should NOT be
doing in the coming year. I feel I can be much more productive and more positive
with this approach.
Recent research shows that while 52-percent of participants in a
resolution study were confident of their success with their goals, only 12
percent actually achieved them. With that in mind I reworked my list again.
The past New Year’s resolutions were to work on my organizational skills
and to talk less and listen more. I still work on these everyday and succeed
about 50 percent of the time.
With the plan of focusing on new goals this coming year I was hoping to
commit myself to something fun but at the same time improve my overall health.
If that is possible.
The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with
more health benefits than anything else known to man.
Taming the bulge is, not surprisingly, one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions and is probably the
toughest to follow through and “follow through” is on my list. After much
consideration all my list says now is follow through. So it doesn’t really
matter what I do as long as I complete the task.
Recently I found my way back to the gym after about a ten year absence. I
spent three somehow humorous days before I decided that is not the place for me (this was before I made my resolution to follow-through).
I found out I am completely uncoordinated in pilates class. For three days I worked hard and once I got a move down I did okay but switching between them was my downfall. I would just start to laugh and and everyone stared because they were “in their Zen” and apparently did not like the interruption.
While taking a step class the instructor would walk around the room to
everyone and encourage them, and it did help to keep me going. On the third day
he loudly yells to me from the front of the room “You’re doing so much better! I
hardly worry about you anymore!”
Uh, worry? Worried about what? That I might break a hoof? Or that they
might need to roll out the defibrillator?
Oh, I tried to look cool on the treadmill too but when I’m doing a fast
walk I think I might look like I’m drunk-I start leaning to the right for some
reason.
So now what? Well, my son, Andrew, to the rescue.
With a smile he handed me my Christmas present he bought – lovingly I’m sure.
The box said “have fun while you get fit.” It’s not a game, I found out. It’s an
alternative to the gym. As accompaniment to my Wii, a personal trainer talks to
you throughout the workout.
Huh, I only use my Wii for Netflix. Well, okay. we’ll give it a try and follow through. And when I break out in laughter, no one will care.
So how’s it going? It’s been a few weeks, right?