New Years Revisited – What’s Your Resolution?
January 6, 2011 | Author pmrisica
So, I’m dying to know how it worked out. Off line, I have had a few sparse comments on my blog about ringing in the new year with a positive spin (i.e. cognitive restructuring, “. . .be the ball, Noonan”). I really want to know if you had a resolution, are you sticking with it, and did this concept of visualizing your new self work for you?
I didn’t really have a resolution this year, per se. Having recently given up caffeine, with much ado and many blogs, I was rather tired of self improvement. As I used to tell my Dad when I was a teenager, my character is as big as it’s going to get. (No need for character growth.) Well, that was my thought just before New Year. I then went to the gym with some friends on New Year’s eve to enjoy a nice workout with a trainer. Seemed like a good idea to better enjoy all of the delectable food, etc. This was my second jaunt to this gym in recent months (C4 Training, Greenwich,CT), and my second trainer induced torture session – I mean work out of this sort in recent months. Let’s just say that my trips to the gym remind me of all of the muscles (and I do mean ALL of the muscles) that my running is NOT using, not building and not maintaining.
This sore muscles have combined with the subtle influences of my husband as he reads a new book, “Younger Next Year” by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, MD., Workman Publishing, 2007. See the books page for more details and the link. I am watching my husband find the time and inspired energy for more and consistent workouts and a vision of health I had not seen before. (With my mate, there is little discussion about what is happening unless I instigate the conversation. Allowing him the privacy of his thoughts (unusual for my chatterbox self) I observe the changes he is making in his schedule, shopping and cooking.
Hence, I now have a new path to health, or even a new resolution of sorts. I have already been fairly active with usually a four mile run three times a week, or more often if I can fit it in. I am committing myself to add some strength training to the mix. I’m not planning on extensive trips to the gym, but adding some small, consistent sets of work with light weights for my upper body (2-5 pounds), along with regular sit ups, other ab exercises and push ups. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m still trying to envision, not so much the stronger me, but how this is going to fit in time wise.
Our girls are swimmers, and spend a fair amount of time in the pool each week. I will encourage them to work with me on these “dry land” work outs (as the swimmers call them) for overall better conditioning and strength maintenance.
What about you? To what are you committing yourself this year. How is it going? Who is around you to inspire you or keep you going? What are your challenges? I hope to hear of your successes as well as what has made it hard. Maybe we can inspire each other!
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Here are some comments sent offline by a few friends:
**********#1 Lea Knepley-Lmt
Here is my New Year Resolution… all the things I am NOT…
I am not a number on a scale, a diet, a workout plan, a gym membership, or the age on my driver’s license.
Nor am I the car I drive, the debts I owe, and the faults I have…
Today, I am a glorious, divine creature who will set forth today with love for myself and others, I will be healthy, make positive choices for myself and strive to show others they can do the same.
Today this day, starting with myself I can change who I am by changing my mind and attitude!
Don’t vow to change something you hate about yourself…that change is coming from a place of negativity and will fail. Assess the things in your life that you feel can be improved upon and come from a place of love.
Example: ” I’m fat and need to go on a diet”…. negativity = failure
Example: “I love myself so much that I vow to take the best possible care of myself and make healthy choices.” positive attitute, positive change = success!
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” -Ghandi
“Try, try? there is no try…only do” -Yoda
***********#2 Joan
One thing I’ve learned about myself this year is that if I take time to relax and objectively examine my physical feelings, thoughts and emotions every morning, I can find time to be more active, feel more joyful and short-circuit mind-states that promote the opposite.
I guess my resolution is to remember how good it feels when I take care of myself and keep up my practice.
Excellent food for thought, Ms. Risica. Thanks.
**********#3 Norbert
Nice blog. Reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas….
I’m a be, I’m a be I’m a I’m a I’m a be a healthy person???? Naaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh…….
I’m a be up in the club
Doin’ whatever I like
I’m a be poppin’ that bubbly
Cool and livin’ that good life
Oh let’s make this last forever
Party and we’ll chill together
To maintain my balance of mind,body,and spirit, and to remember that “NO” is a complete sentence that doesn’t warrant an explanation or justification.
Awesome. Balance is key, and comfort with yourself and your own decisions is essential.
My inspiration comes from my wife who gets up at 5:50 3-5 times a week and goes running, even in January in Chicago when the wind chill is -5 as it is this morning.
My block is not the workout itself, it’s just getting to it. Once I’m up, the workout is not an unpleasant activity to me. So my goal is the number of workouts I complete each week.
The last time I was very diligent about my schedule was when my wife gave me a goal – you can buy that new Macbook Pro if you work out at least 3 times a week for 4 months. Now, I was going to buy the thing anyway, but the goal made me get off my butt and do something, and when I achieved my goal, I was in better shape and I felt really good about making my purchase. It was a positive, reward-based objective, but I also got a lot of encouragement from my wife to help get me moving and stay moving when I needed it.
So, what’s this year’s objective going to be? Hm, I’ll have to think about that during my workout today…
Need another piece of hardware? That might work! Finding incentives that are effective is really helpful. Rewards that are not food based are especially good. Your wife’s encouragement is also key. When we try to meet goals without the support, and even sometimes surpassing sabotage, it’s a much steeper climb. Thanks for this, Werdy!