2018 is just around the corner. A clean slate, new beginning, square one…
Do you have any resolutions?
My resolutions are interwoven and complement each other. By being successful at one of these goals, I increase my chances of success with the others.
- Be kinder to myself.
I say negative things to myself too often. I need to be nicer to myself. Here’s what I’m going to try and do.
When I find myself saying something negative to myself, I’m going to try to replace it with a positive comment. If my jeans are tight and I find myself thinking about being fat, I will remind myself that I am healthier than I used to be and that I work pretty hard at taking care of myself. - Every day make note of something that I am grateful for.
I’m going to try and write it down. Here are a couple of articles about the benefits of doing this: - Add a monthly reminder to my online calendar to do a breast self-exam.
I started doing this a few months ago and I resolve to continue it this year. I’ve set a reminder for the first day of every month. - Lose a little weight.
This is always on my resolution list. Losing weight is a state of mind with me. I can’t do it if my head isn’t in the right place. I’d love to solve the mystery of what gets my head in the right place.
Here are some of the ways that I plan to work on this goal:- Exercise a little more on my exercise days. I’m going to try and add a little more mileage on my jogs. More distance means burning more calories.
- Write down what I eat. This is such a pain, but there are so many studies that show that people who track what they eat are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off. Here’s some information about that, should you be interested.
There are lots of trackers on the internet. Here are a couple of them: American Heart Association Food Diary or USDA Food Tracker. Here’s a review of food tracker apps. - Do it with a buddy. My husband has lost weight and actively works on taking care of himself. He is very supportive of my weight loss and exercise efforts. In many respects he is my “buddy.”
- When this project requires a little more support, I’ll turn to the professionals. Different weight loss programs appeal to different people. I like Weight Watchers, because I can go to meetings and get support, I can track online. I can eat food that I make myself.
I’m rounding things out with a few more goals, such as challenging myself to read some of the books that have been collecting dust on my bookshelf, to write more and to keep going with this blog.
I think it is worth keeping in mind these excerpts from reader comments on this A Cup of Jo post,
- The best and biggest life changing lesson I learned in 2017 is that I am responsible for my own happiness and I am worth loving (especially that I should love myself)! While others can contribute to my happiness, I cannot put that responsibility on them if I don’t love me.
- Today my anthro professor said something really beautiful: “You all have a little bit of ‘I want to save the world’ in you, that’s why you’re here, in college. I want you to know that it’s okay if you only save one person, and it’s okay if that person is you.”
If you have resolutions, I hope that you are successful at realizing them in 2018. If you feel like sharing your thoughts and ideas about resolutions, I’d love to hear them.
About the photo: A Monet-like image of a partly frozen lake in Canada.