New Year--New ME?

New Year's Resolutions! We all have them. Well, a lot of us do. The smart ones remember that every day is a new day and they set new goals whenever the time seems right. The rest of us start lining up all the changes we want to see in ourselves, as we watch that giant crystal ball drop in Times Square imagining it is the starter pistol at a race.

I'm part of that crowd. I always have a couple of personal adjustments I'd like to see accomplished. So for this year, here we go;

Lose Weight! (Hey, I've never pretended to be original.) 10 pounds would be a good starting point. 40 pounds would be a great ending point. Last year I took off 10 in the winter. I put on 12 in the summer. I've taken off 5 of those so far. If I do the math, addition seems to be more my thing, than subtraction.
I've worked on a strategy for this, though. I figure if I just get up at 7:00 every morning I'll have time to work out and do the other daily stuff I want to do, before I head out to wherever I'm going later in the morning.
As my kids are reading this, they are laughing. I'm retired. I have no children to take care of. My husband fixes his own cereal. I never get up before 8:00--on an early day. Making myself get up at 7:00 every morning would be like telling them that getting their kids to go to bed every night promptly at 7:30 is simply a matter of telling them "good night". My will power has the laser efficiency of a weak flash light. I hit the snooze on the alarm more times than my grandkids come up with ways to avoid going to sleep.

So, my first resolution sits in limbo while it waits for me to recharge my will power.

Then there is my resolution to spend more time each day developing my spiritual focus. I often get involved in a daily devotional reading plan. I'm pretty good at it too. I can read the daily Bible verse on my iPhone while I'm brushing my teeth. I can peruse the devotion while Good Morning America is running in the background and get it done during a commercial break. Now, even I can figure out my focus isn't very focused.

It seems I'm not alone with this resolution thing. According to StatisticBrain.com this year's Top 10 resolutions fall under the following categories.
1. Lose Weight--(See I told you I'm not original!)
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall In Love
10. Spend More Time with Family

45% of Americans make resolutions. Unfortunately only 8% of us succeed in following through. (Interestingly enough, the younger you are, the more likely you are to follow through. Is that because they have more energy or because they aren't as set in their ways?)

Last year my resolution was broader, but simpler. I wanted to live each day more intentionally; waste less time, be in the moment more. I set some specific guidelines I wanted to achieve. I didn't hit that one out of the park but when I looked back over the year I had made good strides. And that's ok. It's really the kind of thing that is a work in progress. It will continue to be a daily focus.

When I compare last year's resolution to this year's, I come to the conclusion that resolving to make fundamental changes in my routine, like getting up early to work out, is likely to be less successful than making an overall change in the way I look at things. Assuming I'm like the majority of other people I would wager that of the Top 10 resolutions on this year's list, #1-Lose Weight and #7-Quit Smoking will be the most difficult to achieve. Those who resolved to #4-Live Life to the Fullest may well have the best chance of achieving that goal. It relies more on attitude than action. And it promises a reward of fulfillment.

That's a good goal. It piggy backs nicely on my goal from last year. I think I'll add it to my list,

The good news? I can cross #9 off the list! I did that 48 years ago. It was a very good year!