Obligatory New Years Post
For some, the new year is a time for new beginnings, positive energy and excitement for what lies ahead. The cynical part of me sees what happens a few months from now: people slip back into the old habits and much continues as it was. Even though the calendar starts back to 1/1, our life simply continues. It’s easy to see why people lose track of their goals, get caught up with daily life, and another year comes to a close with the same issues still chafing our skin.
I wish I could be a super positive person with a good attitude, but in an attempt at being realistic I only see the negatives. And believe me, I can pinpoint all of my bad qualities quite well. No assistance required. This is by no means limited to new years resolutions, but in all facets of life. This makes my failures extremely poignant.
I am very tempted to turn this into “How Rakel Sucked in 2011″ but really, what good would that do anyone? Like I really want to bring you down into the darkness with me… I’ll save that for my buddy list so only my friends have to be burdened with that crap. And really, I ought to remind myself that my life is in no way crappy. I am married to a good man, have a good job, live in a good house, drive a good car, have a good family, have nice possessions, in general have a healthy emotional state of well-being, and am good looking. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink (excessively), I don’t do drugs, I don’t party. Really, 95% of my life is fantastic.
But, there are a few things that bring me down which boil down to weight loss/health and personality flaws. Everyone has struggles, some people have some of the “I don’ts” listed above as “I dos.” I’m certainly thankful I don’t have those vices. I know I should not expect to solve all of these issues in a year, however it’s still frustrating when no progress is made. A year passes and all of your grand plans for self improvement are busted.
So, I have been thinking, how can I make smaller goals that can be accomplished in a year? Not that I want to set the bar so low that I can easily check off these tasks without any hard work involved and no real progress made, but reasonable expectations that over time amount to lasting change. The list below is my attempt to set realistic goals for this year that are settled more on fixing a daily habit, rather than a blanket “lose 50lbs.” because what if I only lose 20lbs, but made really good habits, gained muscle and got my blood pressure down? Knowing me, I’d still be liable to brand myself as a failure when I am really failing to notice my achievements.
So, without further ado, here are my 2012 goals:
1. Focus on healthy eating: eat more vegetables, less sugar and processed foods. Eat out less, including lunchtime. Prepare healthy snacks ahead of time so I am less likely to opt for cookies and crackers then raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. Use the crockpot more to prepare things for a quick dinner after I get home from work. Keep a food journal consistently.
2. Exercise every day: even if it’s only 10 minutes, as long as I am continuosly moving the whole time. Aim for 30 minutes. Even on work days. Even on weekends. Every day.
3. Take care of my health: get my bloodwork done so I can figure out here I stand health wise, and make a conscious effort to improve my general health, whether it entails weight loss or not (though hopefully there will be weight loss). Get all my dental work done.
4. Be more consistent with my beauty and hygiene routine: in order to look and feel my best, I want to apply makeup and do my hair more consistently, wear jewelry every day, and take care of my nails, skin and teeth.
5. Budget, save, and be responsible: adjust our budget and stick to it! Control spending and don’t make any unnecessary splurges and shopping trips. Save more. Actually use the things that we purchase and get our money’s worth. If it’s not something that we need or will use, find a good home for it, sell it, donate it or throw it away.
6. Be a better human: help people without complaining, be nicer, pray more for others, be thankful, be patient, love more, forgive more.
I, Rakel, acknowledge that I may not accomplish all of these goals completely in 2012, and when January 2013 rolls around I shall not be gravely upset at myself for my shortcomings. I am only a human, and humans even at their best are still imperfect. That said, I am feeling better about these resolutions and find them to be simple goals that I can work toward. Even a small success in any of these will improve my life signfigntly.
To leave this post on a positive note: after my frustration ebbs away, my hope for the new year increases and I find myself looking at ways to implement new lifestyle changes gradually. I’m going to start with a workout, even though it’s after 9pm.
Happy New Year everybody! Make it a good one 
Leave A Comment