Been there.
Tried that.
Failed those.
Here's a list of resolutions that might be a bit easier
to accomplish this year.
Your health.
Anyone who doesn't know they have to watch their fat intake or monitor their
cholesterol is paddling down the river of denial.
You know what you're supposed to do, but sticking to any
regiment or routine is difficult. That's why we re-dedicate ourselves to the
scale and our running shoes every January.
Instead, see if you can figure out the underlying reason
for why you're going to have that extra piece of pecan pie while sitting on the
couch watching another episode of "Shark Tank."
If you can find the reasons why food and inertia are your
buddies, you've taken the first step on a healthier path.
Toxic
personalities. You know who these people are. They gossip about co-workers.
They pollute the work environment. They complain about everything and everyone.
Getting away from them is tough.
Most of the time, we go the other way if we see them
coming. If you're not that quick, here's a tip as to how to walk away without
confrontation: When that nasal voice gets on your last nerve, inhale quickly
and say "Oh no. I forgot to do something." And then walk away with a
purpose. "Unfriend" them, delete them from your address book and
don't look back.
If you're a bit more confrontational, you can always
deliver the line "Life's too short for such negativity, pal," and
walk away. In a way, you've given that Negative Nancy one more thing to
complain about. That's because you're a giver.
Your free time.
Americans work like there's an Egyptian slave master beating a drum in their
office. We don't take the vacation days we're allotted, we work from home after
putting in a 40-plus hour work week and the job is often our life.
Take your time back. The world will not come to an end if
you turn off the laptop or iPhone, go to a festival, ride your bike around the
neighborhood or sit back in the La-Z-Boy and watch an escapist episode of
"Pawn Stars."
Daydream. We're
surrounded by noise. We're plugged into an iPod, listening to the radio or watching
YouTube videos. Canned music plays in every store and commercials scream at us
at every Website we visit.
Our imaginations are our greatest assets, and we've
allowed technology to take over the moments when we used to sit back and ponder
the universe while watching ripples on a lake or listening to the wind rustle
the leaves.
Take back your imagination – unplug and open your mind up
to possibilities.
Stop and Go. These
two words can be quite empowering. Stop criticizing yourself for making
mistakes. Stop putting yourself down because you don't have the best clothes or
the trimmest figure. Stop comparing yourself to other people and putting yourself
on the negative scale.
Instead, go. Go to the movies. Go on a picnic. Go out and
explore. Go for what you've always wanted to accomplish. No more stopping –
just going.
And you can do the same with this column. Go on over to
the sports page if that's what you want or look for shapes in the clouds.
It's your year. It's 2015, a new start. May your year be filled
with green lights instead of red ones.
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