Here’s some depressing news to share three days before the start of our new year. More than 25 percent of us will break our New Year’s resolutions within the first week. Who knows what the stats are by the second week?
There was a much, much earlier time in my life when I mentally wrote resolutions for the new months to come in stone. If I were honest, I would admit there always was this little voice in the back of my head saying, “Oh, yeah, let’s see how long this lasts.” Goals usually proved to be unrealistic, like the year I was going to learn to paint. That was humiliating.
Over time, I’ve sought to temper my enthusiasm and make plans to — in a more general manner — make my gift of another year happier and healthier. For instance, I’ve learned to cut way down on carbs; it was not easy at first because we all know bread is the food of the gods. However, that particular year I slowly began to cut back more and more.
Now, I’m proud to say I indulge in very few carbs and the low carb, 35-calorie-a-slice bread I now eat tastes normal … almost.
What are your hopefully “doable” resolutions for 2017? Here are a few from your neighbors.
Dennis Makins, Schererville: I’ve known for a while now that my wife carries too much of the household responsibility. It’s not that I’m too lazy to help; it’s more a matter of awareness and habit. So we’ve agreed to start breaking me in slowly. She cooks and I now do kitchen cleanup. She dusts once a week and I vacuum. Once that becomes part of the routine, we’ll add some other tasks. See, I am trainable.
Jennifer McKlug, Crown Point: The health club has always been my downfall. My intentions are good, but exercising always seems to get squeezed out of the equation. Starting in January, my friend and I are calling it girl time. We’re starting with two set days a week and are thinking of it as our time to catch up on things. This always makes the time on the treadmill fly and motivates us to push each other to work harder.
Tony Hoynes, Crown Point: I’ve always enjoyed reading (there’s a stack of unread material on my desk) but life seems to get in the way. I didn’t wait for the New Year; now I spend 30 minutes before bed reading. I’ve found it relaxes me and I consider it a gift to myself. Once I develop the habit, I think I’ll enjoy it so much that I’ll stick to it.
Kathy Weingart, Whiting: Years ago, my mom gave me a notebook filled with her favorite recipes, spelled out step by step. I’m not much of a cook, so while precious, the notebook has laid in a drawer for the last eight years. Mom died in October, so her death has given me the motivation to start learning the recipes — one recipe a week for Sunday dinners.
Beth O’Hara, Merrillville: Spring clean my house — systematically. That’s the resolution I intend to keep. Looking at it as a whole, it was always overwhelming. Now I’m tackling it one small piece at a time, starting with my kitchen pantry. I smell success this time.
