New Year, fresh start

January brings biting cold, snow, snowdays and the promise of a better year. Most people resolve to make significant changes that will improve their health, disposition, finances or family relationships. Those resolutions, while made with the most sincere and fierce determination of the moment, usually wane about the third week into the new year for most of us, because we choose goals that are unrealistic and unreachable. But, we still make them. And we still expect ourselves to succeed. When we slide, we become discouraged which leads to more sliding, which leads to utter and disgusting failure. Thomas Edison once remarked that he discovered 2000 ways a lightbulb does not conduct electricity and that was his learning curve. It is ok to slide once in a while; the success comes from learning what not to do as well as what works.
In 2010, go ahead and make a New Year's Resolution; but, choose one you can reach in say, four weeks and work on it ONE DAY AT A TIME. I know that for me, if I had to do or be "X" for 120 days or 180 days without sliding backward, that time span would overwhelm me and I would be tempted to give up sooner rather than later. So, choose to stay faithful in 24 hour segments. And if you slide backward, tomorrow will be a brand new opportunity to do better. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily--but when our resolve to complete a promise to ourselves produces tangible results, we are often amazed and say to ourselves--"I can't believe I lost three inches from my waist line just doing 50 situps on the exercise ball or working with 5 lb dumbells or walking for 30 minutes or cutting out regular coke. The human mind is amazing--and I am resolved to help you smile in awe of yourselves. Then you can be proud to say-well done-- self. Tomorrow is another brand new 24 hours to reach my goal"