We’re six days into the new year, which means that most people are still sticking to their guns on their resolutions. Me? I have some personal goals and resolutions that I hope to start this weekend. Now, some of you may ask why I’m just starting those resolutions. I guess you could say it’s a bit of an obsession with me, when I start. Sundays are my days to begin. Last Sunday was still December and Monday was a holiday. I can’t start on those days. So, this Sunday will be the first day of attempting to be a better person in 2018.
One of my resolutions I actually carry out during various parts of the year. That resolution is the mother of all resolutions --- exercising more. I’m currently in the middle of doing P90X. I started back in November. By the end of January, I will have completed all 90 days of the program, and will keep on going. The week after Christmas threw me off, so it may actually may take an extra week to make up for it. Oh, and this week. I’ve exercised, but it’s been sporadic. I will actually start Phase 3 of the program Sunday and take it to the end.
Some people say that I’m only working out because I’m vain about the way I look. That’s not it at all. I have suffered from migraines since I was a teenager. I’ve found that more regular exercise limits the occurrences of the headaches. That by itself more than makes up for time taken to do a P90X workout. Migraines honestly put me down and out. Being able to function is the number one reason for me to sweat it out for 60 minutes.
Another reason I exercise has to do with my back. Fifteen years ago, I was in a car accident when a woman ran a red light and hit my work van. While I wasn’t seriously injured, my lower back still locks up, especially after shoveling. Again, the more I exercise, the better my back feels. The more core work and more yoga I do, the better I feel. Without either of those workouts, I would be nearly immobile on the floor.
Another resolution is to seriously curtail my consumption of soft drinks, or eliminate them entirely. Dr. Pepper is my nemesis. I love it. I drink way too much of it. I’ve quit drinking it for long periods of time before. I once went over a year without drinking any pop. I love the taste of good, cold water. That became my go-to drink. It still is somewhat. My nephew bought me one of those stainless steel water bottles. That water stays nice and cold for a long time. I just wish it was bigger than 20 ounces. I can fly through that little of water in no time. I’d need seven or eight to make it through a day at work.
When I stopped drinking pop, I felt much, much better. Sure, the first 10 days were brutal, but afterwards, I actually had more energy. The secret is to not just quit cold turkey. You’re guaranteed to have some of those brutal caffeine withdrawal headaches if you do. My process is to half what a drink each week until it’s no longer a craving and will no longer give you a headache. This has worked great for me before. Again, this is something I’m starting Sunday. By the end of the month, I should have broken the vicious cycle.
Why do I keep going back to drinking it? It’s mostly because of driving. When we go on vacation and have to drive long distances, I like to have some pop while driving. So, it seems like whenever we go away, my consumption resumes or increases. Additionally, when a migraine does strike, a pop can be sweet relief. For that reason, there is usually some hanging around the house somewhere. It seems easier to quit it in the summer. Sometimes, if I want a pop, I force myself to walk to 7-11 to get one. And then I’d have to walk back. Walking is good for me, so a very slight positive comes out of it. In the winter? Well, I don’t walk so much. I hate the cold, especially this cold right now.
Continuing with personal goals and aspirations for the year, I am working hard towards making myself a better person overall. I want to spend more time interacting with my family, and work at not getting so angry about trivial things. I cannot let things bother me so much. It’s not good for my health. And it’s not good for the health of the family. I am taking on the this task with full gusto. I refuse to let these trivial matters consume my life. I will be happier and healthier.
Are resolutions good or bad for us? Do we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and then get discouraged when we don’t live up to expectations? Honestly, it shouldn’t be a once a year drive to improve ourselves. We should be working on it every day. That’s my new goal. It’s a good thing the year is long. I have a lot of work to do.
Craig Bacon actually hates resolutions, but he really is trying to improve himself. He knows it’s hard to improve on this awesomeness, but Wendy says there is definitely room to improve in being humble. He’s still not sold on that.