It’s another year which means another list of new year’s resolutions. For me, that includes the usual goals that I fail to attain, year after year, such as losing weight, eating right, or exercising more. Life’s “stuff” just gets in the way. To be honest though, for me, it’s usually procrastination and laziness that thwarts my well-intentioned goals. I think the same ole resolutions, every year, just get old and boring. So I’m welcoming the new year with a completely different set of resolutions that are both easy and perfect for me as I get older. Obviously, I feel like I should share them with you. So here they are.
The easiest of them all is when I’m “running around” knocking off my list of errands, I’m gonna start parking further away in parking lots instead of searching forever for that perfect spot that’s closest to the front entrance to Target. That should save a lot of time and a few extra steps can’t be a bad thing. In that same mindset, who says that you have to ride an escalator? Whether you’re going up or down an escalator, why not walk it like a set of stairs, especially if you’re going down the escalator? Of course, since I mentioned stairs…if I’m taking an elevator for just a couple of floors, why not find the stairs and take the stairs? Especially if I’m going down. All of these simple objectives seem crazy easy and when you think about it, not doing them is kind of silly.
Another simple thing that many people are doing, except me, is the consumption of a lot of water. I have read recently that drinking more water has so many health benefits that I would have to be an idiot not to work a lot more water into my fluid consumption. So I’m saying “goodbye” to most of my soft drink consumption and “hello” to at least an extra 50 ounces of water a day.
Keeping a journal is another interesting idea that I’m going to try this year. My girlfriend has been doing it for years. She tells me that putting her thoughts on paper is a really good way of releasing negative thoughts from her consciousness. Sad or angry thoughts will sometimes just bounce around in your head until you let them out through pen and paper.
Writing things down in a journal will also help my memory. Stuff that I write down on paper always sticks in my head longer. Journal writing is a good way to work on your writing skills and it’s really cool to go back and read old journal entries. It’s like going back in time.
Volunteering my time, on occasion, or giving to charity is another thing that I want to try this year. Whether it’s helping in a soup kitchen once a week, helping with a beach cleanup in the spring, or spending time with lonely senior citizens, anything will help the cause and it’s a great way to build up good karma points! However, if I’m feeling lazy, I may just give to a charitable cause. Either way, I’ll be helping people less fortunate than I am or doing something that’s bigger than me and my little world.
Exercising my brain has always been something that I’ve wanted to do more, so why not give it a try this year? The brain is just like any other muscle. You have to use it or lose it by keeping those brain cells busy. All my years of spending my free time watching TV haven’t really done much to help with memory or brain function. As I get older, I’ve come to realize how important it is to take care of my aging gray matter. So I’ll be reading more, playing more Sudoku, and working on a few more crossword puzzles to help stave off any possibility of an early onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia…hopefully.
2023 is going to be an AWESOME year. I think the aforementioned resolutions will be easy to keep and not for just one year, but for the rest of my life. Hopefully, my body and brain will reap the benefits of these new life practices to the point of a healthy, long life.
By Mike C
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