More threads by dmcgill

Have you made your resolutions this year?

  • No

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  • Plan on it

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  • Don't plan on it

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    5

dmcgill

Member
I am sure that I am not alone in making a bunch of resolutions at the beginning of a new year. I used to do this quite often.

1. Lose x amount of pounds
2. Pay all my bills on time.
3. Go on a holiday... etc and Yep, I have said many times I would quit smoking by the end of the year and although I now only smoke about 7 smokes a day, I am still addicted to nicotine. So what is a person to do? Not make any resolutions?

Let me make a few suggestions and I would like to hear what you do with this problem or dilemma.

First the problem:
When we make a promise to you, and then do not follow through with that promise, we let our self down. We can even become depressed over the breaking of our own word. This is especially true if we verbalize that promise to someone else, write it on a chart and put it up by the bathroom mirror or something like that. But no matter what, if we wake up Jan. 1 with the resolve to follow through with a set of resolutions, and when Dec. 31 rolls around again at the end of any given year with the resolutions having not been met, we will experience disappointment if not down right depression. So, be realistic.

Instead of saying I am going to quit smoking and loose 30 pounds, go for a mile walk every day and turn into a vegetarian, say. I am going to try and live a healthier life style. That is easy to keep, well easier anyway.

Instead of saying I am going to spend at least 8 hours a week of quality time with my children or significant other, say. I will make my family, loved ones and parents my priority for my spare time.

If you will try to abide by these principals, you will become a principle-oriented person and they know where they are going. They are the ones who may allow you to come in with muddy shoes even though they have a clean house most of the time. They are the ones who can still go out and have a good time with friends and still have a healthy lifestyle overall. They are the ones who will spend more time with their loved ones and still make it to work on time, have time for themselves and be more efficient with everything they do.

I consider myself to be very fortunate. I had a very strict religious mother and a very principle oriented father, (who are both still alive today). Mom would be very upset with me as a teenager for coming in late, or smelling of alcohol or tobacco. Dad was equally disappointed but he didn't show it in anger, he would urge me to try getting home 5 min. earlier the next night and cutting back on my bad habits. Together, my parents were very balanced in their approach with life.

So take a look at the "big picture" this year as you make goals for yourself. Make realistic goals and follow your heart.

Happy New Year all.
I would like to know how you handle or make resolutions.
 
I quit making them a few years ago because I realized what you've said here. I just try to do a little better. This year I just want to be kinder to people, try to reach out and help people more. I am almost a complete recluse in my home so this will be hard.

I'd like to drink more water too and I'm hoping that the depression will lift and I will feel like exercising again, just walking probably.

I think those are pretty realistic. Maybe. I don't know. I hope.
 

HA

Member
There have been many years that I did not make resolutions. New Years in general, for me, is a nice quiet holiday to recoup from Christmas.

This year, though, I am excited about my resolutions. It is a time for me to address some issues that are important to me but I just procrastinated about them or was so busy with *life* that they never came to mind very often.

So for me...this year....resolutions have become **goals** that need to go to the top of my priority list.

1. I'm joining Weight Watchers (at work) again and will follow through this time! (to lose the 50 lbs I gained when quit smoking 2yrs ago) I may just get out the books and do it that way.

2. I'm joining the community centre for fitness classes and swimming. (Very inexpensive way to become involved with fitness and a 2 mt walk from home) Done this one.

3. I have a pedometer (Santa gift) to use walking as an exercise on a *regular* basis!

4. I'm going to spend more time on art as recreation. (This one has more meaning than the others)

I'm actually looking forward to these goals.

Cheers to a new year!
 

cm

Member
Hello all, I enjoyed reading all of your goals for this new year. I haven't been making new years resolutions for several years, however this year I really need to make health and fitness a higher priority as I'm really getting out of shape (I used to be a long distance runner many milleniums ago). Can you believe we even have an excellent treadmill in the living room and I've only used it about three times in the past three years? ( I actually do enjoy running on treadmills.) Well, I thought I would start with a beginners level and go on the treadmill three times a week (walking), and see how it goes.
 

dmcgill

Member
Oh Man!! Now you are making me feel guilty!! See the danger in making resolutions!! If you do, then I have to as well. LOL, Good luck with your resolutions and it sounds like they are principle oriented. Keep us posted on how they go.
 

HA

Member
Dennis,

You should quit smoking. It is really bad for your health at your age and what would your kids do if you developed a life threatening disease from smoking.

Sorry, could'nt resist that one. It's what my daughter used on me and it worked.

When you are ready, I can tell you what worked for me. Maybe we will see you in the addictions section some time this year:~}
 
Another thought I had is that there are some things about life you just can't change. Maybe I just have to accept things and work around the bad stuff.
 

dmcgill

Member
PM what worked for you to quit smoking please. This goes with this thread because we are talking about healthier lifestyles.
Dennis


Dennis,

You should quit smoking. It is really bad for your health at your age and what would your kids do if you developed a life threatening disease from smoking.
 

HA

Member
Dennis,

My daughter and I would argue about my smoking when she lived with me. I smoked outside, always. I was a moderate smoker at 1/2 a pack a day. Well, actually it was more of her admonishing me and being angry with me than us arguing but one day I had heard enough and told her to mind her own health business. I wanted to smoke and enjoy it. She then looked at me and said "What if you die? Then I will have no one." She was calm and sincere in what she said and it just hit me that, that is why she was always harrassing. She did not want me to die from it.

I used smoking as a way to deal with stress. I always said that when my life was less stressful then I would quit. That was not realistic so no matter what was going on in my life the time to quit was soon.

I asked my doctor for Zyban and of course she was thrilled that I was quitting but also suggested that I take a course in meditation. I followed the guidelines in the little book that comes with Zyban. She suggested that I not think about quitting unitl I was on medication for a month. The dose that worked best for me was 200mg/day. I went to the Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction Course at St Josephs hopsital. That course was a life changing event for me and became my stress reduction instead of nicotine.

The booklet advises that you set a quit date. You gradually decrease your daily cigs by stopping the most important one of your day. At breakfast with coffee was mine. You continue this each day unitl your quit day. Mine was Thanksgiving Day 2yrs ago.

I joined an online support group whcih was very helpful because I learned so many techniques and just to have the encourgement of others struggling with me was what got me through the critical first 4 mths.

I got a little meter from Stop Smoking Quit Meter and Support which sits on your task bar of your computer and monitors your quit. It was very rewarding to see the time ect build. Here is what mine reads now.
Smober Time...2Y 2M 2W 4D 1hr 8M 10S
Amount Saved...$2,835.31
Cigs not smoked...8100
And the most important Life Saved 4 weeks 3 hrs

I could not quit for me, but I could quit for my daughter and boy is she worth it.
Cheers
Judy
 

dmcgill

Member
OH MY!!

I feel like I need to stand in the corner. I will say this, the points are great and I have the same reasons to do what you did. I bookmarked the meter site.
 

HA

Member
Good luck, Dennis. Reading at a support site will give you other ways that have helped people quit when you are ready. No attempt is a failure. Every quit attempt takes you closer to the final one.
 
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