Suppose you want to make a typical New Year Resolution of losing weight. But simply resolving to do that does not accomplish anything. You defer the decisions you must make into the future.
Instead of committing blindly to losing the weight, why not simply make plans to change your lifestyle so that your body naturally adjusts its weight? There are several ways to do this:
Buy yourself a gym membership. Of course, I am one of those people who signs up for gym memberships and then chickens out. I see all those fit people working out at the gym and I feel too self-conscious to go. But if you don't have that problem then do not wait to start losing weight. Go find a good gym and get an entry-level membership.
Just remember that trainers will offer their services to you. These are good people trying to make a living but you should not plunge full in until you know you will use the membership.
Also, if you can pay for a full year in advance without recurring monthly payments that should work out better for you.
Go explore your community parks. It may still be the dead of winter but you can look for several parks where you will enjoy taking daily walks. Walking is as beneficial for your heart and health as running without all the physical pain and stress. Just walking 1-2 miles a day will do wonders for you.
Plan a month's menu of healthy meals. You don't have to start in on the Atkins Diet Menu plan right away but you can start eating more salads, fruits, and vegetables without having to make many difficult choices. Cut back on starchy vegetables like peas, corn, and carrots and eat more healthy vegetables like broccoli, zuccini, and cauliflower.
One of the simplest dietary changes I have made was to reduce the amount of bread and bread-like foods I eat. Sometimes I buy a low-carb loaf of bread and use that in place of familiar white bread. English muffins are good substitutes for biscuits and bagels, too.
Losing weight is not the only New Year's Resolution people fail to complete. Improving your financial situation is another area where resolutions may be counter-productive. Although you may spend your days looking for advice on blogs I think the best advice is to spend less than you earn.
There are several ways we can do that, too.
Cancel your gym membership. Yes, I said buy one above but if you are hurting for money you should be able to find other ways to exercise without paying for expensive clothes and services.
Walking in the park is just one example of how you can improve your health and fitness through everyday activity. There are other ways to live a healthier lifestyle, too. And the best thing is that they are free.
Eat out less frequently. I know that cooking food at home, especially if you live by yourself, is a chore. But you can experiment with cooking to make it fun. Or you can simply plan a meal budget that leaves you some money for dining out once or twice a week. You should not be eating a lot of fast food and restaurant food anyway.
Each new year brings us new experiences. With a little bit of self-conscious management we can plan changes in our activities to make the new year more rewarding and affordable without sacrificing the quality of life we want to enjoy.
