no more new year’s resolutions

I’m not the type to make New Year’s resolutions.

I’ve seen too many break too fast, and realistically I know you’ll forget about me by the third day.

But two years ago, I was struggling to do all the things I needed to do to be healthier and happier.

At the end of the day, I was moaning because I forgot to take my vitamins again. She felt a wave of guilt over her for having “just one more glass of wine.” Her stomach was trembling, but I spent too much energy putting on her shoes and going for a walk.

I recognized the name from the obituary.

What I decided to do worked. And still working.

I am sharing it because unlike many “New Year’s plans”, it was created by you, for you. This is something any hungry and lazy scientist can understand.

First, I made a list in my head of 5-7 things I knew I had to do every day: exercise, abstinence, deep breathing, taking vitamins. Acronyms are always helpful, so I’ve rearranged the first letter of each into an easy-to-remember word. My word just happens to be BEHAVE.

My goal was to hit every letter each day, but I’m allowing myself to skip one letter each day. It will never be the same character for two consecutive days.

Here’s how it works for me, but with different priorities and characters.

B: Take 10 slow deep breaths in a row. I usually forget around 6 o’clock and have to start over.

E: Let’s do some exercise. The next day, I walked over to my neighbor’s mailbox. On the third day, I already had my shoes on and thought I should walk to the stop sign. Every day I went a little farther. My goal is 20 minutes a day. Some days it’s a brisk walk, other days it’s more like a walk.

H: Hydration. I bought a few cheap and clean water bottles. I like things that are easy to open. My goal is 60 oz, but more is better.

A: Abstinence. This was tough. I love Irish whiskey and wine at sunset. But this year’s ancestry survey revealed that three grandfathers died in bar fights and three great-grandmothers died of strokes. Genes encourage moderation.

This is where “You can send one letter every day, but you can’t send the same letter two days in a row.”

V: Vitamin. Get your weekly pillbox. can. If you skip a day, the evidence is still there.

E: Engage. This has many meanings. Whether it’s learning something new or talking to a friend, being “engaged” can make life worth living. Also, “engagement” is reading a good book.

At the end of each day, think in your mind which letter you hit. Some days it’s not so much. More BINGO!

It helps you write your own words where you see them all day long. Put a dot under each letter when you’re done. Then you’ll know what’s missing two days in a row.

I shared my “words” ideas with family and friends. They came up with their own words. My daughter’s word is BRAVE. Another friend Wilder. I don’t know what they stand for. But they say it works for them.

I know it’s for me I can see the evidence. The more I “act”, the better I feel.

And at the end of the day, it’s nice to lie in bed and not feel guilty about decisions I never made or kept.