2010 Commitments

New Year's resolutions have generally been looked at by me as something people do to set themselves up for failure. For most of my life I have laughed at people who make resolutions to eat less, exercise more, save money, spend wisely, learn to play an instrument, learn a new language, etc, etc. Just as there are always more students in college classes at the beginning than at the end, there are always many more joggers out at the beginning of the year than there are by Thanksgiving. So, for most of my life, I have evaded the trap of setting myself up for failure. However, I have recently experienced some successes in the last few years by experimenting with New Year's resolutions. I have also experienced some failures but this I expected.

Here I will reveal some recent New Year's resolutions that I failed at. I set about to spend at least 15 minutes per day studying a new language. Actually, I was so overly motivated that I tried to study three different languages at once. Well, even the most casual observer could forecast what the results of that would be. Another I tried was to practice guitar and keyboard for a half hour per day. About three years ago I tried the running thing quite similar to my new 2010 resolution except that I joined a club. Well that part of it backfired on me and took down the whole resolution. Another one I had was to meet three new people a month. I ended up writing down a few names then the whole deal evaporated. I also decided that I would walk or ride my bike to work at least three times a week. I did it a few times, it felt good but was really not practical as I spent too much time at work. A few other years I also tried the running thing and I did establish a regular routine. However, I did something improper along the way and ended up with an extended bout of plantar fasciitis or something that matched that description. I have tried the journal resolution multiple times and did manage to keep it going for two years but reading the entries made me decide that maybe that was not a good idea so I voted to terminate that in favor of writing only when I thought I had something valid to put down.

My successful new years resolutions are, saving money through automatic withdrawal from my checking account to my savings accounts, kayaking nearly every weekend, keeping up a light weight resistance training program 1-2 days per week and logging every damn thing I eat.

Saving money through auto withdrawal/deposit is actually quite easy. One can easily take advantage of that New Year's energy and setup the transfers. Once that is done, the rest takes care of itself. You learn to adjust without the money you are setting aside.

Kayaking is so fun that it becomes an addiction that creates its own motivation. All that is required is jump starting the routine. Weight resistance training feels good and does not require a lot of time.

I started logging everything I eat and have compiled quite a list of the items I routinely eat. When I log an item, I have some key nutrition information on file about each item. I make forecasts about overall calorie intake, fat content, protein, carbs, etc. Though extremely effective in controlling intake and learning about nutrition, this method can be a bother to keep up. I have found that once putting myself through that level of consciousness about everything I eat has taught me to practice better habits. I am going to try to take what I have learned and do without the logging for this year.

Following are my new resolutions:

• Start Aerobic Exercise Plan
• Starting with at least 30 minutes per day
• To include walking/jogging/running as physical condition allows
• Indoor physical activity routine may be used as substitute for above
• Participate in at least one 5k-10k event per month
• Aim to improve performance on each event (subject to physical condition)
• Continue with existing strength training plan
• Continue with kayaking outings
• Try to manage food intake without the logging method previously used.
• If not able to manage this way, return to logging method.
• Add additional commitments if desired (Deadline January 31)