COMMENTARY: Make 2013 A More, Better Year

It’s that time of year again, and no, I don’t mean time to dig that orange out of the bottom of the Christmas stocking like you didn’t do last year before you put it in the attic. But that would be important to do. Go ahead. We’ll wait.

Back? Good. Now, speaking of things you won’t do again, it’s that time when many of us banish thoughts of sugar plums or whatever else danced in our heads during Christmas (what exactly is a sugar plum and why would it be dancing, anyway?) and replace them with considerations of a newer, better us.

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions.

Normally I’m the king of reinvention, so the idea of waiting until one measly day a year to roll out a new, or at least updated, model of me brings to mind a friend who says he never leaves his house on New Year’s Eve, because that’s when the amateur drunks come out. I mean, people, learn from a master here.

With that in mind, I felt it appropriate to share some of my tips for successful resolutionmaking. Think of it as my Christmas gift to you.

And since it’s more than a week late, you can seethat resolution I made to quit procrastinating is still a work in progress. Baby steps, baby steps.

First, I like to start off with a taste of success.

Every year I resolve to quit smoking. Now, that’s a pretty standard one, and pretty tough for lots of people. If that’s your resolution this year, I salute you and hope you’ll be able to keep it. For me, it’s a little easier because, well, I don’t smoke. Never have. But making a quitsmoking resolution means every year there’s a checkmarked box on that list.

Try it yourself.

Resolve to quit Acapulco cliff diving or sword swallowing or rattlesnake hunting. Get on a roll, and you’ll fi nd momentum is a train that just can’t be stopped.

Also, think big picture.

Don’t say “I want to spend more time with my family.” Say “I want to make my family happy.” In this case, big picture thinking allows you say, “If I go play golf,’ll be happy. And if I’m happy, I’m a nicer person to be around, which will be nicer for my family. So by going and playing golf, I’ll be making my family happy.” Box check-marked.

Be sure and replace your divots.

Making your family happy is also useful to keep in mind when you start getting into resolutions with visual or audio consequences. I mean, before you sign up for lessons, wouldn’t it be a good idea to ask yourself, “will my family really be happier listening to me sort of play ‘Lady of Spain’ on the accordion?” I think we all know the answer to that.

Be careful of wording.

For instance, instead of saying “I want to eat a healthy diet,” say “I want to eat better.” Better is good, right? We all want better. Better is admirable.

Better is improvement, and we’re all about improvement this time of year.

So a resolution to eat better allows you say, “now what’s better, a lettuce, tofu and wheat germ salad topped with low-fat air, or a double-decker hot fudge sundae with whipped cream?” Answer’s clear, box checked.

Try, also, to avoid specifi cs. Specifi cs are solimiting, and we all need to think outside the box here. Don’t say “I want to join a gym, run three miles a day, lift weights and yoga myself in a pretzellike state of health.” Say, “I want to exercise more.” Again, more, like better, is good, right?

And “more” means a walk around the block on Jan. 1 (OK, maybe later in the week. It was raining) is likely more than you exercised last year. Let’s not get carried away here. You don’t want to pull something. But you do want to check-mark another box.

There you have it.

Follow these tips and in the weeks to come you’ll be able to say you accomplished your goals of making your family happier, eating better and exercising more. And that will put you well ahead of the pack, since studies indicate most resolutions are abandoned by February.

So when folks around you complain they petered out on their annual selfimprovement plans, you can sit back with the quiet smile of a winner.

Just remember to wipe the hot fudge off your face fi rst.

GARY SMITH IS A RECOVERING JOURNALIST LIVING IN ROGERS.

Opinion, Pages 7 on 01/03/2013

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