The New Year

A new year has begun again! The holidays are over and a new decade has arrived. Resolutions will soon be made and just as quickly discarded. We tend to set ourselves up for unrealistic expectations. We hope for better but hope is no guarantee. It takes long-term vision and a bucket load of patience to realize our dreams. To try yet again to better oneself is laudable. If you do so you must remember that baby steps are the key.

It is said that losing weight permanently takes a long time. It took months or years to gain it and will take that much to remove it. Doctors say that the slower one reduces their weight the longer they will keep it off. It is no different with our goals. Taking time to plan and prepare makes it more likely that we will succeed. Thought and someplace to write are what we need to begin.

Anything worth doing or having takes time. Think about what changes you truly want to occur. Create a list of goals and then break them down into individuals steps. Each step must then be broken down into manageable chunks, or baby steps, that you can take one at a time. Realize that though your path may be long you will reach the end if you persevere. As with weight loss the slower you go the better and more long-lasting the outcome will be.

It has become almost trite to talk about New Year's resolutions. It may seem cute when a smoker says that, this year, they will finally quit. Or friends might laugh when a drinker announces their last bottle of beer while still sitting at the bar. As for yourself please do not fall into these traps. Know just what you can change and create the long-term plan that will make it all work out. Be good to yourself and hold your head up high with each baby step you take!