Thursday, December 30, 2010

NEW YEAR, RECYCLED RESOLUTIONS

by Denise McCray

Do you know what I love about a new year? The opportunity for us to make a boatload of resolutions that we mysteriously forget by the middle of January. Okay, stop snickering. You all know what I’m talking about. Every year, I resolve to lose weight, and ask Santa for new sneakers and exercise outfits. After consulting with a nutritionist and reading almost every diet book on the shelves, I know I have to decrease my food portions and increase my exercise levels. I do pretty well for two weeks, getting up early to work out and watching my food intake. Then, little by little, I slip back into old habits and regain the few pounds I managed to lose.

But 2011 will be different! I will lose weight and get healthier (or spend the rest of the year avoiding everyone who knows I’m supposed to be losing weight).

So, what is your number one resolution for 2011? Post a comment describing it and you may be the winner of a $25.00 gift card (winner’s choice). I’ll pick the most entertaining response.

Have a Happy New Year!

Find Denise:

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Twitter



34 comments:

  1. Ha! Resolutions! Bah humbug! Any resolution I make will immediately light the fuse on the opposite engine and I'll work doubletime to screw up whatever I've promised myself to do. I keep it simple...do better.

    I don't specify. If I don't specify I might just have it work out.

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  2. My #1 resolution is to find a job I enjoy because my current one makes me miserable! I am grateful to even have a job in this economy but have to find something that makes me happy.

    smaccall @ comcast.net

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  3. Maureen, I don't believe you! Remember, you're my shero and can do anything you put your mind to.

    Sarah, life is too short to work someplace that makes you miserable. Best wishes for you to find the job of your dreams in 2011.

    Everyone, don't forget to leave your email address for me. Thanks!

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  4. Denise - Trust me, if I resolve to do something I will backpeddle faster than...well, anything I can think of! ;-)

    I am my own worst saboteur. Best if I don't set up goals!

    What's a shero? ;-p

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  5. How true Denise. My # 1 resolution would be to finish the manucript I'm working on. I can't give up on this one, I'm committed to it.

    Happy New Year!
    Kathleen

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  6. I'm pretty much in the same place as the rest of you. Lose some weight before the RT convention. Finish the umpteen books I have started, get my house organized. I'm also looking for a way to quit my day job - I hope it happens in the next 12 months!

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  7. Hi Denise,

    Great post!

    I must admit, I do not believe in New Year's Resolutions either. I'm very much a panster in life. If something needs to be done, I do it.

    I look at resolutions like plotting my story. If I spend too much time thinking about it, I'll lose interest.

    On the other hand, if I set my mind to completing something, whether it's laundry or a manuscript, I just do it.

    The one thing I will do on New Year's is outline my goals for the year. This year, I'm going to...wait, that's for a different thread!

    Happy New Year!

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  8. My goal is to spend more time with my family but by the first week of jan I remember that they are troublemakers and I don't nessarily like them so how bout I resolve to find people i like to spend time with lol
    meandi09@yahoo.com

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  9. I hereby resolve to avoid resolutions. Keep my house cleaner? A dirty trick. Finish my half-done craft projects? An unresolved conclusion. Lose weight? A lean proposal. Be more patient to my fellow man? An intolerant thought. Stop being late everywhere I go? Timely but impossible. Eat in more often? Half-baked idea. Save more money? Wasted effort. So there! Sheila P52 at yahoo dot com

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  10. Me and my DH has to loose our extra weight, we seem to have gained over the last few months:( My hubby said it didn't matter if we had to sit in our chairs and cry at each other, we were going to do this. He has retired, we are not getting younger, and our health depends on this.

    Judy
    magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com

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  11. I try not to make resolutions, just because I never stick with them very long. If I don't make the resolution, no guilt that I didn't do it. Right? But then that leads to guilt that you never made a resolution, and you're a total loser because at least other people kinda tried, and you didn't. Bleh...

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  12. Denise! Good Morning!

    Ok, I admit it I am a goal setter, comes from years of training in the business world of how important it is to set goals, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.

    Sometimes it is a tiny goal, like don't kill the cat today. Sometimes its a small goal, pay the electric this week or you will be living by candlelight. Sometimes it is a big goal like call the kids monthly, let them know your alive, even if they dont call me and I scan all the accident reports and obitituaries to make sure their name isnt in there. Then sometimes the goal is a large one, remembering whats important in life and that making everyday count is a blessing, tell those you care about how important they are and wake up and try to do your best each day. Even if that means, killing the cat, ignoring the kids, paying a bill late and trying to remember when the last time you had dinner with your husband because your both so busy!

    New Years resolutions are not to watch ourselves fail, but to give us hope in the ability to believe in ourselves and our accomplishments. Happy New Year!!! I promise I will let the cat live another day!

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  13. I try really hard not to make resolutions since they are doomed to failure from the start. I usually just say that I'd like to accomplish something in the new year. This year it's to take better care of my health. I'm bad about not going to the doctor when I should so this coming year I'm going to attempt to take better care of myself, go to the doctor when I should. I've been sick almost the whole month of December and spent Christmas all by myself because of an awful stomach bug that I didn't want to give to anybody else and it really sucked not being with my family. Sorry, this isn't a very entertaining story, but sadly true.

    seriousreader at live dot com

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  14. It is not a resolution, but I am going to get back to exercising. Not to lose weight but because I feel better when I exercise. And to hopefully avoid some of the health issues my parents are now facing.

    kbranfield@gmail.com

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  15. I was originally going to resolve to "Be Nicer" but I've come to accept that spunky bitch is part of me and without my dry saracasm, well, I'm just not me!

    So, in stead, I shall strive to "Vamp It Up!". Meaning, pay attention to my hair - makeup - clothing - and attitude every day to be sexy and smart! (It's amazing how easy it is to slip into comfortable!)

    mdwartistry at yahoo dot com

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  16. My New Year's Resolution is to not make a resolution. Why set myself up for failure? My gym membership will attest to that! It puts too much pressure on me. So what if I have a slight "muffin top". It matches my hubbies beer belly! My actual motivation this year is my sister. She passed away from Breast Cancer last year and I want to run in the Susan G. Komen 5K in Oct. I hate to run...any other form of exercise I will do, but running isn't one of them. So I will dust off that treadmill and lace up my running shoes for her! She would be amazed to know that I am running for something other than that plate of cookies that was just set out on the table! Kisses to heaven Sis! You're my inspiration!!

    cbandy10(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  17. Stop procrastinating, be more organized, be more active, write more--basically clean up my act and become a much better me. It should be easy; I mean I have a year. : )

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  18. Each year brings such hope and wanting... I've decided my essence is a skinny girl and my indenty is the fat one sitting writing this post. So 2011 is the year to find my essence (apologies to Michael Hauge for the paraphrase.)

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  19. ooopppps... and an email address for the current fat me is... lcahoon7@gmail.com

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  20. I like the idea of resolutions, but the actuality doesn't work. I always crack under the pressure. I COULD say that I was trying to cut down on Starbucks, but I'd totally be lying.

    So my reolutuion is to THINK about drinking less lattes from Starbucks.

    joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

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  21. Hi, Denise, great post! *Sigh* I can't resolve to lose weight again--waste of time. BUT--I will read more, write more, and love more.

    Congrats on Bared Essentials, I can't wait to read it!

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  22. Loved the Post, Denise. Resolutions.....uhhh.....Resolutions. Yeah...I resolve to have a resolution. What, I don't know. To finish the MS. To finish the crosstitch picture I started. Maybe to actually finish cleaning the house. Or my room. Nah, don't go there.

    OK. To be me. The best Me I can be.

    Happy New Year to All!

    momsdesk at verizon.net

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  23. I don't make resolutions---they just fall by the wayside.

    kissinoak at frontier dot com

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  24. I am GOING to lose 20lbs before RT, but otherwise I resolve to not worry about stuff so much. Like New years. lol

    Heather

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  25. I don't make resolutions, I just try to be happy, it's easier. :)

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  26. I am among the many. I make resolutions and promptly break them every year. This year I respolve not to break my resolutions, how's that? :-D Like many of you I would like to lose weight, take better care of my house and myself, and focus on my craft. No matter what happens, 2011 holds endless possiblities. I do like Dina and Heather's ideas about not worrying and try to be happy.

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  27. I try not to make resolutions, but I'm getting really excited because I'm around people that are working towards getting into shape and all around better health.That has lead me to decide to practice my yoga on a regular basis and that will help everything else fall into place because my senses are more in tune when I practice.

    lenikaye@yahoo.com

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  28. Looks like I'm going to have lots of company on my weight loss journey. My wonderful mother-in-law keeps telling me I didn't put it on in six months so don't expect to take it off that quickly.
    We can do this!

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  29. I have so many things I need to do for hte nest year I do not know where to brgin. My daughter inthe hospital after Chantex caused her problems. She know hates us and still wants to smoke. I thought it should have been the reverse. So i guess I have to work on her liking us again. I do need to take that same journey to lose weight. The only problem is that when I am stressed I eat. Sooo if my daughter likes me again then I can move on to the next on my to do list.
    debby236 at att dot net

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  30. Lol, you sound like me on weakening by mid-January. Every year I add exercise as a resolution as well as lowering my chocolate intake. The past couple of years I've been sure to publish my resolutions as a way to feel more obligated. What a joke that was. None of my readers held me accountable, dang it! Good luck with your resolutions ;-)

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  31. My new year's resolution is to just be happy -- in the end, after the burned-out diets, failed relationships, and unkept promises, it's all that really matters :)

    Stephanie
    thestephanieloves[at]gmail[dot]com

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  32. Oh, I'm going to say, like those here, I'm not going to make any New Year's resolutions to avoid setting myself up for failure. hahaha! Maybe that's an easy way out, but it made me laugh when I wrote it. And...that's maybe a good New Year's resolution to make....if I was going to make one...it's to laugh more every day. I'm going to give it my best.

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  33. Thank you all for your entertaining posts and visiting 30 Days of Decadence. Make sure you visit www.decadentpublishing.com
    throughout 2011 for our exciting new releases.

    And the winner of the $25.00 gift card is Lynn!

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  34. I dont usually make them tho this year the one i did make is to read more and find my own place

    mortalsinn@yahoo.com

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