To Do or Not To Do (A New Years Resolution Story)Sidetracked Sisters

Me – Then

Me – Now

Every year I plan out New Years resolutions to follow and every year, like so many others, I fail to follow my plan after about 2 weeks. I don’t know what it is or why that happens, but it’s like clockwork. Some of the resolutions I’ve had are:

Lose weight

Drink more water

Exercise more

Walk the dogs daily

Stop biting my nails

I’m not sure why I don’t follow thru with my resolutions, but starting them on a Monday or the first of the month is always an important factor to me. Even trying to quit something, I have to do it “evenly”. To illustrate that point, about 20 years ago, I used to smoke. I will profess to this day that I was not addicted and here is why. I would only smoke on the way to work, on the way home from work, and at work. Never on the weekends, and never in front of the kids. The only reason I smoked was to be social. When working at the bank, everyone would take a “smoke” break. If you didn’t smoke – you didn’t take a break! I tried to stop a few times but always came across the challenge that my last cigarette of the pack was on my way TO work instead of on my way home. For whatever reason, I needed my last cigarette of the pack to be the last one, on the way home from work on a Friday. (I know – weird logic)

Well – it just so happened that one day I was on my way home and I realized that I was FORCING myself to finish my cigarette. It was at that point I thought “This is crazy – I don’t even enjoy these.” I got home and threw out my remaining cigarettes and haven’t touched one since.

I also had a similar reaction to biting my fingernails. For as long as I can remember, I was a nail biter, but suddenly one day, I just decided that enough was enough. After that – no more nail biting.

I wish I could have that sudden resolution to weight loss, walking the dogs, and drinking water! I’m not sure how others do it and stick to their guns on their resolutions, but I need to figure it out. I’m tired of being the weight I’m currently at and something needs to change!