What is your opinion of New Year Resolutions?

Blog Prompt for December 28 – January 3

I think resolutions are a great idea. I mean, why wouldn’t you want to take a problem or hurdle in your life and resolve to do something about it to better yourself? “Resolution” is just another word for goal-setting which, if done properly, can help you achieve your dreams.

But what do I have against “New Year’s Resolutions”? Well, a lot actually. First off, if you have gotten to the point like me where you’ve had it with your current lifestyle and need to change things immediately, you’re probably not going to wait for the first of the year. It’s like waiting for Valentine’s Day to get married. If you’re serious about what you’re doing, you don’t need a special day to mark the beginning of your journey. Getting started is memorable enough.

Another thing that can hurt your resolution is the perception that if you have any set-backs, you have to wait till next year to get started again. Look at gym memberships, for instance. A good deal (not sure of the percentage) of people who join a gym for a “New Year’s Resolution” end up quiting within the first 3 months (or is it 3 weeks?). What better to kill your motivation than an unused gym membership eating away at your already meager earnings.

If you must have a “New Year’s Resolution”, start small. As SparkPeople.com suggests, overwhelming yourself right from the beginning will get you no where fast. Take baby steps and before you know it, you will be reaching your ultimate goals and living your dreams.

Christmas light show in Payson, Utah

If you’ve seen this popular video on YouTube.com, then you’re going to love this light display! Located at 1260 South 95 East in Payson, Utah, it’s sure to become the next big thing. The set-up is similar but includes 4 other songs that you can listen to by parking out front and tuning into radio station 99.9.

My family and I happened upon the spectacle on our drive home from the in-laws. Cruising down Main Street (exit 250) toward our house, we saw a rope-lighted plywood sign on someone’s lawn that simply said, “Light Show 1260 S 95 E”. We were curious, of course, and went to check it out. We were not disappointed. It was not only great to see the show, but to check out the surrounding neighborhood’s lighted houses. It’s one of my favorite parts of Christmas.

I’d just like to say “Thank you!” to the owners of this fantastic home. You’ve created a beautiful display, bringing a new tradition for my family and joy to my heart. Keep up the good work!

What will you do differently to prevent the holiday weight gain of years past?

Blog Prompt for December 7 – 13

I must be planning to fail, because I’m failing to plan. I didn’t have a whole lot in mind, other than trying to take smaller portions and limit my snacking throughout the day, especially ON the holidays. That’s when I have the most trouble. My family is usually up here spending time with us in our already cramped little house and when they bring tons of snacks and food with them, it usually ends up filling the fridge to capacity and overloading my counters. Thus, it makes it difficult to find anything or to cook on the limited counter space, so I usually don’t and end up getting fast food.

So, what I SHOULD do is get everything ready ahead of time and stock up on loads of healthy snacks so my family has no need to bring anything, and I’ll still be able to find the food I’m looking for (and my counter) and make some deliciously lighter meals. I should also be getting up earlier to get my daily exercise in, so that it becomes a habit.

Blog Prompts from SparkPeople

Since I have a hard time finding things to write about (or unsure how to write about it), I figured I would use SparkPeople’s “Blog Prompts” to help me along. I started to lose weight in January this year and lost interest pretty fast as it started as a new year’s resolution. Since then, I’ve joined SparkPeople (Blueyedsurfer for those who would like to join me) and have made a bit more progress in my quest. At the very least, I am more aware of what I am doing (or not doing) and what goes into my body. This year I’ve lost 10lbs. Though it’s not much, at least I can say I’m not gaining. You’ll see why I haven’t lost more in just a minute.

November 30 – December 6 Blog Prompt

How do you find ways to fit exercise into your busy schedule?

To be honest, I usually don’t fit it in. If I do muster up the energy to push play on my DVD player, I end up feeling proud enough of my accomplishment that it lasts through the week. Today was one of those days, though I’m planning to continue my workouts and work through this plateau. The only way I can manage to fit it in is if I can get up before Shaun does. Doing my exercises first thing in the morning is probably the easiest way of doing it (although it feels like the hardest at the time) and if I talk myself into putting it off till baby boy takes a nap, I usually don’t feel like doing it then. Thus, the day is wasted. It’s a good thing I’ve got Yoda in my head saying, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Hopefully, he’ll be back in my head first thing tomorrow morning.