Keeping those New Year’s resolutions

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

Stop smoking. Lose weight. Get out of debt.

Sound familiar? It should. Americans made those top three resolutions, and others, as the calendar rolled into 2013 and people got serious about their physical and financial health — at least for the next month or so.

Studies vary, but for the most part, only a slim percentage of resolution markers actually keep them. So why do it? Tom Bartz of Van Wert doesn’t. “I made a resolution 25 years ago to not make any more resolutions. So far, so good,” he said.

Even still, millions have made — and will break– some type of resolution this year.

Wikipedia describes a resolution as a commitment one makes to personal goals, projects, or reforming habits. It’s generally meant to last the entire year, setting it apart from other promises. Resolutions date back to the Romans, who began each year with new promises to the god Janus. Over 2,000 years later, we’re still making them.

Tina Eley of Middle Point wanted to “pay it forward” over the last year with random acts of kindness for strangers. She concentrated on doing something nice for someone, at least once a week. “When I was in a drive-through like McDonald’s, I would pick up the tab for the car behind me,” she said, adding she oftentimes surprised people while in her state highway patrol car. “Can you imagine the surprised looks when someone in a patrol car was buying their lunch or breakfast? Kind of awesome huh?”

Robin Kraner of Ohio City tried to do the same by resolving to do good deeds every day for someone. “I didn’t hit the everyday goal, but I was able to help in some way many days,” she said, adding “I’ll do the same again this year as it’s very rewarding to me as well.”

Bobbie Whittenbarger is keeping things simple as well, resolving to “make someone feel special every day in some small way … that would make me happy.”

For millions, happiness comes with weight loss and getting fit. According to Forbes, the No. 1 resolution people make is to lose weight. All over the country, gyms will be packed full as resolution-makers begin their journey to fitness. Sadly, though, the trip will end within a month for the majority of those gym rats.

Fortunately, some people do stick it out. Renee Triplett of Van Wert has lost approximately 100 pounds over the course of the past year, as has Tony Willingham of Van Wert (see stories in this week’s independent, along with today’s story on Katie Dickinson-Mosier. “You just have to put your mind to it,” Willingham said. “You have to work through the bad days.”

The chances of keeping a resolution increase if one makes it through the month of January. With each passing month, the odds of sticking to a commitment increase even further. Lynn Stoffel of Van Wert isn’t having any part of it this year.

“I’m not making any new year’s resolutions,” she said. “It just sets me up for failure by the second of January.”

Elizabeth Weitz won’t make any either, but she’ll continue to champion causes that are near and dear to her, such as animal rights.

Studies show that setting unrealistic goals is a sure-fire way to drop resolutions. Instead, experts say, resolution-makers should focus on small lifestyle changes that offer achievable results.

Following are tips on how to keep new year’s commitments:

• Make one resolution and focus on it every day.
• Start ahead of time. Start practicing a resolution when the holidays arrive. It will be much easier to keep the resolution if one has already been practicing it.
• Choose a different resolution. Don’t always repeat the same resolution if one has previously failed.
• Keep an eye on the prize! Pick a reward for keeping a resolution. Hang a picture of it on the refrigerator and look at it every day! If one has resolved to quit smoking and is successful, save the equivalent amount of money that would have been spent on smoking products and take a mini-vacation!
• Lean on friends! Give them a call on a bad day and share one’s struggles. Chances are, friends will offer just the encouragement needed to stick to a plan!