Resolutions

It’s general to make resolutions to change yourself in some way on January 1st, but that never seems to work for me. I love Christmas and the holiday period and always feel a little resentful when it is over on the first day of the new year when I decide to go on a diet, eat more sensibly, take more exercise, do more housework… whatever it is. Anything I resolve to do then seems doomed for failure.

I guess it’s because I’m not in the right frame of mind to take on the challenge of whatever it is and in the end my resentment and natural idleness overcomes my good intentions. Also, as my birthday is at the beginning of January so any ideas of eating more sensibly and doing more exercise flies straight out of the window.

No, you – or rather I, have to wait for the right moment.I don’t mean I’m impulsive and suddenly out of the blue say to myself ‘Right, today you’re going to do half an hour of exercise and go for a long brisk walk’; I mean that thoughts about my new regime, swirl around for a while until they come to a moment when I think ‘ok, I’m ready’. I might not start right away, right at that moment, but within a couple of days I’ll wake up and yes, today’s the day.

Probably four or maybe five years ago now, I decided to eat less and exercise more, and on a random day in February I began. It was the right day, and although various things interrupted it like the family holiday, visiting our dear friends in Holland, going away for weekends etc, all went well. I lost about two stone, I was much fitter… and all was fine! I made the resolution at the right time.

My husband talks about ‘hitting the sweet spot’ when he’s playing golf; when it comes to resolutions, I have to hit the sweet spot and then I will have a much greater chance of success! Maybe today is the sweet spot day!!!