Resolution

It's that time again when the world makes shallow and unrealistic goals to improve themselves in the new year.  Last night we stayed up late with our relatives playing games, making noise and shooting off fireworks welcoming in 2012.  I said to myself--This is going to be a great year!  It may even be our last?  There is a lot of hullabaloo claiming the Mayan's predicted that the world would end on December 21, 2012.  The reality is that a major celestial cycle (a multi-hundred year planetary rotation cycle) ends on the Mayan's calendar on that date.  What the ruckus fails to mention is that on December 22, 2012 the calendar starts a new cycle.  Not quite the cacophony of doom!


Well wether the world ends or not this year, we are still culturally obligated to make new year's resolutions.  Year after year I write down two or three goals and mostly complete some of the them.  Last years resolutions were to--Run a half marathon, See my Chiropractor and get a Massage (due to work related strain) every month, and to Paint my dental office.  The results:  I never ran even once-especially a half marathon.  I saw the chiropractor about 8 of 12 times and had about 3 massages.  However, instead of just painting my office, I completely remodeled it--new flooring, resurfaced the cabinets, new counter tops, everything repainted, I blew up huge beautiful photos that Sandra took for wall decorations, expanded the front desk, updated the electrical, added additional computer hardware and modernized my recall software which now sends emails and text messages to my patients.  Actually, it is only mostly done, it won't be completely finished till late March, but it's a heck of a lot better than just 'repainting' as my resolution asked for.  So in the end I completely and embarrassingly failed one goal, partially and haphazardly completed another and totally annihilated the last.  


There is two ways to look at this.  The first I'd like to call 'My Dad's Method of Success', based on a conversation Sandra and I had with him after having Hunter (our third of five children).  My dad (who had 9 children) said, "The more kids you have the greater the chance that one of them will turn out!"  So in light of this, one could argue--the more goals one makes for yourself, the greater the odds are that you might actually accomplish at least one of them.  The second is the simple, 'Less is More' principle that by focusing on just one clearly defined goal you won't be overwhelmed and distracted with too many areas of improvements thus facilitating yourself to dedicate enough time and attention to that resolution that you accomplish it.
This year I am going with the latter in a sink or swim mentality.  Acknowledging the reality that I will probably never consistently run, bike or endure any extended duration exercise, but wanting to improve my overall health, I have decided to DAILY do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 10 pull ups.  2012 is the year of the core!  If the world does ends, I want to go out with a six pack!


So I went downstairs this morning, stretched and assumed the position.  15 push-ups later I was in a panting heap on the floor.  I then slid my feet under the couch and begin curling upwards, 13 sit-ups later I was spent, out of breath, collapsed on the floor.  Several intermissions later and only in sporadic spurts I was able to fight my way through 25 push-up & sit-up and 3 (non-consecutive) pull-ups.  I decided to call that day one.  I knew if I pushed myself any harder I wouldn't be able to move let alone repeat this for the rest of the week, so I'm going to ease into this resolution.  I haven't already failed, I like to think of it as I am just gracefully achieving!  It will come in time, and I will be working towards it every day.


Even more embarrassing than my complete lack of physical strength and stamina was having my son Hunter walk into the room and exclaiming, as he sees me laying in a heap panting for my life, "What's going on here!"? Not my most proud father-n-son moment.


So what will you resolve to resolute?