Many are excited about the new year and new decade.
2020 Vision: New Year’s Resolutions
Why say that you want to lose weight in 2020 when the first time you see some red velvet cake this year, you probably will devour it by yourself?
Why talk about ditching alcohol when you constantly go to parties with open bars?
You know you will pour up if you do not have to pay for drinks.
While all New Year’s resolutions deserve respect and applause, and are necessary, some have less chance of lasting a full 365 days; actually 366 days since 2020 is a leap year.
So let’s remain practical with our resolutions for 2020.
Keeping that in mind, RegalMag.com takes a look at some of the best New Year’s resolutions versus some of the worst New Year’s resolutions and gives practical ways to make them work for a full 12 months and beyond.
Many doctors say trying to quit smoking “cold turkey” would go on the list of the most difficult New Year’s resolutions to attempt.
Dr. Cedrina L. Calder said, “This is another great resolution, but people often fail at it because they don’t know the best way to go about quitting. Very often, people attempt to quit ‘cold turkey’ and unfortunately, very few people are successful at this method.
“What people don’t realize is that the best method of quitting involves a combination of two things: tobacco cessation medications and behavior changes. To increase your chances of successfully quitting smoking, speak with your doctor about medication options, and ask to be referred to a behavioral therapist or seek one out on your own.”
One of the best New Year’s resolutions a person can make is a behavioral change.
Many people say that they want to treat people better in the New Year.
This New Year’s resolution is something a person can practice each and every day.
And if a person falls short of the resolution it is easy to get back in the saddle and try again the next day.
One of the best ways to change a certain behavior is to constantly practice the new behavior.
Try to practice being polite to people even when they do not reciprocate that behavior towards you.
Try to practice not holding grudges against people that have done you wrong in the past.
Furthermore, try showing love towards the person that displayed so much hate towards you.
Before long, that practice will make perfect and turn into muscle memory.
Piggybacking on treating people better in 2020, many people want to behave better on social media platforms.
For some reason, anger seems to be at an all time high on social media with trolls and know-it-alls running rampant.
Not to blame leadership and government for this epidemic, but anger seems to be suffering from trickle down “economics” as former President Ronald Reagan might say.
Anger has seemingly trickled down from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street to Martin Luther King Blvd.
Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle wrote, “Finally, resolve to be kinder and gentler online. Stop and think before you send an email or post a comment in anger. Pause before sending off messages that contains insults or uses a snide tone. Ask yourself, ‘Does this really need to be said now, and in this way?’ Probably not.
“When I’m hot under the collar about something and I respond via email or a posting, I typically walk away from the computer, tablet or phone for an hour or so, then come back to what I wrote. More times than not, I find a less combative, less churlish way of making my point. Usually replacing it with a calm and reasoned response yields better results.
“There are enough trolls, jerks and know-it-alls on the Internet as it is. Resolve in 2020 not to be among them.”
Regardless of the origin, 2020 should take us in a kinder direction on the Internet and real life from this January hopefully to January 2021.
Fingers crossed.
While we should all treat each other better in 2020, we should also treat ourselves better.
Often, people can become super fatigued by trying to please everyone.
The problem with pleasing everyone is that it usually comes at our own detriment.
In 2020, learn to say no when you do not want to do something.
You do not owe anyone anything unless they have done something for you.
It is not your job to let people use you up.
Remember that self preservation is the first rule of nature.
If eliminating alcohol from your diet is on your New Year’s resolutions list, you have to start by eliminating certain people and places from your life.
Hanging out with friends and family members who drink might lead to you falling off of the wagon.
Going to parties that have open bars will only provide an opening for you to start drinking again.
If you have to go to company party with an open bar, try sipping on something like cranberry juice instead of liquor.
That way it looks like you are pouring up like everyone else at the party.
Additionally, while sipping on your cranberry juice make sure everyone sees that you attended the party before dipping out to go home.
Most importantly, do not be afraid to tell people you do not drink and why you do not drink.
Mature people will respect your sobriety.
Those that do not respect your sobriety do not deserve your respect or your time to be completely honest.
