Resolutions, Intentions and Other Paving Stones

"I like to encourage people to realize that any action is a good action if it's proactive, and there is positive intent behind it." ~ Michael J. Fox


Here we are again... that time of year when tradition says we should set improvement goals for mind, body and spirit. Do you or don't you?

I have to say that it has been only during the past few years that I've actually taken this tradition seriously. I attribute it to a health scare that came out of nowhere.

I knew I was overweight, but I had quit smoking. I knew I didn't eat healthy, but I ate balanced. I knew I didn't exercise enough, but... but... 

OK, I got nothing there. 

Anyway, because I always felt reasonably good, my only maladies being the common cold or occasional flu virus, menopause and arthritis, I considered myself healthy. 

Unfortunately, my heart had some bad news for me. And, I think we all tend to listen intently to messages from the heart. It was time to get serious. 

Unfortunately, the first year was pretty much a bust with regard to reaching my goal of treating my body kinder. But, I wasn't successful at reaching my goals, because I wasn't very good at setting them. I think this is the point where good intentions very easily could become purgatorial asphalt. 

During the second year, I got better, after I read some things about the power of positive intention. As in adopting other behavioral changes, I learned I needed motivation, objectives and a plan of action.

One thing I found out about myself is that I require motivational reminders. Daily reminders. Hourly reminders. Visually graphic reminders. Positioned in strategic areas throughout my house. This action demonstrates intent by changing the environment. 

I also have to write down the goal. In her book, Write It Down, Make It Happen, Dr. Henriette Anne Klauser, one of the leading authorities on communications and writing productivity, talks about the importance of putting goals in writing, citing studies which have shown a much higher success rate for people who write down their goals vs. those who do not. This demonstrates intent by making oneself accountable.

First rule... a resolution has to be specific. In other words, using as an example the perennial #1 resolution, deciding to lose weight in and of itself doesn't cut it. Targets have to be specified. How much weight? By when?

Second rule... the resolution has to be realistic and maintainable. Continuing with the favorite "lose weight" resolution, did you know a pound of body fat contains 3,500 calories? Just to lose one pound per week requires a change in normal lifestyle by either decreasing daily caloric intake by 500 or doing enough cardio exercise to burn 500 calories daily. And, you have to get some strength training in there to replace the body fat with muscle to keep the weight off. That means carving out more time for your workout schedule. So, while losing three pounds a week is doable, it's sure going to require a lot of gym time.

Lastly, you gotta own the goal. Why are you making the resolution? How badly do you want it? If your heart's not in it, you'll lose your motivation, setting yourself up for failure and self-reproach. And, who wants that?!? 

Regardless of your goal, whether it's reading a certain number of books (I also do reviews; see other posts), quitting smoking (c'mon... you KNOW you want that), losing weight (here's a link for some GREAT tips), whatever... choose wisely. Make sure it's one worthy of celebration when you achieve it. 

And, then DO IT! 

Good luck! 

And...

Resolutions Revisited

Here we are, at the end of January. How’s everyone doing on your New Year’s resolutions?

Some of mine are future goals, requiring months of planning. (See “Shifting Gears” post below.) I have managed to sustain my commitment to lower my stress level by escaping into some leisure reading — two books this month, Endurance (Shackleton gave new meaning to the term “having a bad day”) and Reign of Madness (about Juana of Castille… classic example of the Women's Movement being long overdue). I participated in a hard hat tour of the Kansas City Museum being established in Corinthian Hall and was so impressed, I became a donating member. (I highly recommend this tour if you live locally. It’s only $5 and the curator is an entertaining guide.) I’m still trying to work out some volunteer time with the Kansas City Historic Foundation.  And, I’ve managed to sock a little money into my savings (needless to say, no link provided here). Surprisingly, my fail has been in trying a new restaurant this month. What can I say? It's hard enough to stay within my daily limit of 1,200 calories without using up half of them in one meal dining out.  And, I haven’t found a restaurant with a low calorie menu that makes my taste buds tingle in anticipation, especially when I can prepare an outrageously delicious low calorie dish at home (this recipe is incredibly healthy, easy and tasty, even as leftovers). I may have to change this resolution to be one of just finding restaurants with healthy, low-cal menus besides the prerequisite grilled salmon with steamed vegetables. Got any recommendations?

My No. 1 resolution was to work out at least five hours a week. I’ve had to make a slight adjustment to that goal. It became clear to me that I was trying to work a fantasy body with a reality regimen. I think the proper term would be “ego check.”  At any rate, I’ve only been able to manage a maximum of four hours a week. It has meant some changes in lifestyle that I never would have thought I would be able to tolerate — for instance, getting up at 5:30 a.m. in order to go to the Y and still have time to shower and get ready for work.  Working out at night didn’t seem like a good idea to me… trying to wind down for bedtime with all those hormones, like endorphins, thyroxine and epinephrine, running amok in a body that is already confused by the switch between estrogen and testosterone levels. Stop the madness! Besides, at 6 p.m., my body switches over to zombie mode. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to stereotype zombies or imply they aren’t physically fit; however, I’ve never seen one on a treadmill, in movies or real life. Just sayin’. I used to think that the only people who get up before dawn every morning are the ones whose job is to have an up-close-and-personal relationship with protein in its natural state — warm and breathing. I have a little experience with farm life. It’s why I work in an office. So far, though, the early morning roust is working surprisingly well.

But, the resolutions are just mileposts in a journey, right? It’s all about setting up a lifestyle that will provide a fulfilling life after retirement and beyond, physically, mentally and emotionally. Baby boomers have the proud legacy of setting the standard for social awareness. We’ve never been satisfied with a status quo.  I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition and being a part of the “social revolution” that forever changes the attitudes on aging, even within our own age group. Why, we’re just getting our second wind! There’s still so much to do!!  

The Joy of Cooking is Not Just a Book

When I take one of my home-cooked dishes to work to share with my colleagues, I almost always hear someone say, “I wish I had time to cook.” That remark always takes me by surprise. My first flash-thought is, “Umm, what do you eat?” And, then it hits me. Have you ever noticed how many restaurants there are nowadays? In a three-mile radius of my home, I can name 25 without even giving it much thought. TWENTY-FIVE! And, the sad new is, three-quarters of them are fast food, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Little Caesar’s. My next thought is always, why would a person not make time to lovingly prepare a beautiful and healthy meal, enjoying the aromas of cooking and the peace of home; but, choose instead a meal prepared by a total stranger with unknown ingredients, to eat in a noisy restaurant with the prerequisite unhappy child crying somewhere? I totally get that working folks have to deal with a stricter schedule, but do the math. Are those few minutes you save by using the drive-through at KFC worth the risk of losing out on long-term quality, independent life in your later years?

It’s an obvious fact. Everywhere we look there are signs that we Americans are killing ourselves, not to mention guaranteeing obesity and shorter life spans for our children, with our fast-food, damn the calories, full fat ahead eating preferences. Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy eating out. Trying new restaurants is one of my favorite pastimes. And, I love a really good hamburger, but what I make at home makes a Big Mac look like road kill. Plus, I get to choose the soundtrack. 

Maybe it’s just me, but in the time it takes to decide where to eat, drive to the restaurant, wait for seating, peruse the menu, wait for the waiter to fulfill the order, eat, pay the check and drive home, I can cook the food I want to eat, in my jammies, and I don’t even have to comb my hair. I think if everyone were to be brutally honest, it really comes down to the planning and the — dum, dum, DUMMMMM — clean-up. Puh-leeze! Can you say dishwasher? Garbage disposal? C’mon, you know who you are.

So, let’s break it down. Here are some cold hard facts about health issues for older folks:

·     Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. The average age for heart attack in men is 66; in women, 70.

·     Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and the American Cancer Society says poor diet is accountable for 35 percent of the cases.

·     Almost 27 percent of people over the age of 65 in the U.S. have diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney disease. The risk of death doubles for people with diabetes compared to the same age group without diabetes and was the underlying cause listed on 15 percent of death certificates issued in 2010.

·    The Alzheimer’s Association reports that, of Americans aged 65 and older, one in eight has Alzheimer’s, which is the 5^th leading cause of death for that age group.

The Centers for Disease Control has reported that almost all heart disease and adult-onset diabetes is preventable. And, while Alzheimer’s cannot be prevented, its onset can be delayed. And, guess what, folks… a healthy diet is listed as either the number one or number two most effective prevention in each of these late-life diseases. For seniors, the benefits of healthy eating include increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times and better management of chronic health problems. As we age, eating well can also be the key to a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced. I think we can all agree, there’s not much point in living longer if the quality of life is impaired by a serious disease state. But, for the generation who swore to never get old, it appears to be a no-brainer. You are what you eat. Fill your body with junk, and that's exactly what it becomes... a piece of junk.

Of course, I love to cook and realize this is all a matter of perspective. So, for those of you who have seen too many episodes of Hell's Kitchen, let me see if I can help banish your fears. Here are a few of my Culinary 101 hints:

·    Research on the Internet. Google low calorie recipes. You will be blown away by how many there are in cyberspace.

·   Start with casseroles. They’re easy, practically fool-proof and don’t require a lot of clean-up.

·   Invest in a crock pot. You can cook almost anything in it, even chocolate cake, and it's really hard to burn or overcook.

·    Buy a steamer. It’s a two-fer… a great sauce pot for cooking soups or pasta; add the insert and steam any fresh veggies you want in about 10 minutes. Talk about fast food! It provides healthy cooking with easy clean-up.

·    Measuring cups and spoons are necessary, but don’t go all OCD on getting the measurements exactly right. It’s not brain surgery.

·    A couple of good sharp knives are a must. Starting out, I recommend a chef’s knife and a paring knife.

·    Improvisation is the basis of culinary genius, so experiment!!

·    Relax, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy getting to know your inner child… Julia Child, that is!

Now, “Get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans."

Shifting Gears

I originally started this blog with three goals in mind: to talk about the great places I've visited; to encourage other older, single women to be bold about traveling; and, to inspire people to learn about the history of the US. I explained how life circumstances first led me to discover my love for travel. Now, life circumstances have conspired to limit my ability to do so, at least for a while. But, it's all OK! I still refuse to live a fuddy-duddy life. And, I still want to inspire other baby boomers to continue in the movement we all started as teenagers, that of never growing too old to challenge ourselves!

So, I'm shifting gears and have decided to dedicate this blog to sharing ideas and inspiration for changing the perception of post-productive years from winding-down to awe-inspiring. I hope you'll share your experiences, as well. And, with 2012 only hours away, it's the perfect time to reflect on the theme of "out with the old, in with the new."

Do you fall into the trap of making the same New Year's resolutions, year after year, but never really achieving those goals? I know I used to. But, I think I know why, at least for me, I was never able to reach my intended goal... I made my resolutuions too vague and unmeasurable. I found myself saying, "This year I'm going to lose weight, work out more, spend more time with friends and family, blah, blah, blah." The key to that is, I never said how much weight I was going to lose, how many times a week I was going to work out, how much time I was going to visit or communicate with friends and family. So, it was a glass half-full/half empty concept of success, with success depending solely on perception. One pound would be weight loss, but hardly worth counting as an achievement.

But, in 2011, I did something different. I became specific in my goals. For instance I promised myself I would read at least 30 minutes a day. I read 12 books last year, a new record for me. (By the way, Goodreads is a great online resource for reading.) I also shared my resolutions in writing... on Facebook... with everyone I knew... and that brought in the element of accountability. So, after having some, albeit nominal, success in meeting my goals last year, here are my resolutions for 2012. I hope you'll feel comfortable in sharing yours, as well. But, if not, I challenge you to, at least, make one measurable promise to yourself, write it down and save it for future inspiration.

I do hereby resolve that, in the year 2012, I will (in no particular order of importance):

1.  Work out and/or exercise at least five hours a week.
2.  Spend 30 minutes a day in leisure reading.
3.  Achieve my goal weight of 150 pounds.
4.  Once a month, eat at a restaurant I've never visited before.
5.  Attend four cultural events.
6.  Attend four knowledge-building events.
7.  Volunteer 25 hours.
8.  Put $1,000 in savings.
9.  Give to three charities.
10. Post to this blog once a month.
11. Make my spare room habitable for overnight guests.
12. Spend one evening per month with friends and/or family.

It seems like a lot, but there's a method to my madness. You'll notice a lot of these are strictly for fun and entertainment, easy to keep. It helps with motivation on achieving the harder ones, such as volunteering, saving and losing weight. OK, now it's your turn... 

Oh, and before I forget, my best wishes for all of you to have a great New Year's Eve, with happiness and prosperity in 2012!! Cheers!!