RM: Happy New Year!

JH: Same to you and to all our readers! Do I dare bring up the obvious…

RM: No – New Year Resolutions are a set up. We all tend to set lofty goals for ourselves, and eventually we break them (usually within the first month).

JH: Then we beat ourselves up, and to compensate for feeling weak, we do the exact opposite of our resolutions, like get a quart of Ben&Jerry’s Chunky Monkey to eat all at once to keep us company in our misery.

RM: Exactly my point. We set ourselves up for failure right from the start.

JH: Yes, and I’ll bet you’ve had some really high-falutin’ resolutions in the past, like doing bungee jumping twice a week, or going on, and winning, “Survivor” on TV, or…

RM: How’d you know?!! And I’ll bet you’ve had some doozies yourself, like becoming a gourmet cook, or opening a dog breeding kennel and actually giving away/selling all the puppies (and not keeping them for yourself), or …

JH: You got it – no need to go further. So what’s your solution?

RM: Well, keeping the fact in mind that most resolutions are doomed to fail, I have decided to take a new direction. I suggest you and our readers do the same. How about making resolutions that we can keep? They should be simple and fun, while still being good for you.

JH: Great idea! Let’s hear yours.

RM: These are what I propose. I will:

Take at least one spontaneous trip this year
Eat at least one hot fudge sundae without feeling guilty (this is a good one!)
Make a new friend
Try to learn to speak a new language
Go to the movies once a month
Laugh at least 10 times a day

JH: Love them!! Especially that last one; it’s much easier than drinking a glass of water 10 times a day. And because they are fun and manageable, you’ll stick to them, and be a better, healthier person because of it.

RM: That’s the idea. Now, let’s hear yours.

JH: OK. Hope you don’t think I’m copying you on some of them. I will:

Brush up my speaking Spanish
Do something positive for a different person at least once a week
Think about how good it feels to be healthy at least once daily
Read at least one totally junky novel each month
Rub all of my dogs’ bellies at least once a day
Take more naps

RM: Good job. Finding things that are fun and do-able allows us all to be successful in keeping our resolutions, which then makes us feel positively about ourselves.

JH: And that then lets us get on with whatever work we have to do, including doing the things that keep us healthy, without that huge bugaboo of self-doubt, negativity, and failure.

RM: You got it. So, now we’ll wish our readers …

Both: A Happy, Safe, and Healthy 2009!