I am a little late this year with my New Year’s post, having had several life events come up. However, there are a few things I would like to share so I decided to publish it anyway.
I rarely look forward to New Year’s Day because it means the month of January has started and February is not far behind. Traditionally, these two months bring colder weather, ice, and snowstorms. Since I live in a new area now, I’m not sure what weather to expect this season. I understand living close to the mountains will mean a colder and snowier winter.
Do you make resolutions for the New Year? I do. Every year that I can remember, which admittedly is limited since at my age I have a hard time remembering yesterday, I have made New Year’s Resolutions.
Why do I make New Year’s resolutions? The main is the reason is that it provides me a goal to reach in the coming months. I write them down so I can refer to them throughout the year and do a mid-year evaluation. Also, January 1 is a great place to start.
A secret to success when dealing with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is this: By making resolutions, writing them down, and having them available throughout the year, you will be more likely to succeed even in your exhausting moments. I know for me, when the exhaustion hits, I feel like giving up. By focusing on my resolutions, I keep focused and don’t give up.
My first and foremost resolution is to learn more about God, continue attending church every week, studying, and reading the Bible. Following through with this resolution will feed the spiritual side of me throughout the year. A good spirit is a healthy one.
My second resolution is to continue loving my wife and furry kids throughout the year. I need to show them expressions of love as well as take care of myself and my responsibilities. Sometimes, I get very busy with chores and don’t always remember to show love to them. Every once in a while, I forget, or skip, walking my dog as well as show her affection. I’ll focus on sharing love first, chores later.
A third resolution which I renew every year is to focus on fighting CMT as best that I can. Basically, this means I will keep doing the exercise programs which worked for me over the last year. The program I developed has been successful in keeping me one step ahead of the CMT progression.
This year, I am adding a new resolution. Last year, I returned to my hobby of reading. I was surprised when I realized that it’s been quite some time since I read a book. I managed to read four books by year’s end along with numerous railfanning magazines about railroad history. My chiropractor mentioned that reading is a very good habit for a CMT patient to do. Apparently, the nerves which CMT effect, and lead to problems in our extremities, can possibly affect the brain too. I didn’t know that and haven’t read about it yet. However, if simply reading is going to help, why not?
A final note: When I make resolutions, I do my absolute best to follow through with them. However, stuff happens which may interfere with my goals. Instead of beating myself up or considering myself a failure, I pick up where I left off and go from there. Failure would be completely abandoning the goals.
I hope you have an awesome 2022!