Do You Want It?

This time of year, we hear a lot about New Years Resolutions. In truth, and this will come as little surprise, the average resolution lasts about two weeks. For some, about 2 hours.

New Years Resolutions are, of course, all about committing to doing something differently, usually for the greater good, if not the individual good. It can be as noble as agreeing to volunteer 10 hours a week, or as simplistic as wanting to lose 10 pounds and “exercise more”.

The reason, of course, is will power. Ah, Good Ol’ Will. It does take a commitment, and the will to get off the couch, to have salad instead of pizza, and to actually do things differently. Sadly, many of us fail in that effort. I count myself in that category, as I have an established record of starting things and not following through. Things worked differently in 2010 though. Cue the music, and the atta boys. After hearing the scales grunt after Christmas 2009, I began a weight loss program. In 4 months, I lost 37 pounds. Have I kept it off, most of it, yes. Even went on two cruises in the process, and we all know that cruises are all you can eat fests. To date, from New Years to New Years, I remained 30 pounds lighter.

Inspirational? You bet. Stayed in MOST of the habits. A little less time working out, but still there. A few more trips to fast food section, but not nearly as frequent. Extra veggies with every meal instead of an extra slice of pizza. You get the idea. However, the key was it’s inspiration to do things DIFFERENTLY, and the success that it can breed.

I also started a Green Energy Program at home. Changed all the light bulbs to CF bulbs. 100 of them. Now saving about $75/month in electricity from that, and turning them off. The kids are involved. Anybody who leaves a door open is fined $.25. Anybody who leaves a light on is fined $.10. My wife is nearly broke, but we’re all learning. We installed solar panels on our roof, which now account for more than half of our household energy production. We have also purchased a Wood Pellet Stove to heat our home in the winter, and save on propane and electricity. Sure, these are financial investments, but with the incentives that were in place in 2010, they each have paybacks of less than 5 years, and turn cash positive, as well as environmentally positive. That’s not a bad thing.

Now that I’m done patting myself on the back, my point: The opportunities for change are out there. You need to WANT it. The old adage, “Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way”, really rings true, but it takes effort to go look for it and persistence to get it done.

Now if I could only get the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Maybe next year.