1. Mai:e Yoar
New Year..s
solio.com). Try charting your
progress by keeping a day plan-
ner or journal, and remember to
set aside a specific time each day
for your goal. After fulfilling your
goal for the ·day, make notes for
yourself that will offer encour-
agement and help you measure
your progress so that you'll be
able to see how far you've come
over time.
~ ro ])o .. i.JSt a
Remember, any new endeav-
or takes time and practice before
you start seeing results. So be pa-
tient and keep a positive attitude
because the longer you do some-
thing, the easier it is to make it a
part ofyour regular habits.
~ Can :Oo·· i.J•..st
Don't just make a list
of things to do in the
New Year-make a
Resolution no..1:
Be More Organized
Getting organized can allow
you to keep track of the impor-
tant tasks that you need to tackle
each day. Making a list is the sim-
plest, yet most effective, form of
staying organized. Start with the
most important or deadline-ori-
ented tasks and work your way
down. Forming a habit of keep-
ing a calendar or list of all your
smart list.
by Timothy Rosini
I
t's a New Year and with it comes the
chance to reboot, restart, and refresh
your lifestyle to be a happier, more
productive, and healthier you. Some
people are better at following their desires
to improve than others, but sometimes
life can provide the proper motivating
factors to get you to enact the change you
want.
Setting goals and striving for them
can be extremely beneficial to many as-
pects ofyour life. It's never too late to start
improving your lifestyle, learning some-
thing new, or.restarting an old health
habit that you set aside, so consider
January the starting line for the positive
changes you have planned.
NarroWing your focus on realistic,
yet challenging, goals is an important
step towards your commitment to self-
.improvement. Understanding what goes
into achieving a challenging goal can help
gauge your level of commitment (New-
46 GardaVita®I© 2014 Vol.3 I No.22
appointments, meetings, and simple
tasks-like paying bills or picking up
dry-cleaning-in the same place where
you can check it every day will help you
stay focused and give you the positive sat-
isfaction ofreaching daily goals (WebMD
.com 2012).
Resolution no. 2:
Fit Exercise Into the
Everyday Routine
Getting in shape is consistently one of
the top New Year's resolutions stated by
most people (Dilworth 2013). It's always
easier to plan to get in shape than to keep
at it throughout the year. But you don't
have to join a gym or be a workout war-
rior to incorporate some physical activity
into your weekly schedule. Gardening,
washing your own car, taking a walk with
a friend or pet, and housework are all
simple daily activities that can establish
a 20-minute, daily, exercise routine that
can allow you to reach that fitness goal
without all the extra fuss and hassle (Bet-
terHealth.vic.gov. 2011).
Resolution no. 3:
Set Time Aside for "Me"
Stress and feelings of frustration can
often detract you from following through
with a goal. Ifyou're feeling overwhelmed
set aside time to unwind. Ifpossible, stop
everything you're doing and take a walk,
or if you're stuck in traffic pull over into
the slow lane and just cruise along to
some soothing music. Take 15-20 min-
utes each day to meditate or just sit qui-
etly to gather your thoughts. You can also
use your "me" time to do something pro-
ductive such as reading or gardening, just
as long as you enjoy doing those activities
and they're not adding extra stress (Web-
MD.com 2012).
Resolution no. 4:
Writing for a
Clear Perspective
You don't have to be apublishedauthor
to do some writing. Keeping a notebook
of daily activities or thoughts, or writing
short stories can be stimulating for your
brain, helping you to recall things, gain a
different perspective, and release stress or
tension (MichaelHyatt.com 2012). Trans-
ferring thoughts from pen to paper helps
your brain process memories and stimu-
lates it, making writing avaluable form of
daily mental exercise.
Resolution no. 5:
New Year, New You
Focusing on a more healthy diet and
supplementing your daily intake with
the necessary nutrients can give you that
extra boost needed in your New Year's
resolution for better health (BulletProo-
fExec.com). Aim for at least 5 servings of
vegetables and fruits a day because they
contain antioxidants and phytonutrients
that support the cells, heart, brain, joints,
immune system, and more. Include more
fish in your diet because they contain
omega fatty acids that are good for your
heart and brain. And take a daily multi-
vitamin for extra support to help cover all
ofyour nutritional bases.

2. The longer you do something, the
more effortless it becomes to remember
repe~ting that habit, so much so that it
becomes second nature. The power to
make positive changes for your own well-
being is in your hands. With smart plan-
ning and a "can-do'' attitude, the sky's the
limit to what you can achieve. e
References
BetterHealth.vic.gov. (2011 ). "Exercise- everyday
activities." www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2
/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Exereise_everyday
_activities.
BulletProofExec.com. (n.d.). "Why Getting
Your Nutrition Only from Food Is a Bad Idea."
www. bulletproofexec.com/why-you- need
-supplements/.
Diamond, D.(2013). "Just 8% of People Achieve
Their New Year's Resolutions. Here's How
They Do lt." January 1: www.forbes.com/sites
/dandiamond/2013/01 /01 /just-8-of-people
-achieve-their-new-years-resoIutions-heres
-how-they-did-it/.
Dilworth, D. (2013). "New Year's Resolutions
2013: INFOGRAPHIC." January 11 : www
.mediabistro.com/appnewser/new-years
-resolutions-2013-infographic_b30976.
HuffingtonPost.com. (2013). "How a 0}ery) Little,
Daily Favor Can Change Your Life." September
3: www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/five
-minute-favor-adam-rifkin_n_3805090.html.
MichaeiHyatt.com. (2012). "The 7 Benefits of
Keeping a Daily Journal." July 17: michaelhyatt
.com/daily-journal.html.
Newsolio.com. (n.d.). "Self Help Tips: Identifying
important (and not important) goals." newsolio
.com/self-help-tips-identifying-important-and
~ -not-important-goals,2578.
The6HealthyHabits.com. (n.d.). "How to
use the new science of success." www
.the6healtliytiabits.com/self-improvement-and
-motivation.html.
WebMD.com. (2012). "Daily Living Tips for
Adult ADHD." www.webmd.com/add-adhd/
ss/slideshow-adhd-I iving-tips?ecd=wnI
_day_1 02213&ctr=wn1-day-1 02213_1d
-stry_3&mb.
WebMD.com. (2012). "Tips for Reducing
Stress." www.webmd.com/balance/stress
-management/reducing-stress-tips.
Brain Exercise
Answer Key
8 7 6 1 2 9 4 3 5
1 3 4 8 6 5 2 9 7,
2 9 5 7 4 3 6 1 8
5 1 2 3 8 4 9 7 6 ,
4 6 9 2 7 1 8 5 3 1
7 8 3 9 5 6 1 2 4 i
6 2 1 4 3 7 5 8 9 !
9 4 7 5 1 8 3 6 2
3 5 8 6 9 2 7 4 1 I
This brain exercise was brought to
you by BrainPower Advanced.
Keep your eyes peeled for more
puzzles in upcoming issues!
Copyright © 2013 by KrazyDad
www.gardavita.com 47