I didn’t know until recently who Strava is, but I can tell you this much – you’re no fun, Strava.
For those of you as in the dark as I was, Strava is a social network for runners and cyclists. I heard about them because I saw quite a few news stories pop up recently that said that Strava had determined that most people abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions by Jan. 12. Well that’s just throwing a wet blanket on folks trying to do better.
But Strava, the thing is, the reason so many people fail is because they often set unrealistic goals. Look, I get it. A lot of folks make resolutions they’re going to fail at. Go to the gym, go the church, quit smoking, stop betting your mortgage on a college football game. Of course you’re going to swing and miss within two weeks.
Which is why I encourage each and every one of you to adopt my approach on New Year’s Resolutions: Make ‘em achievable. You can pat yourself on the back 12 months from now when you have crushed it.
My first New Year’s Resolution, every year, is one I have been consistently successful at and I feel confident you can do, too. The following ones are ones that I am equally confident you can add to your list and make magic happen.
So, to that end, in 2019, I hope you will join me. I resolve to:
- Not rob a bank. I have never robbed a bank. I am confident I can keep this up, and I think you can, too. See? Jan. 12 will be no problem. On to others:
- Park awesome. I will park my car in between those lines like a champ, and I will not have a single moment in 2019 where another driver pulls into the grocery store, starts to park, realizes someone has parked awfully, and has to say, “Well, that’s the worst person ever.”
- Ask to speak to the manager. And not because you’re having a bad experience. Ask because you had a good host or waiter, or because your food was awesome. And after you tell the manager it was good, go online and give them a good review. If we reward awesome the way some people punish less-than-awesome, we’ll know where the awesome lives.
- Stop and appreciate the day. I was heading out the other day, and I noticed it was the most beautiful blue sky, without a cloud in the sky. It was lovely. And then I thought back to a day a week or so ago when it was pouring rain. And I thought about how nice it was to hunker down inside and enjoy the torrential downpour. Whatever the day presents, appreciate that nature is rather awesome.
- Make fudge. I learned how to make fudge in 2018, so now I just assume everyone should do the same. Seriously. Go make fudge. Your friends and family will love you for it. E-mail me. I’ll send you the best recipe.
- Wave. Not to everyone. That would be weird. But when you get let into a spot in traffic? Shoot that hand up out the window and tell your fellow traveler that you appreciate it.
So these are some easy ones you can conquer, and go well beyond Jan. 12. So go off into 2019 and tackle it and succeed the way I know you can. And, of course, put your shopping carts up. It makes the world a better place.
Mike Gibbons was born and raised in Aiken, S.C. A graduate of the University of Alabama, he now lives in Mt. Pleasant. You can e-mail him at scmgibbons@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @StandardMike or at www.mikeslife.us.