Keeping Your Resolutions

For most people, New Year’s resolutions go the way of the fleeting fame of one-hit wonders, like Mambo No. 5 and that breakup song from Gotye with that cool video. Resolutions start out with the best of intentions and then after a few weeks they crumble into fine dust and skitter away in chilly late January winds. There has to be a better way. For people with multiple sclerosis, there is....  

3 min read

Bold resolutions and Cheetos

Kicking off a new year goes hand-in-hand with resolutions, bold resolutions, and resolutions so bold they make Kennedy's moonshot proclamation sound downright quaint. And therein lies the problem, especially if you have a chronic disease that requires more attention. Saying you are going to lose 10 lbs a month, quit smoking, go vegan, exercise two hours a day, and give up Cheetos of all kinds (Crunchy, Puffs, Flamin' Hot Crunchy, Flamin' Hot Puffs, Flamin' Hot Limon Crunchy, XXTRA Flamin' Hot Crunchy, Reduced Fat Flamin' Hot Puffs, Reduced Fat Puffs, and Cheddar Jalapeño Crunchy) is a recipe for disaster, and not just because you have an unopened bag of Cheddar Jalapeño Crunchy in the pantry that is only guaranteed fresh until January 27th and you are not one to waste food because there are lots of people starving around the world and you have a duty not to let such food go to waste. Someone has to be the hero, you reason. 

I applaud the boldness, however misguided, to live waaay healthier with your multiple sclerosis. Obviously that's critically important. But it doesn't need to be defined by resolutions, and it certainly doesn't need to be set at such a high bar. Well, unless your name is Mondo Duplantis from Sweden, who recently set the world record in pole vaulting clearing 20 feet 2 inches. But I'm guessing your name is not Mondo, because according to one baby name website, a total of 8 people have been given that name since 1880. And for the record, the number of people throughout history named Mondo No. 5? Zero.

Announce your intentions

What to do? Announce your intentions, say researchers. Studies have found that the more folks who know about your resolutions, the more folks you’ll have in your corner to root you on to accomplish your goals… and the more pressure you’ll put on yourself to make good on your commitments. And why strangers? Unlike judgmental family members (you know who I'm talking about) and friends who'll give you a pass if you slide ("What's the harm of a single Cheeto, Dave?"), compatriots like—oh, I dunno—those on the forums of ActiveMSers (https://forums.activemsers.org/) don’t have hidden agendas. Better yet, you share that common bond of having multiple sclerosis and understanding the daily challenges involved in that delicate dance of best managing a chronic disease.

So you might not know me personally, and your resolutions might have already packed up and hitchhiked to Boise by the time you read this, but know this: I believe in you. After all, you found your way here, right? CLEARLY IT'S A SIGN. (Or you accidentally clicked some link and inadvertently got sucked into reading this enlightening prose.) Sometimes that first step in turning over a new leaf is more of a shove from behind. So get your a$$ in gear! You can do this. Absolutely you can. Just let me and your virtual friends help you out. If you got to the Fitness area of the forum, the top thread is about training accomplishments. Chime in! Your participation will help motivate others and it could snowball into a raging party of fit misfits with a chronic disease.

Oh, and how do I guarantee my resolutions stay intact every year? Easy. I always make a resolution not to make any more resolutions other than the one resolution not to make any more resolutions. Works like a charm every January 1st. And I still get to eat my Cheetos. In moderation, of course!