“Don’t stop believin’ …” – Journey, 1981
The end of June, six months since we faced yet another year of hopes, dreams, goals, and a fresh start.
Although I am not one to author a set of resolutions per se, I do set those goals and plans to make a new year the best I possibly can. Some of you may have been gung-ho to implement new strategies and goals in your lives in categories such as career, family, financial, health and fitness, hobbies, etc. Some of you may have been more casual with a wait-and-see attitude. I fall somewhere in the middle as I endeavor to increase my fitness and energy level and (finally!) complete my second book for publication. (Stay tuned!)
Making these plans and hopes come true are a welcome respite after the holidays and focusing on the year ahead about what we wished to change, improve, omit, or add to our lives. What can – and often does – happen is that within a few months after we get excited about these resolutions, we begin to realize that we have not yet started to make those changes. Sometimes life intervenes and we just run out of steam.
So, back to those resolutions … don’t give up! Don’t stop believin’ as the group Journey reminds us.
Although we are at that halfway point in this year, it is still 2025! Why not re-visit those resolutions and goals and re-evaluate and consider other options if needed? Though we are no longer at the beginning of a nice, shiny new year, we can make things happen. Remember there are no “quick fixes” to anything in life, including relationships, fitness, finances, or wherever your personal goals and interests lie.
One suggestion I heard many years ago and found it to be helpful in my daily life and even through some challenges is to find a photo of yourself (you know, the kind you actually hold in your hand) at an age when you felt optimistic, healthy, having fun, and excited about the future. That may be at any phase of your life from childhood forward to high school, college, or wherever your inspiration takes you. Put that photo in a frame where you see it every day. My photo portrays me at age 12, baton in my hand and smile on my face. (By the way, I still pick up that baton once in a while!)
We all wish to find contentment and we often believe that attaining our goals or resolutions might offer that to us. I hope you continue your quest to better your life in whatever categories you believe need the most work.
Eleanor Roosevelt offered, “Happiness is not a goal … it’s a by-product of a life well lived.” I hope you live well, fit, and healthy and that the second half of 2025 is a good one for you, keeping your goals in front of you and moving toward them in a realistic, focused, and positive way. Happy New Beginnings 2025!
And, dear readers, please be mindful of the extreme heat and need of hydration for you and your pets.
Sharon McMahon, CNWC
The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace advice of your personal physician or licensed health professional. Please consult your physician for any issues you may have related to nutrition or fitness activity.