(Continued from Previous post)
Forbes Top New Year Resolutions in My Age Group
Did you make New Year Resolutions? Did you start working on them?
I stumbled upon this Forbes article that identifies the top 14 New Year Resolutions by age group for 2023. I am piggybacking off this article and writing about how I am incorporating these healthy resolutions into my own life.
Here are the top 14 resolutions in my age category (can you guess my age?):
14 – Perform better at work
13 – Make time for hobbies
12 – Travel more
11 – Drink less alcohol
10 – Meditate regularly
9 – Improve work-life balance
8 – Learn a new skill
7 – Stop smoking
6 – Make more time for loved ones
5 – Improve fitness
4 – Improve finances
3 – Improve diet
2 – Improve mental health
1 – Lose weight
#6 – Make More Time For Loved Ones
Nothing can describe the importance of this resolution better than the words of a very rich, brilliant, successful, and highly respected entrepreneur and inventor on his deathbed.
Here are a few excerpts from his incredibly emotional and touching speech:
“At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.”
“Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – “Life”.”
“Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends…Treat yourself well. Cherish others.”
“You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down – you go down with it…
Therefore.. I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, …. That is true happiness!!”
Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple
#5 – Improve Fitness
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” John F. Kennedy
This topic of this Forbes New Year resolution is another area that I luckily never had to struggle with. As a child, I had bad posture and scoliosis. The Soviet cure for such ailments was exercise.
I tried various extracurricular activities such as figure skating, ballet, tae kwon doe, and ballroom dancing but none ever stuck. I was a very shy child so did not feel comfortable in these groups and was afraid of the loud yelling of the strict instructors.
Nevertheless, I had no problem sticking to my own exercise routines, which started with daily leg lifts to strengthen my abdominal muscles at age 8. I slowly graduated to doing laps in the pool and short 1 mile runs.
By age 17, no longer shy, I joined a gym and felt right at home in the fitness classes. Naturally blessed with a good sense of rhythm, it was easy for me to pick up the moves and follow the steps. I continued attending classes a few times a week, running, and swimming until I started working in public accounting when my personal life was put on hold for a few miserable years.
One surprising fact that many people who are not physically active don’t realize is that exercise can be extremely addictive and, when taken to excess, can have negative affects on the body by causing inflammation, injuries, and other health issues. I definitely struggled with over-exercise. It took me some time to let go the fear that I will gain extra unhealthy weight and lose my muscle definition if I do not drive myself to physical exhaustion. That’s when I discovered yoga and mental and physical balance.
Today, at 42 years old I’m stronger and more fit than I ever was. I am very active every single day but I do not drive myself to the point of negative returns. If I feel muscle pain I take an active rest day where I either walk, do yoga or Pilates, or simply stretch. While improving fitness to most people means starting some sort of exercise routine, improving fitness for me means listening to my body and staying active in a way that allows my muscles to repair and keeps it healthy, strong, and free from stress.
Are you an over or under exerciser? Wish you all to find the balance that’s right for your body!
#4 – Improve Finances
Aside from religious and ethnic freedom, improving finances has always been one of the most significant driving forces that has attracted immigrants to America. Likewise, my parents came to the United States to escape antisemitism and seek economic opportunities.
One of the main reasons America is so abundant is because the huge influx of talented and extremely hard working immigrants are desperate and willing to work the longest hours for the lowest wages to make a better future for their children.
I was lucky that my parents made the extremely difficult sacrifices that allowed me to have a better life. I studied hard in school, which allowed me to to go to college on a hefty scholarship. I graduated college and started my life in corporate America.
All these achievements were great but one thing that I was surprised to learn, as college didn’t teach it, is that working hard for a big organization is not the best or easiest way to make the most money and have a good quality of life. You will forever be committed to an inflexible work schedule, a slave to Uncle Sam every April 15, and at the mercy of cheaper and younger outsourced labor.
I learned a whole lot about investments, retirement plans, and, lately, entrepreneurial opportunities, which offer flexibility in terms of hours and location of work and also allow you to make smarter tax decisions.
I also learned that you must have a burning passion for what you do. Without such passion, you will wither and lose interest. Excitement and belief are the driving forces of success as they stimulate your brain to work harder and find creative ways to achieve your goal.
Find your mission in life and incorporate it into a business opportunity! If you love helping people feel better and are not sure where to start, send me a private message and I’ll be happy to share more about my own journey. Together, let’s make the world a healthier and more vibrant place!
