New Year's resolution?
New Year’s resolution?
2024 is approaching fast!
This year I’m going to make a resolution that I can keep to!
New Year's resolution - I have failed so many times.
Do you know the feeling?
You try something but don’t see it through.
A friend asks “What’s your New Year’s resolution” and I make one up on the spot!
Most of my New Year’s resolutions have been last minute ones where I haven’t been fully committed to see them through.
Into the gym in January .....for a while.
Yes, like may other people, after the indulgence of the festive period, I have hit the treadmill at the gym for many Januaries.Â
Unfortunately my commitment levels have not been high. As the weather conditions got more challenging in the UK with the cold and some sleet for snow, to was easy to give up.
New Year's resolution - the one that did work for me.
One that worked for me one year was to give up sweets (candy).Â
I think the overload of chocolates and sweets consumed during the run up to Christmas spurred me to make a resolution to give up sweets for a year.Â
The tins and boxes of Celebrations. Rose’s and Quality Street were finished and I did not want any more.
After a few weeks of abstinence I lost the craving and my interest level dropped in a sweet treat. Going to the Newsagents and not picking up aa snickers or a mars bar was easy.
I got to the end of the year and succeeded in my goal.Â
My craving had gone and I continued going for another year and a half (two and a half years in total) before I picked up another sweet.
And on and on....
The habit and craving had dissipated and even now I have no real desire to have a sweet. Â When I was last in the UK I did pick up one of my favourite sweets and I was disappointed with the taste. So nowadays I hardly have any sweets.
The New Year's resolution goal?
I really need to get healthier.Â
Getting older, it’s easy to slip out of the exercise routine and put on a few pounds.
When I first came to Sri Lanka I was living in Colombo close to Parliament. There is a walking track next to the lake which surrounds the parliament building.
I started walking the two kilometres to the walking track. The track is almost four kilometres there and back. I would then walk the two kilometres back home.Â
When I was walking I would listen to music or podcasts to pass the time. The music was inspiring and some podcasts were also motivational or just for my entertainment.
I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5K and started to do intermittent jogs.
After a while I was doing some jogging as advised by the narrator.
I was felling pretty good about myself, felt healthier and had lost some weight.
A habit easily broken
When we moved to the Sri Lankan Hill country my wife and I walked every morning along the A4 road which runs by the entrance to GlenMyu Estate.
As we are at a more comfortable temperature in the hills, we really enjoyed our walk.
Then we got dogs!
Unfortunately our habit of walking in the morning was destroyed by the dogs that we have collected and now reside at GlenMyu Estate.
As the dogs are protective of us and we would meet lots of other dogs on the road, it became uncomfortable.
And that was it. Our good habit was broken.
A new good habit.
One of the best things we did at GlenMyu Estate was to build the Natural Spring Fed swimming pool.Â
When we calculated the cost, my wife and did a rough estimate of how many times we would need to use the pool for it to pay for itself.Â
A good new habit was started and we started swimming lengths weary evening.
We got fit, felt great and lost some weight.
A few excuses and the habit is broken.
Along came some feeble excuses.
It started raining in the afternoon.
We went to the UK and will start swimming when we get back – it didn’t happen.
The waters too cold.
We need to empty and clean the pool.
The guests are using the pool.
So, our good habit was broken again.
Running up to the time to make a New Year's resolution
We were back from the UK.
Of course, we had put on weight and lost fitness from overindulging when spending time with our friends and family.
The plan was to start swimming but there were unusually heavy rains Sri Lanka during late October and through November. Another excuse!
Inspiration comes when really needed.
We had consecutive guests at GlenMyu Estate that swam in the pool once or twice a day.Â
They loved it and were surprised that we did not use the pool daily.
One set of guests said as they left inspired us to start swimming again. It was not quite a challenge laid down, but it was all that we needed.
An early New Year's resolution!
Why wait to the New Year to start when you have no excuse?
The pool was there, it was available for me to use when our guests were  out exploring the Sri Lankan Hill country or eating breakfast.
In the evening, before the sun goes down a window to swim is also open.
I have started early.
Once I had started and started marking the days and distance that I was swimming, it was easy to make swimming daily a habit.
Actually, swimming twice a day is starting to become a habit. Sometimes I do miss my evening swim as circumstances get in the way, but I don’t feel bad as I’ve completed my morning swim.
I'm excited about my progress and what's to come.
There are my first steps (or strokes!) on my journey and I already feel a bit leaner. By completing my daily swim and swims provides a sense of achievement.
I’m determined to continue my goal of swimming every day with a second swim as a bonus.
What's your New Year's resolution going to be?
I do feel lucky that we have a swimming pool at GlenMyu Estate and my resolution and goal does not have many challenges for me to succeed.
The only thing that should get in the way is me and I will not let it be an option.
I hope that you set a challenging, but reachable New Year’s resolution.Â
Starting the habit starts with one step, so just put one foot forward and start on your journey. Good luck!
Stay at GlenMyu Estate and swim in the natural pool.
A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.
We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.
The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,
GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.
