I make upward of fifty New Year Resolutions each year and continuously add to the list every month.  Surprisingly, my resolutions when I was physically incapable of work years ago are coming true today.  For instance, resolutions I made half a decade ago to animate 3D objects and make cinematic videos are now coming true.

Since setting my 2024 New Year’s Resolutions, my health has been affected in an umber of ways.  So I hope that these resolutions inspire new ideas for some of us, especially those with health conditions.

Meditation: I had stopped meditating for nearly a decade, as meditation seemed to exasperate the chronic fatigue syndrome.  But recently, I’ve been so excited about goals every day and so focused on work tasks that anxiety has been creeping back into my world, although not yet erupting into a full-blown attack.  To explain, I recently took two continuing education courses that I spent so much time on that I received a perfect grade on one and a near-perfect grade on the other; at the end of that second course, I crashed hard, and my nerves were a wreck.  Couple that with family issues, and I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown every day.  My anxious, depressed state of mind also threatened my key relationship, and everything was falling apart.

So, I pursued my dream of making spiritual and political documentaries and began meditating.  And now my system is back in balance, and I feel so euphoric each day that I don’t want the days to end.  Workdays are dream days, too, as I am passionate about my career, thanks partly to ChatGPT.

To start, I listen to a spiritual, health, or fitness YouTube video while I meditate.  This gives me an excuse to indulge in a video on near-death experiences or one on marital advice.  It takes ten minutes a day with the promise of improving my memory, concentration, and resistance to stress—and it is relaxing.  In time, I’ll start meditating in pure silence.  Meditation is an investment in our education, work, and psychological well-being and performance.  I highly recommend it.

Diet: My diet is so extreme that it can be a buzzkill for someone wanting to frequent restaurants and pizzerias.  I eat nothing with added sugar in the ingredients list, and my waistline, teeth, and acne-free face love it.  Also, my incidence of chronic fatigue is increasingly rare, as I haven’t had any sign of sickness for about a month.  And the best part is that healthy eating can cost very little.  For instance, I eat $1.25 chestnuts from Dollarama, my chocolate replacement.  Safeway chicken legs with thighs cost just over $3, and a fresh Greek salad without the dressing costs $2.50 if spread over two meals, although I add half a can of salmon to the salad.

Furthermore, Alberta-made Sunny Boy cereal with frozen berries is my morning go-to, and I’ve been drinking lots of green tea.  The loved ones in my life are benefiting, as they are eating significantly healthier now, which I have often prayed for historically.  And they are introducing healthy treats, too, such as the Sunny Boy cereal, Safeway salads, and chestnuts.  So, everyone grows healthier when we make healthy choices.

Exercise: I am exercising four or five days a week, which includes swimming, martial arts, ab workouts, stretching, climber cardio, and weightlifting.  And I’m about to invest in a monthly payment plan for a stationary bicycle from Amazon.  That means, in a tiny space, I’ll have a stationary exercise bike, an 8-foot chin-up and dips apparatus, a climber, dumbbells, and kettlebells.  They block the TV, which I never watch anyway.

I always feel better once I get physically active.  Exercise is like a mental reset if we feel dragged down by cumbersome tasks.  And food and drink taste better after exercise.  I urge us all to exercise at least four hours a week, as it leads to better grades, greater stress resistance, better moods, and improved social outcomes, according to research.

We deserve all the benefits of exercise, a healthy diet, and meditation.  And all it takes is adopting one item from the above list unless we’re already health enthusiasts.  And transforming into a health enthusiast is just as fun as being one!