Another year ends (and decade, really. Anyone who says the 2nd millennium didn’t start until 2001 is an idiot who lacks simple math skills) and what that means for lots of people is they ready themselves for more failure in the new year by starting the year off with new year’s resolutions.

I hate New Year’s Resolutions. One study in the UK showed a success rate of 12%. It’s not enough to have a resolution, you need to have a plan. Otherwise you’re going to end up like a bad record at the start of every year, sounding off the same stuff you wanted last year.

Failure: n, a person with a record of failing. Someone who loses consistently.

Was someone just curmudging in here? Whew. For a second it was sounding like my page was taken over by Mr. Wolff. Sorry.

One idea I’ve always liked is the giving of handsels. A handsel is a gift for good luck in the New Year, celebrated in Scotland on Handsel Monday, the first Monday of the new year.
“But Akatzen,” you might be saying, “I already spent more money than I should’ve on Christmas, and now you’re telling me to give out more?” And then you raise your middle finger solidly and pointedly in my direction.

Come on now, no need to be rude.

Let’s say you got a friend who wants to stop smoking in the new year. Wouldn’t you want to wish him luck? One study showed that of the people who were successful in their New Years Resolution nearly all of them had a plan, broken down into simpler obtainable goals, and friends they could rely on as a support group.

Maybe the best good luck gift you can give is pointing them in the direction of the right book.

So what are a few of the top resolutions?
Losing weight/getting fit. Stop smoking. Manage finances better/get out of debt.

1. Losing weight/getting fit.
The first thing someone needs to know about losing weight is how body mass works. Muscle weighs more than fat. Hitting the gym may actually be trimming your waistline, but you won’t necessarily see it on the scale since you are building muscle at the same time. A lot of people give up on their start-of-the-year-gym memberships because they work out for a couple of weeks but don’t see anything happening when they hop on the scale. If a friend wants to slim up, help them prevent stupidity.
I also suggest reading In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan. Pollan’s previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, was an examination of the American eating habits, and this follow-up novel gives you a plan on changing the way you eat to not just a healthier diet, but also a more enjoyable one. I could also suggest his novel Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, released just yesterday, a pocket compendium of food wisdom.
Once a person understands better how food works, the more intelligent diet plan they will be able to pick.

2. Stop Smoking
Changing any habit is difficult. Changing an addictive habit can feel damn near impossible.
One fact that may help is that nicotine is a nerve poison almost 3 times more potent than arsenic. Assassins used to coat their blades with nicotine oil, which can be absorbed through the skin, so even touching the blade can be lethal. Granted, the dosage found in a cigarette is about 1mg, and it takes about 40mg to kill. Almost seductive, isn’t it? A lethal nerve poison which is also addictive.
While I am incredibly skeptical of any self-help book with the word “easy” in the title (if it was easy, then they wouldn’t need entire sections of bookstores devoted to it), Allen Carr’s book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking has helped more than a couple of my friends stop smoking, so I feel it’s worth mentioning. One thing I like about the book is that he focuses on the psychological need-the mental addiction-to smoke, while the reader is still smoking. He flat out suggests that you don’t try to not smoke while you read the book. But he also claims that by the end of the book you won’t want to smoke anymore.
Might be worth looking into if you know someone who really wants to give up the habit in the new year.

3. Managing finances/getting out of debt.
If you are trying to gain better control of your money, don’t spend money on a book telling you how to manage your finances! Go to your bank, sit down with an actual person, and explore options. It’s free, and it’ll be what most books tell you to do anyway. A book on financial management is just another impulse buy that you need to avoid while you cut impulse buying out of your spending habits.

Well, that’s it for me this year! Be safe as you ring in the new year (notice I said “safe” which is not necessarily the same as “sober” or “clothed”)

Until next time,
Still paddlin’ the old knew…
_-Akatzen-_