by Ken Smauthi

Created on: December 09, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2008

You do it every year, and every time it's the same. You promise yourself that you'll go to the gym 5 times a week. You'll throw out all the sugary foods in your cupboard. You'll take up running, and enter a marathon. This time it will be different!

Only it won't. By March you will have abandoned all those pursuits. Real life will have gotten in your way once more. You will blame your job, your kids, your spouse, or even your own willpower. But does the blame really lie in any of those locations?

What you've been doing all this time is making resolutions that are counterproductive. Take a look at the assumptions behind these goals. Your resolutions up to this point have been based on the assumption that you've been bad, and that you need to seriously reform your ways if you want to be happy and healthy. You need to get tough with yourself, to whip yourself into shape. It all screams of the old adage "No Pain, No Gain!"

Do yourself a favour and remove that saying from your vocabulary. Living a happy, healthy life by no stretch means subjecting yourself to pain. Instead, your goals in life should be all about enjoying what life has to offer. It's obvious why you've never stuck to your new years resolutions before. Nobody likes to be punished, even when it's self punishment. There isn't a good enough reason for you to put up with that for long.

Some people enjoy working out at the gym often, eating nothing but roughage, and running marathons. But are those goals really going to increase your enjoyment out of life? If you're like most people, the answer is no. And the plain truth is that you don't need to live like that in order to be happy, vibrant, and healthy.

If you want to be active, resolve to take up a sport or hobby that you will enjoy. It could be gardening, biking, bowling, or just going for walks. It doesn't have to be intense, healthy physical activity really doesn't need to make you hyperventilate.

If you think you could benefit from a better diet, resolve to try new things and eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups. Why should you eat food that doesn't taste good to you? Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is an excellent idea, but there's no reason for you to choke down brussels sprouts if you can't stand them.

People who enjoy their food absorb more nutrients from it than those who don't. So savour each bite. Eating should be a joy, not a punishment. And yes, that extends even to the occasional cupcake. Small treats are one of life's great pleasures, and you shouldn't feel guilty for enjoying them.

This year, instead of resolving to punish yourself, resolve to enjoy life more. You'll be the better for it.

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