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Happy-Gourmand

Some resolutions to consider heading into the new year

I resolve to...

It’s that time of year again. Did you make a resolution?

Have you resolved to improve on some area of your life? Are you aiming to reach a new goal? I read an article recently titled “Top ten New Year’s resolutions.” So, in case you haven’t come up with anything yet, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. Manage money better

Well, that didn’t take much to come up with. We all want to get more bang for our buck, don’t we? I don’t think the intention is for us to just work harder on win the lottery, though, perhaps, if we tried that trick of freezing all our credit cards in a block of ice we could avoid some of those fees they charge us? Maybe the best thing is just to use cash to pay for everything. But wait, does anyone take cash anymore??

2. Better health

Should we sanitize everything with all those new wipes and cleansers or is that going to ruin our immune systems against the next super bug that comes along? Maybe we should all just head for the hills, take up yoga and create a commune. I suppose I could just start taking more vitamin D and eating more veggies. How about if we just resolve to move a bit more in between meals?

3. Help others

Having just come out of the holiday season, we have the spirit for giving. If we can keep up the idea of random acts of kindness, it should all be good. If you have children who are Girl Guides or Boy Scouts, have them remind you of doing a good deed each day. And for those of us without kids, let’s use our pets as examples – you know, dogs are always sharing good vibes with everyone and cats are just content being themselves.

4. Take a trip

That would be nice. Again, a lottery win would be a big help here. Maybe it doesn’t have to be a trip to Maui or Mexico. Even a weekend away camping or skiing can be a great way to relax.

5. Enjoy life more

This is certainly one time when I agree that “more is better.” Always looking to have that cup a little more full is a great philosophy and I think the best way to start is to remember how full it already is. (A tip for you: If you think this expression should be “Enjoy life”, you need to put it a bit further up the list.)

6. Slow down

This goes right along with No. 5. It’s easy to enjoy more if you go slower, and not just when you are eating dessert. Not only that, but as my Dad used to say, “slow down, it goes faster” – meaning if you relax and concentrate, you move along more smoothly. (This is for all you people who like to speed to the red light in traffic).

7. Try something new

This is a nicer way of saying that platitude: “Do everything one day that scares you”. Even if your new thing is only a food you have never tasted, what the heck! Your kids will enjoy watching the trepidation on your face as you attempt a new thing instead of them.

8. More time with family and friends

Remember, this is supposed to be a good thing, so start with the people you actually like. That way you can apply your random acts of kindness from No. 3 for some of the ones you don’t get along with and you may even find you like more of your family than you thought.

9. Reduce stress

If you applied my suggestion in No. 2, then likely yoga is helping a lot with the stress. If not, reconsider yoga, or at least a few concentrated hums every day in your work cubicle.

10. Get organized

Didn’t we just do that? Now you’re stressing me out. Oh yes, and (my husband) Martin says clean your freezer all the way to the back, where no one never goes.

Perhaps the biggest thing we hear is to reduce stress. Did you know that the word “resolution” comes from an Italian word, “resolvere,” meaning “to loosen, relax”. How about we loosen our expectations of doing everything or improving in leaps and bounds and we just focus on starting something good or improving one thing at a time?

I wish you a happy, relaxed new year.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.



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About the Author

Kristin Peturson-Laprise is a customer experience specialist by trade, which means she is someone passionate about people having a good time. 

Her company, Wow Service Mentor, helps businesses enhance their customer experience through hands-on training, service programs, and special event coordination.

Kristin enjoys her own experiences too, and that is what she writes about in this column. She and her husband Martin Laprise (also known as Chef Martin, of The Chef Instead) love to share their passion for food and entertaining.  

Kristin says:

"Wikipedia lists a gourmand as a person who takes great pleasure in food. I have taken the concept of gourmandise, or enjoying something to the fullest, in all parts of my life. I love to grow and cook food, and I loved wine enough to become a Sommelier. I call a meal a success when I can convey that 'sense of place' from where the food has come . . . the French call that terroir, but I just call it the full experience. It might mean tasting the flavours of my own garden, or transporting everyone at the table to a faraway place, reminiscent of travels or dreams we have had."

 

E-mail Kristin at:  [email protected]

Check out her website here:  www.wowservicementor.com

 



The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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