New Year's Resolution

Now is about the time most of us “fall off the wagon” from our well thought out and well meant resolution. I believe I have the power to bring myself to a new level of control over my life. I did it before and I intend to do it again. The last resolution I made in 2004 was to lose weight. That is a common resolution and I wanted to share my story.

On January 1, 2004 I was 248 lbs, my highest weight ever. The goal for the year was to lose 53 lbs. or get down to 195 lbs. By mid-April I was running up to 15 miles, by June I got down to 189 lbs - mission accomplished! I decided many years ago that I would only make resolutions that I would be able to accomplish and because of this I have not had the will power to make any resolutions.

I wanted to make resolution for the last three years, but I didn’t because I knew I wouldn’t accomplish them. Why set myself up for failure? This year however I knew that it would be necessary to make another resolution since my weight has reached the tipping point again.

Once I announce my resolution, I have to stick to it. I tell everyone. Then, when they ask me later how it is going I like to tell them about my amazing results. This is one of my ways accomplish my goals.

This year my resolution is to lose 7 Lbs a month for the first six months of the year. All my clothes are bit tight and as we worked our way through the Christmas and New Year feasts and festivities that just got tighter! So, on New Years day I weighed myself immediately. I was almost the same weight as when I made my last resolution, 246 lbs.
My goal is to lose 42 lbs. which will bring me down to 202 - the same weight as my days in the Marine Corps.

I live in Cyprus now and we have great weather so I can easily go outside and start running. Last time I was in Northern Virginia where the climate can be much harsher and less reliable so everything should go smoothly this time too and hopefully much easier because of the nice weather.

I started this blog last week at which time I had planned on running outside. Now, I am happy to say that I am the proud owner of a nice, sturdy American style treadmill! One of my customers that want me to market and sell their house traded my services for the treadmill. I still get my commission but no listing fee which is fine with me! I have wanted one for ages and they are even going to deliver it. I lucked out! As for my weight, I already lost 11 lbs. which is 4 lbs. more than the monthly goal I set for myself.

Happy New Year!

Now that we have officially begun a new year and everyone is feeling refreshed and recovered after the holidays I am starting to get phone calls and some "hot prospects" through my website again thankfully...I was beginning to worry. As you may know, Cyprus adopted the Euro as of Jan. 1 (so did Malta) and all the articles in the Cyprus Mail newspaper and other local papers speak of almost nothing else from fake Euros to exchange rates to teaching the new currency and any other Euro topic you can think of. My personal experience so far has been that yes, prices have increased but that is only because many businesses have rounded up their prices rather than down. But, a few Euro here and few there add up and in some cases such as a "luna park" for children have changed the price per token from 50 Cyprus cents which equals about 85 cents and now it is 1 Euro which is about a 20% increase. The example I have given is on a small scale, but I waiting to see how this will affect property sales in Cyprus. Everyone said beforehand that they will increase...we'll see!