It is another new year. I’m sure many of you are like me, you wonder how time flies by so fast. It seems the older we get the years go by faster and faster.

Now that we are into 2024 – I am sure many of you have made your New Year’s resolutions.

According to one website I found, the top and most common resolutions could be familiar to many of you.

They include, in no particular order:

1. Exercise more

2. Lose weight

3. Quit smoking

4. Get organized

5. Save more money / spend less money

6. Spend more time with family and friends

7. Read more

8. Learn a new skill or hobby

As we get older, it seems our metabolism is not as good. So we all tend to put on a few more pounds, especially after the holiday season. There is always so much good food and, especially sweets.

Chocolate is my weakness and I’m not sure I could do without it.

Losing weight is tough for many people. Exercising goes along with that, but as we get older it is harder to walk, jog, or do many physical activities that will burn calories.

We may have bad knees, a bad back, or other ailments that come with age. The “itis” brothers become a part of our daily lives. Arthritis, bursitis and tendinitis are familiar to many of us. I can certainly relate to the daily pain in joints and muscles.

One thing that is pretty easy is taking a walk. My dog Petey has helped keep me in shape. As my neighbors can confer, I walk him several times a day, which is good for him and me.

One bad habit many people have is smoking. Thankfully that is something I never started. Growing up, I had family members who smoked, and I despised it. I know in talking to people it is very difficult for them to quit this unhealthy and nasty habit. Nicotine is like a drug and is very addictive. But when you talk to someone who successfully quits they are happy and more healthy.

But by stopping the cigarette habit, many people gain weight. I guess they tend to snack more when doing without the cigarettes and I think it changes the body’s metabolism.

If you are like me, you try to stay organized. I was always pretty good with this, but it seems as I’ve gotten older I’m not as regulated as I was when I was younger. I have a few projects, like cleaning out the garage and having a big yard sale that I want to do, but I’ve not gotten around to it.

I’m sure my kids will be happy for me to get rid of some of the “stuff” I’ve accumulated. But I know that some of it is worth some money. Many things were enjoyable to collect and they are hard to part with.

I also need to dig out my old family pictures and organize them and hopefully hand them down to the kids and grandchildren. I’m sentimental about these kinds of items and things that have been handed down for generations.

I think we should spend more time with family and good friends. Once again that is hard to do. Children move away, get their own lives, and have jobs and responsibilities, making it harder for them.

I like to read. However, my attention span has not always been the best. Still, I like to read a few books each year on subjects that I find interesting. I read the newspaper and other sports and news articles every day.

Many of us use the internet to do this nowadays and that is OK. But it might also be a good idea not to spend as much time on social media sites. They can be time-consuming and even addictive. I hate to see a family eating dinner and seeing them all sitting around with their cell phones rather than having real conversations.

I definitely have a few goals that I want to complete this year. I am determined to conquer some of my goals and things I need to do.

So good luck with your resolutions and I hope you and your family have a happy and healthy New Year in 2024.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)