One of my favorite old movies is The Year of Living Dangerously
As a younger woman, living dangerously had an allure that was often impossible for me to resist. I once flew to a tiny Caribbean island in a beat-up single engine plane piloted by a man I barely knew. I have bungee jumped, hang glided and parasailed with abandon. Though risk and danger still have a certain appeal, age and responsibility have dialed my thrill tolerance down to a much quieter level.
As I face the coming year and acknowledge the many things I want to accomplish, I realize that living dangerously won’t help me get where I want to go. Instead I plan to make 2010…
The Year of Living Diligently
It may not be as glamorous as living dangerously, but living diligently has real advantages, paying particular dividends for women as they age. Diligence isn’t spontaneous, or reckless, or even very much fun. But it is a way to maintain a lifestyle that will keep you healthy, strong, and energetic for years to come.
Here are some of the ways I plan to be diligent in 2010.
Diligent Fitness
There are women who are effortlessly beautiful – lithe, lovely creatures that eat with gusto, dance into the wee hours, and care not a fig about diets and exercise. Those women reside, for the most part, in movies, novels, and in the depths of our imaginations. The reality, especially for women over 50, is that keeping fit and fabulous takes work, planning, and diligence.
• To that end, 2010 is the year I will keep a fitness calendar; with workouts scheduled around other important appointments to make sure they get done.
• It is the year that I will work with a trainer (yes, even experts benefit from expert advice) to refine and hone my fitness routine, making sure I’m getting the most benefit from my workouts. And, I will share new things I learn with you!
• In 2010 I will treat proper rest as a valuable part of my fitness routine, making seven hours of sleep each night a priority.
• This year, I will stop beating myself up for things I can no longer do and congratulate myself for my many fitness accomplishments.
Diligent Nutrition
As a passionate cook and eater, food is an important part of my life, my family life, as well as my social life. Living diligently, however, means that I need to become more mindful of food and its consequences in my life. • In 2010 I will strive to know where my food comes from and to eat locally produced foods whenever possible. • I will keep a food diary to help me understand exactly what I am eating and why. • This is the year that I will replace processed foods with fresh and banish refined sugar.
Diligent Fashion
While it may not be my area of expertise, fashion plays an important role in my Year of Living Diligently. It’s the third leg of my diligence stool, and is therefore an integral part of my resolution. • By the end of January, I will conduct a closet exorcism, sending inappropriate, un-wearable, and unworn fashion faux pas to Goodwill. • In 2010 I will not buy anything simply because it is on sale and it fits. If it isn’t perfect, it stays in the store. • As in other areas of my life, I will pay attention to the advice of fashion professionals – like 50+Fabulous Fashion Expert Michele Benza – especially experts who work with women my age.
So join me for The Year of Living Diligently and let’s work on bringing focus and careful persistence to living our best possible lives.
Happy New Year to you all!
