Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 12-30-16 Online Edition

Keeping Resolutions
Resolutions Are Made For The New Year, But How Many Are Kept?
BY E. G. MOORE Sentinel Contributing Writer
A New Year's Resolution is a tradition which is most com- mon in the Western Hemi- sphere; however it is also practiced in the Eastern Hemi- sphere, in which people make promises to do some act of self-improvement or some- thing that might benefit oth- ers. The problem with making these resolutions is that many of them are very hard to keep and some are abandoned after a few months into the New Year.
Gallop polls show that 46% of people who make common resolutions (e. g., weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were over 10 more likely to keep their resolutions and accomplish their goals as opposed to only 4% of those who chose not to make resolu- tions.
We talked to a few people around town to get their re- sponses to the question and the following is what they had to say:
"I make resolutions every year and enjoy working suc- cessfully to accomplish my goals. My resolutions this year are understanding and living
KIM COLSTON
God's words, exercising regu- larly, eating healthy and lastly, not taking anything person- ally."
VERONE BANKS TURNER
"I might as well be honest and say that I am not making any New Year's Resolutions because I am never able to
keep them. Therefore, I have decided it is useless to even make them. I have tried too many times and failed, so I just stopped making promises that I could not keep."
KIMBERLY ALI
"I plan to keep my resolu- tions which is no more drink- ing; no more fighting; no more domestic violence; to get right with God for myself, my chil- dren and my grandchildren, because I have had a rough year in 2016. I plan for 2017 to be free from drama which is why I must keep my resolu- tions.”
"My New Year’s Resolutions are to get closer to God and to be more frugal with my in- come so that my daughter and I can assist the homeless. My daughter plans to start an or- ganization to help the home-
TINA CLARK
less. Because of my desire to help her in her endeavors, I definitely feel I will be able to keep my resolutions."
MELINDA TUBBS PARKER
"Yes, I think I will be able to keep my New Year's Resolu- tions which are to exercise and become better physically fit, eating right to become health-
ier, and doing more charity work."
RYAN MCKAY
"I don't make New Year's Resolutions. If I want to change something in my life, I do it spontaneously. When you make resolutions, most of the time, you end up breaking them anyway. This is the rea- son I don't do it. If I don't make a promise to do some- thing, I won't have to feel bad later about breaking that promise."
Four of the six people in- terviewed plan to keep their resolutions and only two are not making resolutions. It might be interesting to check back with them around six months from now to find out if they have really been success- ful in keeping those resolu- tions.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016