A 2019 New Year’s resolution is mission accomplished. How’d you do? 

I tend to make several, a mixture of challenging and simple. The mainstay resolution that fits into both those categories has always been to be there for my children when they need me, as a good parent should. Mom might not be able to fix it, but she’s there and she will absolutely try. 

Strictly difficult was to make more money. I decided the only way to accomplish that would be to turn in my mileage reports at work each month. If you’ve never had to keep a log of where you go, when and why in order to be reimbursed, you probably don’t understand how tedious it can be. More times than not, I just didn't turn one in. 

My 2019 resolution: stop procrastinating on filling out my report during the month and turn it in at the beginning of the month. 

Mission accomplished on Jan. 2. While I didn’t keep a running total, I’m probably $600 to the good. 

According to inc.com, about 60 percent of us make New Year's resolutions and only about 8 percent are successful in achieving them. More than half of the people questioned said they fail their resolution before Jan. 31.

If that 8 percent is true, then most of us make resolutions and hope for the best without actually setting down reasonable goals and a plan to accomplish them. 

On the heels of a successful year, I make the following 2020 resolutions: Be there for my children when they need me, eat healthier, exercise more, fill out and file those darn mileage reports, and spend less money. 

Healthy eating and exercise have a very delightful side effect of weight loss. I have considered adding a weight loss of two pounds a month during 2020 for a total of 24 pounds. However, I’d rather focus on eating healthy and exercising more and not the weight loss aspect. I may have to give this idea more consideration. 

To help with healthier eating, I bought an air fryer. Air fryers seem to be used for cooking frozen foods that are meant to taste deep-fried. I don’t eat much from that category, but there it is if I get a hankering for french fries or something.

According to a list on inc.com, saving money is one of the top five resolutions made by people. It also said women have a tendency to make health-focused resolutions. That accounts for the majority of my resolution, so I’m thinking this list has to be somewhat accurate. 

Specifically:

1. Diet or eat healthier (71 percent)

2. Exercise more (65 percent)

3. Lose weight (54 percent)

4. Save more and spend less (32 percent)

The next six were learning a new skill or hobby (26 percent), quit smoking (21 percent), read more (17 percent), find another job (16 percent), drink less alcohol (15 percent), and spend more time with family and friends (13 percent). 

Standard reporter Lisa Hobbs can be reached at 473-2191.