Setting an attainable New Year’s resolution as someone with MS
How I plan to learn more about living with a disability in 2025
Happy New Year! Did anyone make resolutions?
I’ve always tried to make one resolution every January, though I missed a few years when I was in a rut. At the time I’d thought, what’s the point? I knew I wouldn’t stick with it.
That’s because my resolutions used to feel daunting and overwhelming. They were also pretty vague with no defined goals. For example, I’d say I wanted to “lose weight” or “exercise more.”
I made those resolutions with the ultimate goal of improving my overall health, which I hoped would help with my multiple sclerosis (MS). I also wanted to get myself in better physical shape so that if my health deteriorated, I wouldn’t be a burden on my family. I worry about that a lot.
In recent years, I’ve succeeded in following through with my resolutions by setting more realistic and achievable goals. Last year, for example, instead of “losing weight,” I planned to eat more fresh vegetables by planting a garden. In 2023, I resolved to walk my dogs daily, even when the weather wasn’t great, instead of “exercising more.” And I’ve been able to maintain these activities over time.
Other resolutions that came to fruition, although they didn’t directly affect my physical health, were to volunteer at an animal shelter and recycle more.
I volunteered at that shelter for about three years, which was a great activity to share with my animal-loving daughter. I didn’t walk the dogs there, as I was concerned that one might get away from me if I lost my balance, but I found many other ways to be helpful.
Initially, I made the recycling resolution more out of necessity than concern about the environment. Our city restricts trash to two bags a household each week, so to make that work in my home, recycling was required. Now, though, I’m committed to reducing my carbon footprint.
My 2025 resolution
My resolution for 2025 is to read at least six books about living with a disability or written by someone with a disability. The first book on my list is “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century,” edited by Alice Wong. I ordered the book in October, but have yet to make reading it a priority — thus my resolution.
“Disability Visibility” is described as a collection of first-person accounts of the challenges and joys associated with the modern disability experience. Voices of activists, artists, authors, lawyers, politicians, and “everyday people” are represented in this collection.
This morning, while watching television, I heard about some book recommendations from an author with MS and thought, “I made the perfect resolution for me this year.”
I also plan to read a few of Richard M. Cohen‘s books. He was a former journalist at CBS News and spouse of former “Today” co-host Meredith Vieira until he died on Christmas Eve at age 76. He’d lived with MS for 50 years. I’m most interested in his memoir, “Blindsided,” which describes his struggles with the disease, as well as “Strong at the Broken Places,” which follows the lives of five people with serious chronic illnesses.
I’ve improved over the years at setting realistic, obtainable New Year’s resolutions, but now that I’ve made this year’s public, I’ll more likely hold myself accountable to them.
Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.
About the Author
Kathy K Kruger
I enjoyed reading your story about making realistic resolutions. I was diagnosed with MS as a young mother of three children, age 5, 3, and 15 months old. I was only 28 years old and my husband and I lived on an Iowa farm back in 1982. Mayo Clinic diagnosed me, but there were no treatment options. It was very frightening to live my day-to-day life living with MS. Because of my strong faith, supportive husband, and informed doctor, I accepted this challenge.
Now it has been 42 years coping with MS. I still make positive goals for myself. I feel encouraged to keep striving for excellence. Thanks for sharing how to reach out to others with MS. I do the same as chairman of our north Iowa MS Support Group. .