Early in the holiday season, often as soon as Thanksgiving has passed, many of us start making plans for New Year’s Eve. And then almost automatically, it’s on to New Year’s resolutions for the upcoming year.

I decided to look up the definition of resolution, thinking that perhaps it’s a word that’s misunderstood or misused. According to the dictionary, it can be defined as a decision, determination or solution.

So why is it that people feel they need to wait for a certain date to begin making healthy changes?

Most healthy changes could be made now, rather than next month. Today sounds like a good day to me. Maybe the problem has to do with deciding to make too many changes at the beginning of the year, or biting off more than you can chew, and getting frustrated when it’s too much to keep up.

If you’re convinced you want to make resolutions, go about it like this:

1. Determine why you need to make a change: Do you need to lose weight to fit into your favorite jeans? To lower your cholesterol or prevent a chronic disease?

Whatever the reason, it can be unique to you, with no judgments. If you don’t have a strong reason for making a change, you’ll most likely find many reasons not to adhere to it.

2. Create a goal: If weight loss is your goal, decide on a realistic total amount, and then break it down into weeks. For example, if you need to lose 20 pounds, commit to losing one pound per week for 20 weeks. That way, when you don’t drop 20 pounds in January — which isn’t realistic — you won’t feel like a failure.

3. Make a plan that includes many steps: It’s one thing to say you’ll lose weight in 2013. That’s great, but how are you going to do it?

Maybe you need to start eating breakfast (step 1); bringing a snack to work to avoid the vending machine (step 2); turning the TV off earlier and going to bed instead of raiding the refrigerator (step 3); and joining SilverSneakers, Zumba or an exercise class at the Senior Center instead of lounging on the couch.

4. Record your efforts: Whether it’s a food journal, fitness journal, or even a sleep journal, write down what you’re doing every day, be it positive or negative.

If you monitor your actions, you can easily identify your successes and/or failures, which will help you stay motivated. Keeping yourself accountable for your actions is key to success.

If you fall off track at any time, get yourself back up immediately. You don’t need to wait until January 2014 to try again. Remember that a resolution — also known as a decision — can be incorporated into your life just as easily in March, June or August.

And when the holidays roll around again next year, you can focus your thoughts on New Year’s eve plans, and not the resolutions that need to follow.

At 10 a.m. on Friday, July 20, the Senior Linkage line will present “How to prevent a fall.” To sign up for this stop by the front desk or call 507-433-2370 ext 0. See you there.

 Upcoming Events

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: Closed. Happy New Year.

Wednesday: Tai Chi, 9:30 a.m.; cards (Pinochle, Duplicate Bridge), 12:30 p.m.; Stitching Bees, 1 p.m.; Open chess, 1 p.m.

Thursday: Silver Sneakers, 8:30 a.m.; Exercise with Evie, 9 a.m.; cards (Pinochle, Duplicate Bridge), 12:30 p.m.; Bingo and open chess, 1 p.m.; Silver Sneakers, 4:30 p.m.

Friday: Tai Chi, 9:30 a.m.;

cards (Pinochle, Duplicate Bridge, Cribbage), 12:30 p.m.

 Weekly Card Results

Monday Bridge

Dec. 17, two tables

1st Jaynard Johnson, 2nd Lois Johnson, 3rd Betty Jorgenson, 4th Arnie Lang, 5th Bud Higgins

Tuesday Duplicate Bridge Dec. 18, 4.5 tables

1st Russ Vaale, 1st Mabel Vaale; 2nd Ella Rouhoff, 2nd Carol Higgins; 3rd Bud Higgins, 3rd Jim Fisher; 4th Connie Johnson, 4th Lorraine Lippert, 4th Gene Muchow, 4th Ron Peters

Tuesday “500”

Dec. 18, four tables

1st Betty Fisher, 2nd Wayne Chilson, 3rd Jerry Downing, 4th Lois Anderson

Pinochle

No Results

Friday Bridge

Dec. 21, three tables

1st Jaynard Johnson, 2nd Russ Vaale, 3rd Dave Ring, 4th Loretta Nelson, 5th Arnie Lang.

Weekly Cribbage

Dec. 19, three tables

1st Lottie Seira, 2nd Arnie Lang, 3rd Jaynard Johnson

Weekly “500”

Dec. 21, four tables

1st Lois Anderson, 2nd Dennis Bray, 3rd Beulah Luthe

 Semcac Daily Meals

Monday: Pork chow mein

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: Meat lasagna

Thursday: Pork roast

Friday: Porcupine meatballs.