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New Year, New You! A Self Improvement Guide

New Year’s resolutions are usually all talk and no action. If a person does follow through, they’re lucky to continue with their resolution by the end of January. This could be caused by procrastination, laziness, or ignoring what they declared at the time of the ball drop. It could also be caused by the resolution not carrying substantial weight in their lives. However, some resolutions, albeit not the norm that most people say or even know, could be life-changing if followed throughout the year. These, featured below, not only give you a new focus for the new year but also, in the long run, could very well save your life. 

Build a Better You in the New Year

Learning BJJ can be a great way to bring in the new year.
(Photo by iStock)

Learn a Martial Art

Although so many people declare, “I am going back to the gym after the New Year,” the better option would be to join a martial arts dojo or self-defense classes. With both, you’ll get the physical aspects of staying active, but with the added benefit of learning techniques that could save your life or the life of a loved one. Pumping iron and hours on the treadmill will help with strength and endurance, which complements martial arts, so continue those on the side. But, with martial arts, you’ll learn unarmed defense techniques, weapon defense, weapon use, multiple attack situations, and situational awareness. Also, as cliched as it may sound, martial arts will increase your confidence as you progress, and this actually helps avoid conflict rather than react to it. This is the true backbone of martial arts. 

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Build a Bugout Bag

Though not as “in the news” as it was over a decade ago (during the end-of-the-world 2012 phase), the need to assemble a bugout bag for you and all family members is still a top priority. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and tornados, can literally destroy everything you own. At the same time, social unrest, a foreign invasion, and economic collapse can change your life instantly. When one of these hits your neighborhood, you may have to get up and get out as fast as possible, and that’s where a bugout bag comes into play.

A well-stocked and well-thought-out bag can help you survive for the initial seventy-two hours after a crisis and, in most cases, much longer. These bags hold such necessities as long-life foods, water or water purifying items, a first aid kit, clothing, fire-making items, small tools, shelter-building accessories, and more. Start the new year with a bugout bag for you and your family, well-stocked and stored in a quick-access location. 

First aid should be a priority for everyone.
(Photo by iStock)

Learn First Aid

Everyone can open a first aid kit and attach a bandage to themselves or a hurt person. However, when no first aid kit is nearby or an emergency exceeds the kit’s contents, you need to step up with learned medical skills. A sprain or break when hiking, a freak burn by the fire, or a slip and fall on hard concrete require some advanced first aid knowledge to stabilize the body until help arrives. Learning through books, videos, and in-person classes can give you a “medical” edge over others as you travel through your day. What to do if you’re choking, what if you ate something poisonous, or how to treat an allergic reaction to a particular food are all possible real-life scenarios that you may face unexpectedly. Be ready to act with advanced first-aid knowledge. 

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Become Proficient with a Weapon

Personal safety is a top priority every day of the year. After New Year, it’s time to get serious by learning to use a defensive weapon until it becomes second nature. Too often, a person will buy or receive a defense weapon as a gift and either attach it to their keychain and forget about it or throw it in a drawer to never be carried or used. Like anything in life, the more you practice, the better you’ll be, and this pertains to wielding a weapon. 

Example:

Pepper spray, learn how to quickly access it. Learn the proper distance needed for it to be effective, and definitely learn how to not have it taken away from you. For blunt force striking weapons, learn the best targets on the human body and how to strike effectively to produce the best results. Knives, stun guns, non-lethal pistols, and tasers all take practice to master. Make a resolution this year to get in the training and become proficient. 

get a checkup in the new year.
(Photo by iStock)

See Your Doctor

This one is probably on no one’s resolution list. Doctors can be scary, or more specifically, what a doctor may find upon examination is the scary part. However, this is exactly why you must go regularly. Even the most physically fit people can have internal issues that show no symptoms yet can become problems over time. Simple blood work can detect most irregularities within the body.

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If certain numbers are out of the normal range, a follow-up with a specialist can get you on the right track again. Early detection is the key to staying healthy and living a long life. A yearly check-up by your personal care physician can keep you up to date on vaccines, medications, tests required for certain age groups, and referrals if something needs to be addressed. The perfect resolution would be to see your doctor every January for peace of mind and an easy-to-remember appointment. 

Time for Action in the New Year

Now that you have read these important resolutions, it’s time to act on them. Don’t let them fade away as most resolution do as the year progresses. Choose only one or try to tackle many throughout the next three hundred and sixty-five days. Your life or the life of a loved one could depend upon you talking the talk and walking the walk!

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