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Word of Mouth

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Each year we try—and often fail—to keep our New Year’s resolutions. What’s one resolution you were able to stick with?

Scroll down to “post a comment” and tell us about your best-kept New Year’s resolution.

Published: December 15, 2011

  • My New Year’s resolution last year was to spend more quality time with my two teenage daughters. My oldest (16) is a dancer, is very involved in her high school’s musicals and chorus, and got a part-time job this summer—that she has to keep during the school year—to help pay for college. My youngest daughter (14) swims varsity for the high school swim team and is also very involved with the high school musical and chorus. At minimum, the three of us get together each week, usually on Sundays, and have dinner so that they can catch me up on everything that is going on in their lives (except when it comes to boys). It also gives me a chance to bring them up to speed on everything that is going on in my life. The best part of all is that they really try hard to find the time because they enjoy it as much as I do. We are now closing in on the end of the year and I think that we have only missed three dinners this year. My New Year’s resolution will be to try and keep this going for another year.

    Jay Friedman, EdM ’00 & BA ’86
    Associate Vice President
    Office of Alumni Relations

  • I remember deciding that I would speak nothing but the truth for the last two marking periods of my senior year in high school. It could have been the littlest thing, from telling a caller that my mother was not available when she was or answering a question that I did not want to answer, but I did not speak anything but the truth—up until prom night in June. I drove to the prom in my father’s silver Benz, and on the way to the after-party I ended up denting his rim on a curb. Later, after dropping the car off the next day, he noticed that his rim was dented and he asked me what had happened. I told him that maybe something happened when I was not in the car, hinting at a possible hit and run. I remember that day as if it were yesterday because it was the first time I had chosen to lie after all of that time and I remember how I felt when the words came out of my mouth. I ended up telling my father some time afterward because I felt so bad—and because a girl whose prom date I was dropping off on the dark street where I hit the curb told a family friend and word got back to my father. The only reason I was driving on that pitch black street was because that girl’s date was not old enough to drive!

    Tajuana Cerutti
    Intern
    Office of Community Relations

  • Our resolution was to go to Disney World to celebrate three family milestones. We made it. I’ve also been pretty good about exercising twice a week. Next year, I’m pushing for three to five times a week.

    Al Hammonds
    Assistant Director of Outreach
    The Center for Industrial Effectiveness/Office of Economic Engagement

  • Five years ago, I made a resolution to make regular exercise and eating healthy a priority. Since then, it has become a habit and I haven’t felt the need to make a New Year’s resolution. I attribute my success to the fact that I set realistic goals and allow myself to eat some of my favorite unhealthy foods on an occasional basis. It’s definitely easier to stick with a diet or exercise resolution when you make it part of your lifestyle and you cut yourself a break here and there.

    Stefanie Lizauckas
    Compliance Assistant
    Division of Athletics

  • I have been more successful resolving to eat healthy foods than I have been either dieting or exercising. For me, quantity matters. It makes me happy when I consume large amounts of crispy salad greens and veggies, glossily dressed with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Sushi, nuts, berries, rye bread, chocolate—who could possibly feel deprived? Just don’t ask me to sweat on a treadmill. While others claim to fly high from endorphins, exercise never worked for me. I’d rather drink a glass of red wine—strictly for the reservatrol, of course.

    Ilene Fleischmann
    Vice Dean for Alumni, PR and Communications
    UB Law School

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