Live Well in 2012

When it comes to living well in 2012, we suggest you look to some familiar New Year's traditions for direction.

• Remember the Past
A familiar tradition to ring in the New Year is to sing "Auld Lang Syne" (Scottish to English translation: "Days of Long Ago") at midnight with friends and family.

But, what does it really mean?

    First Verse:
     Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
     And never brought to mind?
     Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
     And days of long ago!

The answer is in the chorus of the song. To summarize, it reminds us to celebrate past memories with friends and family.

• Set Guilt-Free Resolutions
New Year's resolutions can be good motivation for achieving personal goals and building a positive future.

Today's most popular resolutions seem to be about restricting excesses like eating, drinking alcohol, consumer waste, and spending money. These are all admirable pursuits, but the key to achieving a resolution is to set a realistic goal that you want to achieve.

You're more likely to give up when you set goals that are popular or overly lofty rather than personal.

Encouragement is also important. Encourage those around you and let them do the same for you.

• Make New Friends
Finally, make new friends. The bigger community you have the better.