How are you doing on your new year’s resolutions? It’s the second week of the year; are you still exercising? Have you had any sugar yet?

If you’re like me, it’s an absolute necessity to get rid of all temptation. So, on New Year’s Day I took care of all the Christmas goodies. What I didn’t consume, after Michigan State failed miserably in their bowl game, I tossed out.

Believe me, there wasn’t much that went into the trash. Just some dried cupcakes, crusty sugar cookies and Baklava that had seen better days. To be honest, the fudge is still sitting there – I just couldn’t get rid of it.

Besides working on the body and what we consume through our mouths, now is a good time to renew our minds. A negative mind will never give you a positive life. When you are constantly rewinding the tape of every mistake you’ve made and how you have failed in the past, you’ll never hear about the positive things you’ve done.

You’ll never hear those who have paid you a compliment or the replay of the goal you just met. Shut down the negative self-talk and start playing the positive side of life.

Do you remember that person you met who made you feel like you were somebody valuable? I was on the phone with the local captain of the Salvation Army. I was interviewing her for a story about the #10GallonChallenge, and at the end of the conversation, she made me feel as if I was the one who came up with the idea of giving milk.

I told her it wasn’t me – I was just writing a story about it – but that didn’t matter. She was somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody. That should be a goal for all of us. Can you imagine the change you could make in people when they feel like they matter?

On every farm there is a certain way to do things – a certain order to feed the cows, a certain order to milk the cows and a certain order in how to feed the calves. If you have old equipment, there is a particular order in how to start old tractors, especially on a cold day … and if you don’t follow it, you’ll be sorry.

But in the mundane tasks of life, especially when you’re dealing with teenagers, keep in mind there is always more than one way to do things. I had one parent who gave me a task and said, “Here, this is what I want in the end, have at it.” And I had another who was careful to provide every step in the process.

Depending on the task, each way had merit. I mean, if you send me out to spread manure, please tell me every move to make, because I don’t want to break anything. But if you want me to make cookies, just give me the recipe and I’ll take it from there.

But as you work alongside your teenagers in this new year, keep in mind there is always more than one way for someone to do a task.

And my final bit of inspiration on this first full week of 2019 is this: You can’t beat the person who never gives up.

I have this sitting on my desk, staring me in the face every day. Giving up is not an option for me. Retreating to reload, finding a different strategy or evaluating the situation are all things that may be required. But never, ever give up.

Happy New Year!

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.