Consider These 5 Goals for 2012 For goal setting to even have a chance of being successful, experts will tell you that you should make the goals: 1) specific; 2) realistic; 3) public; 4) measurable by time; and 5) fun and rewarding. Ugh. No wonder most New Years' resolutions fall by the wayside by June. As a way of contributing to your success for this year's resolutions, we wanted to make some suggestions. None of these involve losing any weight, we promise. Some of these may "speak to you," some may not. We can't vouch for the fun you might have (that's up to you) but we can vouch for the sense of reward that you will feel when you accomplish any one of them. 1. Create or update your living will and name a health care proxy. We've mentioned this very important document before. No one knows when you might become incapacitated by an illness or an accident. Make the effort to minimize any stress on your family and loved ones by letting them know in writing what you want. It will be one of the most important gifts you can give them. 2. Make an appointment to see your primary healthcare provider. During your annual visit, make sure you review your medications (including over-the-counter supplements and non-prescription drugs) and review and update your immunizations. Adults should be protected against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough as well as hepatitis A and B. Adults over 65 should be vaccinated against pneumonia and of course, everyone should have a flu shot. In addition, young women and men should consider immunization against human papillomavirus (HPV). 3. Donate blood. It's so easy to save someone's life---donate blood. Each pint of blood that is donated can save as many as three lives! That is a pretty spectacular statistic! January is Blood Donor Month so what are you waiting for----donuts? Make an appointment today. 4. Support your local volunteer ambulance corps. Not everyone lives in a large municipality, like Philadelphia, that provides emergency services. We had one patient this year whose life was saved by her local volunteer ambulance crews after her heart stopped multiple times. Because of their quick response and on-the-scene actions, she was resuscitated and transported to the nearby medical center where her care continued. You can help crews like this one continue their work by making a donation or, if you're so inclined, volunteering. 5. Make sure you are carrying some sort of medical identification on your person. Be it a medallion or a bracelet or just a business card sized list in your wallet, you want to share this information in an emergency. If you are creating the small business card, consider listing your primary healthcare provider's name (if you don't have one, go back to goal #2); an emergency contact name and number; your medical conditions, your current medications, and any drug allergies that you have. If you are more "tech savvy" and have a cell or smart phone, consider an ICE contact. A few years ago, a British paramedic started an initiative to include emergency contact names and numbers in cell phones or smart phones by listing them under ICE---in case of emergency. Alternatively, a person can list multiple emergency contacts as "ICE1", "ICE2", etc. This enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, as well as hospital personnel, to contact the next of kin of the owner of the mobile phone to obtain important medical or support information (the phone must be unlocked and working.
Make 2012 A Great Year! FYI: Phillies Pitchers and Catchers Report on February 18th! | 
