Howard Falkinburg

I have never been one for making New Year’s resolutions. But still, I did a little fact checking on the failure rate of people carrying out their New Year’s resolutions. What I found was quite humorous and sad.

According to research at Baylor College of Medicine at the University of Delaware, 80%-90% of people who make resolutions drop them within the first few weeks of January. Only 8 to 9% of people successfully achieve their resolutions.

Common reasons for failure:

• Unrealistic or poorly designed goals
• Starting too intensely
• Lack of motivation or intrinsic reasons
• Not tracking progress or lacking implementation plans

I did a little more research and came across an article from the Baylor College of Medicine website. The article was written by Taylor Barnes and quoted Dr. Asim Shah, a professor and executive vice chair in the department of psychiatry and behavioral science.

Dr. Shah said the number one reason people give up on their resolutions is because they are unachievable or unrealistic. He advises making resolutions easy and achievable. He recommends taking small steps. His further recommendations:

• Set realistic expectations by changing one thing at a time
• Track your resolution to give you motivation on a monthly or weekly basis
• Encourage a friend, a partner, or spouse to join you on your journey

Lastly, Dr. Shah recommends starting with a short term goal. “This can give you the confidence to strive for a long-term resolution,” he said.

Instead of calling them resolutions, I’m going to identify the following long-term goals I would like to attain for 2026:

1.Become a board member of disability advocates

Disability Advocates of Kent County empowers individuals with disabilities to thrive at home, in the community, and in the workplace with personalized advocacy and support. I have been volunteering with the test pilot program in giving input to companies and workplaces about accessibility for people with disabilities (in a power wheelchair in my case).

I have a good friend, Marcus Fairfield, who is now the president of the board for DAKC. He has extended an invitation for me to join the board which I have been procrastinating on.

I now committed to join and will start attending meetings this month.

2. Travel overnight

It is hard to believe that 7+ years into my injury and I still haven’t traveled overnight anywhere. Hopefully, that’ll change this year. Nothing crazy to start with. I want to travel locally to visit friends or family that live out of town at least once. I plan to do this during warmer months.

3. Attend more events

I’m cheating a bit here. I have attended some College and professional sporting events. I’ve been limited because usually by mid afternoon I’m tired and very sore. My tone hasn’t been as debilitating recently as it has been in the past. Or maybe I’m learning to tolerate it better. Or both.

I want to increase my time out in the community later in the day by attending events or just hanging out with family and friends.

4. Work part-time

In addition to volunteering with Disability Advocates of Kent County, I’ve been volunteering with Emmanuel Hospice in visiting a gentleman living in a retirement home. I go and visit weekly for an hour to chat and keep him company.

I would like to work as a therapist part-time and/or supervise LLMSW newbies as they get their hours in to get their full license.

Based on my prior experience as a therapist, along with my recovery from the accident in all the trials and tribulations I’ve gone through. I feel there’s much for me to give to other people and helping them deal with their own circumstances.

5. Move

One word says it all. I’ve been living at Sojourners for six years come January 20. I’ve come close a few times to moving to alternative placements but medical issues torpedoed those opportunities.

I still have medical issues. There’s a procedure to clear out the rest of my gallstones in February. There are still infections that pop up but I am feeling stronger and ready to keep in advancing in my life.

So these are my goals for 2026. Perhaps you folks can be my accountability partners and I will keep you informed throughout the year.