Years ago one of my assignments as a reporter for the West Sherburne Tribune was to interview people in the community and ask them if they had any New Year’s resolutions.

It was a nice way to talk to people without covering a serious subject like a city council meeting, a school board meeting or a controversial street project that would cost property owners thousands of dollars each.

When I first got the assignment, I thought it would be enlightening to hear all the different ideas people had for making their lives, and the world, better in the upcoming year.

Little did I know before I started interviewing people that there weren’t really that many different things people felt they needed to change. I think the most common resolution was to start working out and getting in better shape. That’s something just about everyone I spoke to told me.

Another resolution was to quit smoking. That wasn’t as popular since most of the people I interviewed had never smoked or had already quit years before.

A few people said they wanted to be more patient during their interactions with people they met. I thought that was a good one, and it was something that would make my job as reporter a bit easier when dealing with the public.

A few years back I wrote a column about my own resolutions. Like some of the people I interviewed, getting healthier was at the top of my list. But it wasn’t that I was overweight and needed to lose a few pounds. After being diagnosed with diabetes, I had to watch what I ate and make sure I remained physically active.

Many people set goals for the new year, and often those goals are unrealistic. People want a quick fix and instant results. That’s why there are so may pills, supplements and miracle exercise machines that can magically wipe away years of unhealthy living.

For me, there is no magic medication that will take the place of a good diet and exercise.

I’m not looking to achieve an ideal weight, and I’m not expecting to be able to bench press 300 pounds or run a 10k.

I just want to keep my blood sugar level close as possible to normal. If I stray from my preferred diet and eat a snack that I shouldn’t have, my glucose monitor tells me I could pay for it by increasing my risk for heart attack, stroke or nerve damage.

So, it’s up to me to be vigilant about my health.

I know I can’t achieve world peace or save the planet. But I’d like to be around if someone else does.