If you’re like many people, the New Year’s resolutions you made a few weeks ago are already becoming a thing of the past.
Almost a quarter of those who make resolutions quit them after the first week of January, according to one study by the University of Scranton.
Some Postal Service employees who’ve bucked that trend have advice for their colleagues.
“The key to keeping resolutions or goals is to do your research before making a change and experiment to find what works,” said Esi Efseaff, a Terra Bella, CA, retail associate.
For him, it started with a pair of running shoes — and not on Jan. 1, but last August.
Efseaff decided to take up long-distance running at age 38 after being inspired by his supervisor, Postmaster Jeremy Groff, who runs marathons.
“I wanted the challenge of putting my body through something it has never experienced before,” Efseaff said.
After reading up on the subject and talking to Groff, Efseaff began training and completed a 10K, a 10-mile run and a half-marathon last year.
In 2024, Efseaff is training to run another half-marathon, a full marathon and an ultra-marathon 50K.
His workouts consist of long-distance runs on trails, hills and mountains near his home, along with running on a treadmill and strength training to help with bone density and injury prevention.
He has lost 25 pounds, which he considers a side benefit.
“I find it amazing how our bodies adapt and change when we run long distances over long periods of time. Our bodies are made to run,” he said.
Another USPS employee, Shelene Costello, a Bruning, NE, retail associate, has also focused on increasing her physical activity.
Costello, whose family has a history of diabetes, began making changes two years ago when she learned she was getting close to the diabetic range.
“I didn’t want to go there, so I began doing research,” she said.
Through dietary adjustments and a walking regimen, Costello brought down her sugar and blood pressure levels and lost 45 pounds.
“Those changes helped to ease the pain in my joints, and I’m now able to walk much farther,” she said.
Costello, 60, also credits the changes with improving her sleeping patterns and mood.
No matter what your resolution might be, both Efseaff and Costello said it’s important to give yourself time to achieve your goals, to not feel frustrated if the changes you seek don’t happen overnight and to seek expert advice when appropriate.
Said Costello: “It comes down to research and experimentation. Basically, look around and find what you are interested in and do what works for you.”
