Sun Lite for Jan. 6, 2003

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, Jan. 6, 2003 | 8:28 a.m.

Changing it up

So here we are, six days into the new year. How are those resolutions holding up? Have you successfully ditched the cigarettes? Eaten your last favorite-but-fatty dessert? Actually set foot yet in that health club you joined?

Never fear: This columnist isn't about to let readers fly solo in the face of such life-altering changes. I'll ride shotgun.

You have likely noticed some changes to today's Accent page, including a new title atop this space, from Trends to Sun Lite. Simply consider the switcheroo part of my resolution to keep slinging factoids, figures and other fun stuff each week in this column.

Tips for making proper suds for Bubble Bath Day celebrations (mark your calendars it's Wednesday); instructions for purchasing the latest in hi-tech chalkboard-eraser technology; survey results about which celebrities prefer plain or peanut M&Ms that's the sort of soft-hitting news readers can continue to expect to see thoroughly reported in Sun Lite.

Rest assured, this is one resolution I intend to keep. Not like the year I cold-turkey quit eating carbs and watching "The Real World" reruns on MTV. All protein and no Puck what was I thinking?

That smarts

Just how do you plan to stick to your New Year's resolutions? Try setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. That's the acronym used by author Charles Stuart Platkin in his book, "Breaking the Pattern: The 5 Principles You Need to Remodel Your Life" (Red Mill Press, 2002, $24.95).

Platkin says successful resolutions rest in goals that are:

Specific "Goals should be clear and not too broad." Want to lose weight this year? Shoot for, say, 20 pounds over the next six months.

Motivating "The process and the end result should be exciting for you." Make loosing the weight fun by taking a low-calorie cooking course.

Achievable "Be realistic." It's not feasible or healthy to drop 20 pounds in a week.

Rewarding Hang on to a "mental life preserver" by thinking about the new, svelte you. Tactical Follow a detailed plan of action, from how you'll lose the weight to what you'll eat.

Clean dreams

Maybe it isn't pounds, but filth you're hoping to shed in 2003. It's the Soap and Detergent Association (yes, such an organization really does exist) to the rescue! The association, based in Washington, D.C., recently released the results of a survey it sponsored. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they'd rather have a clean house this year than redecorate (18 percent), renovate or do away with clutter (both tapped by 14 percent of those polled) at their homes.

Busting scum is no small task. That's why the Soap and Detergent folks suggest starting with the right products. Sure, you could grab such standbys as mops and rags, but a few "recent innovations" favored by the association include flushable toilet-cleaning wipes; premeasured gel-dishwashing detergent capsules; and dye-trapping sheets for the washing machine.

Create a personal "calendar of clean" (and look cool at the same time) with the help of your Palm Pilot. The SDA recommends sending yourself electronic reminders to scrub the tub and dust the top of the refrigerator.

Pressed for prime cleaning time? Delegate the duties by assigning household members cleaning tasks to tackle as needed. So much for resolving to impose less on others this year.