Used to...

It was a snippet of conversation overheard on an elevator.
“He used to play,” said the first.
“Used to …” replied the other with an eye roll.
It sounded like an accusation. I wondered: What did the guy “used to” play? Why did he stop?
And that got me thinking about my own growing stack of “Used To’s.” I used to run regularly, but I’ve only jogged a few miles since my one and only marathon in 2015. I used to write regularly but inexpliably stopped. I used to coach at our local high school. Used to ....
It’s true there are things we should put in our “used to” columns: Smoking, drinking to excess, losing our tempers, chronic worrying … it’s a good thing break bad habits.
But in addition to your New Year’s resolutions, it might be good to resurrect a few things you’ve let go of because you took a break, got busy, got injured, moved, changed jobs, had kids, started to believe you're too old. The usual stuff that challenges our ambitions. 
And while you’re at it, consider some new activities. 
A former colleague, Karen Rinaldi, wrote about the value of trying something new, even if you aren’t very good at it, in her book It's Great to Suck at Something: The Unexpected Joy of Wiping Out and What It Can Teach Us About Patience, Resilience, and the Stuff that Really Matters. She took up surfing in her 40’s and it’s been an animating force in her life ever since.
And while her book was focused more on her personal experiences, journalist Tom Vanderbilt uses research to support the value of those virtual painting classes you signed up for in Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. There’s tremendous value to our health and wellbeing in trying new things even if – especially if – we aren’t very good at them.
The crucial aspect in trying something new is that we stick with it. Sadly, 80% of us will have abandoned our resolutions by February. But hang in there until mid-March, and it’s a habit that will be harder to break than to maintain. And while you might become a solid swimmer or film-maker or app developer, it's what you'll learn along the way that provides the real payoff.
One tip: Don't just single out one health habit – although nearly all of us want to lose a few pounds --  but take this opportunity to evaluate every aspect of your life. Gallup research has identified five elements of wellbeing that are needed to live a thriving life: career, social, financial, physical and community. These are interrelated and interdependent elements, meaning you get a much higher payoff when you combine activities in all areas.