The number of Instagram photos captioned, “New year, new me,” or some variation of that, made us sick to our stomachs. Let’s be real here, 2016 will be a year of firsts and new beginnings, but it mostly likely won’t be an entirely new you. However, we firmly believe that with the proper resolutions, there is hope of crafting a new you in the next 365 days. We’ve unpacked a few of the most common resolutions to a level that you’ll hopefully be able to actually keep.
Eat more fruit.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Join the party and attempt to increase that fruit intake. Make efforts to transition your love for cheap fruit flavored vodka to a love for actual fruit. Real life watermelon tastes significantly better than whatever chemical compound is in the alcohol. So take the plunge and indulge in actual fruit. You won’t regret it. Plus eating more fruit is so much more achievable than cutting out carbs or eating more green things.
Stay Positive.
This may be a tough one to keep, but if you can afford to be less pessimistic maybe four or five days each week it’ll make things easier. Having a positive outlook on life is one of the best ways to improve your attitude and, in turn, maybe 2016 will suck a little less than 2015 did!
Make good choices.
Last year may have been a series of questionable choices, but 2016 is a still clean slate, probably with the exception of that New Year's Eve party you attended. Just remember, “good” choices are all relative, often vague and interpreted differently by different people. Instead, resolve to make fewer bad choices, regret fewer things or even just make better bad decisions. Basically just spend less Sunday mornings wondering where your morals went last night.
Help the needy.
Hopefully, 2016 will bring you many things including a kinder heart. Reach out to those who are less fortunate than yourself, maybe even set a goal of doing so once a month. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, a shelter or a local road race. Help in anyway you can. If that means aggressively dragging your severely hungover friend out of bed and dressing her before her parents come, do it. Help those in need.
Go to the library before finals week.
Leave last semester’s grades behind in 2015. There’s no better time than the present to try and improve your GPA. Aim to go to the library at least once every week, or twice a week, so you can start that paper more than four hours before it’s due or study for that upcoming exam more than the night before. Plus, you can spend the whole semester scoping out the first floor for the perfect table for you to set up camp once finals week rolls back around.
Take risks and explore.
For the adventurous, that may mean studying abroad in 2016, and for others, going on a road trip with friends. Whatever or wherever it is, push yourself to explore. Even if that means simply trying something besides an iced caramel macchiato with 1 percent milk at Starbucks. Take risks and enjoy your youth. Just make sure you have enough money to get back home at the end of your adventure so your parents don’t have to wire money overseas to see their child again.
Improve your relationship with yourself.
If 2015 left you kissing your bottle of $6 champagne at midnight, embrace it. Gain confidence in who you are. Don’t look for a significant other, date yourself. Treat yourself to luxuries you couldn’t enjoy if there was someone else to consider. Love yourself before you love someone else, it will make it all the better when a new relationship presents itself.
Start a new show on Netflix.
If all of the above resolutions are still too much commitment for you, here’s one everyone is capable of doing. At the very least, this will give you something to do in your spare time and a sense of achievement.
