Ah, 'tis the season... for New Year's resolutions, that is. After every Christmas cookie in sight has been consumed, the gym is about to be ultra-packed with people who just purchased the most expensive and all-inclusive membership they can find come January 1st. People are going to vow to give up their favorite food, or their guilty pleasure drink, or anything they think is going to magically solve all their problems.
Two months later? These dreams have been abandoned and the people who were so ready to change their lives have fallen right back into their last year's ways. This cycle can be super disappointing, but what can be done to keep people on track all year long?
SMALLER GOALS! Here's the truth: the day on the calendar is not going to change who you are as a person. If you love cheeseburgers and donuts on December 31st, you're still going to love them on January 1st. Make some small, attainable, and trackable goals for yourself that don't feel so daunting and watch the new year actually be a new you.
1. Wake up earlier at least once a week
Maybe you're the kind of person who refuses to schedule a class before noon because mornings are the actual worst. Getting up one hour earlier than normal one day a week can help you feel a little more productive, and the once a week commitment won't leave you hitting snooze every single day.
2. Don't get a gym membership... workout on your own
Watching the money being pulled out of your account every month while you sit on the couch eating Cheetos is just a bummer, but giving up the membership means accepting you won't ever work out. The fix? Skip the gym all together! Go for a run outside, do some YouTube yoga in your living room, or have a little pushup and situp routine right before a shower. You'll feel a little better about yourself without having the guilt of another skipped gym day.
3. Cook your own food on the weekends
This one is double helpful. Instead of spending money on expensive delivery or takeout on the weekends, you can save that money for the spring break trip you've been wanting to take. Also, odds are it'll be way easier to eat healthy when you know what's actually going into the meals you're eating.
4. Save all your change
All coins do is weigh your wallet down. Be honest: when you have cash you don't really spend your time counting out exact change, and as a result you always have extra coins you never spend. Get yourself a good sized jar, put it in a safe place, and drop change in it whenever you have it available. By the end of the year, you'll be surprised how much you've saved up.
5. Take yourself out once a month
This might seem counterproductive to the whole save money and eat healthy thing, but hey, sometimes you just need to treat yourself. Take yourself to a movie, buy a bath bomb, eat out at your favorite place. It'll keep you sane.
6. Finish a whole show on Netflix
Being productive comes in many forms. Starting a show you've always wanted to start and seeing it all the way through will give you a sense of accomplishment the same way going to the library can. It's called balance.
Making a New Year's resolution doesn't have to be something to dread. Pick something that makes you feel better, no matter what that might be, and make 2019 your year.
