New Year, New Resolutions?

With the first blog of 2019, I thought it would be fitting to talk about New Year’s Resolutions. Although they may seem cheesy, I do believe they help us re-evaluate ourselves, and allow us to see if we are truly happy with where we are in our lives.

Last year my New Year’s Resolution was a classic; I resolved that I would get into shape. I know, I know, so basic, right? Even though it was, I ended 2018 happy and accomplished knowing that I truly stuck with it and am continuing my goal into 2019. I have tried many years to meet my resolutions, and very few have ever actually stuck—until this year. Here are some tips that I hope will help you achieve your goals that helped me achieve mine in 2018.

First, I believe that by narrowing down your resolutions from 10 to 2 or 3, you are able to stay more focused on those few without the distraction of too many. In 2018, my only New Year’s Resolution was to be consistent with working out and I believe that by only having that one goal, it helped me stay truly focused. This also helps you feel more accomplished and not as overwhelmed when you have fewer things to check off your list. It can be easy to lose focus on some or completely abandon goals entirely when there are too many on your plate. Staying motivated to achieve one goal can be challenging enough!

Sometimes people find it hard to come up with a New Year’s Resolution or see it as a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Resolutions can be something fun like a new hobby! This new year for Christmas I received a one-month pass to a yoga studio in town, and I am super excited to start. Not only does it allow me to continue my goal of working out, but it is something new and exciting to try. It’s also important to know that your goal doesn’t have to be limited to only physical activities—you can try taking an art class, trying new cooking recipes, or focusing on learning a new instrument. It is all up to you and what you want to accomplish and learn.

Your New Year’s Resolution goal can also be about bettering your inner self. As I mentioned, New Year’s Resolutions let you objectively look at who you are and help you decide how you want to improve yourself. Examples can be focusing on having more “me-time” or trying meditation to help yourself relax before bed; I tried this out myself this summer (I recommend the app Headspace).

As cheesy as it is, a new year can genuinely mean a new you if you want it to. I believe that New Year’s Resolutions are a great opportunity for anyone to work on bettering themselves mentally or physically and I hope with my tips, I can help you accomplish those goals. I also want to state that although New Year’s Resolutions are typically at the beginning of the year, you do not have to wait until 2020 if you didn’t start in January; whether it is April, June, heck, even December, you can always take the time to try something new! It is so important to always keep working on yourself, and you do not have to wait for January 1st to start. So, start brain storming what you want to improve on and get working on that goal, you got this!

Christine Booth