Did you have a New Year’s resolution planned for this year that you didn’t start? New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be started on January 1st – they can really be started anytime you feel like it! I had one big resolution this year, and I officially started it on January 20th. Getting started is the hardest part, but once you start, it really feels rewarding as it becomes a habit. Whether it was to save more money, read more books, exercise more, or learn something new, it’s not too late to start now!
This year, I knew I wanted to actually try to stick to a resolution. I’ve always been one of those people who think of resolutions and then never stay committed through the entire year. Sometimes life gets in the way, or I just get bored with them. This year, the first step for me was coming up with something that could be feasible for me to stick with throughout the year. The resolution I ultimately decided on was to exercise more. I have a home gym, a green area near home, and a gym at school that I can use, so I knew I wouldn’t have an excuse to quit at some point during the year.
I wanted to do this for multiple personal reasons, but mostly to just feel better about myself. I didn’t get started on January 1st this year because I had to get my tonsils out. I had the surgery only two days before the new year, and during recovery, I was not allowed to exercise for at least two weeks. Once I was fully recovered, I told myself I was going to start once the semester started. That was the second step of my process:setting a new expectation of when I would start since January 1st had already passed. For this step, it really helped having someone to hold me accountable for sticking with it and starting on time. Luckily, I have a very supportive boyfriend, and he is able to hold me accountable for sticking with my goals.
Some things that I have learned to help me keep up with this goal are exercising at different times of the day, doing different exercises each day, and taking pictures of what I am doing. My class schedule is flexible enough that I am able to exercise at different times during the week. Most days, I go in the afternoon before dinner because I find that that is the time I enjoy going the most. Some days during the week, I go in the mornings. This just breaks up my schedule and makes it feel like I’m not stuck in a repetitive cycle. Not doing the same exact exercises every day has really helped with this, too. I pretty much use every machine in my gym at school, making sure to mix it up every day. Some days I will use the treadmill and the stairmaster, some days I will use the treadmill and a bike, and many other combinations.
The main reason for this resolution isn’t to “look” any different. It will just be a bonus result as I keep this up. Therefore, I don’t take progress pictures of myself, because I don’t want to stress about it. I do take progress pictures of my stats on the machines, though. It feels good to see my times get better and see how much I am doing each day.
Another step I took to make sure this resolution would stick was keep the expectations for “more exercise” loose. I didn’t want to start out too hardcore and say that I was going to go to the gym every day. The first few weeks, I was just making sure I went to the gym three times a week for however long I was able. I tried to go every day I was at school, and even if it was only for 30 minutes, that made me happy. This week, I got to five days a week, which is the max I am going to do. I want to make sure my body has enough time to recover each week, so I don’t get burnt out from doing this.
So far, this resolution has stuck for me. I didn’t get started right off the bat on January 1st, but that doesn’t matter. In my opinion, January 1st is an arbitrary date and not required for making positive life changes. Personal growth and habit formation can begin whenever you put your mind to it, regardless of the date. It’s not too late to start a resolution now, next month, halfway through the year, or even the last day of December. Pick something you can stick to and make sure to hold yourself accountable. It will pay off in the end, and you will be happy you started!