“New year, new me!” I’ve only heard that (or have seen it as a caption on instagram) a thousand times over the holidays. New Year’s Eve seems to give everyone this sense of renewal. That they can better themselves, learn something new, or make a change. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are for. They give you the excuse to do that. For a while, we stick to our resolutions. Whether it’s to dress differently, or to keep in touch with old friends and family, or, more commonly, to get in shape, whatever it is! For the first couple of weeks these goals seem attainable. However, as classes begin again and start picking up, we realize it’s almost February and we haven’t done anything we said we wanted to. We fall back into our old routine, the resolutions get pushed aside and we say, “There’s always next year.” Or maybe this exact scenario has happened to you too many times so you chose to not make a resolution at all.
As Collegiette’s, we should always be looking for ways to be the best versions of ourselves. We should be challenging ourselves to reach new heights. Let’s recommit to our resolutions or even make new ones. If you didn’t happen to make one, make one now! It’s not to late. And if you’re still going strong on yours, good for you, and keep on keeping on! Here are some tips and tricks that could help us all keep our resolutions this year:
- Just pick one. Pick one resolution and make it your rule to live by for the rest of the year. Make it a short and sweet phrase you can write in your planner or remember quickly. Focus on that. If you make too many resolutions, you might feel overwhelmed and stressed and that is not the point. You want to accomplish your goals and feel good while doing them.
- Be patient. It takes twenty-one days to create a habit. That’s three weeks. So stick to it. Making a change won’t just happen over night. It’s also important to remember that it’s okay to have an off day every now and again. Maybe you don’t stick to your resolution for a day or two here and there. It’s not the end of the world. Just keep your goal in mind and get back to it the next day.
- Reward yourself. At the end of each week, or whatever time frame you find suitable, evaluate how you did on keeping your resolution. If you’ve kept it up, treat yourself to a movie or some ice cream, maybe even a new blouse or something.
I’m challenging us all: instead of saying, “There’s always next year,” say to yourself, “Lets do this today.” Imagine how great we’re going to feel by this coming New Year’s Eve! I suppose I’ll end on a pretty corny note. Whatever you wish to do or change this year, just believe that you can. Be proud of everything you have done and keep striving for all that you can do. Good luck!