This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SCAD chapter.
Think way back to January 1st, 2013… Did you make a resolution? Have you kept it? Broken it? Girls are always saying, “This is the year I will change!” and make resolutions that normally get shoved to the back of their head like last season’s sweater gets shoved to the back of their closet. Like the sweater, these resolutions are never to be pulled out or thought twice about again. 2013 might have been a year you gave up on your resolutions, but not this year! Here are the top five most commonly broken New Year’s resolutions and my tips on how to fix them.
- Get Fit: Going to the gym normally means sweating a lot, maybe crying, and generally looking like a hot mess in front of attractive guys. Ok so maybe not everyone has this problem, but I sure do. Instead of pushing yourself to go to the gym to run on the treadmill for the 500th time, go for a walk around town with your friends, or play Just Dance in the peace of your own dorm or apartment! Doing activities that are really fun with your friends will mask the fact that you’re actually exercising. It honestly doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something.
- Read More: WAIT! Before you skip over this because you think you already read enough, let me remind you that Vogue doesn’t count (although I personally think it should). If there’s one thing my mom taught me in my recent years that I’ve taken to heart, it’s that you have to read something that makes you think. I told her that Gossip Girl books do make me think- about where I want to live in New York when I grow up. I was wrong yet again, and my mom was right. So I started reading novels. I’m not really big on classics and maybe I’ll get there eventually, but just reading a book that has to do with something other than shopping and boys was actually good for me. In a world where the answers to all your questions are on Google, it’s actually a challenge to sit down and read something for longer than ten minutes without knowing the conclusion. Challenge yourself to read one chapter of a book every day. Yes, it sounds SO middle school to make that type of challenge, but really, when is the last time you read something other than a tabloid or textbook? You may enjoy it…
- Diet/Eat Healthier: “I’m starting a diet!!! …Tomorrow.” This is the all too common phrase promised by girls every single day. Diets aren’t always a good thing though; completely cutting things out of your normal intake will only make you crave them more. Instead, try cutting your meals in half- that way you’ll eat less and have leftovers for lunch the next day! To keep yourself from snacking on junk food, don’t buy it in the first place. If you don’t have it in your house, you won’t be able to eat it. But you also can’t completely deprive yourself of sweet treats, because us girls would go crazy without a bite of something sweet once in a while. Last semester I had a bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (my weakness) on my desk. I would constantly eat them. I tried a new system where I could only have one when I finished a project or studying for an exam. I still had one left on the last day of school! Reward yourself with something sweet so that you’re not deprived, and also as a little motivation to get your assignments done!
- Save Money: Between dinner out with your friends and shopping the latest sales, the money you saved from your part-time summer job seems to have vanished from your wallet (that you just bought with your last $50.) Ugh, broke again. Now you have to give up sushi night and will never afford that sweater that’s on sale at J Crew. Or not! Starting this year, make a budget for yourself. Yes, I realize that will make you feel like an old person who actually has to worry about where their money goes, but you really SHOULD be worrying about where you spend your money. Did you really need that over-dyed lace peplum with studs on the shoulders that you’ll wear once but that you totally need because it matches the shoes you bought last week? Maybe, but probably not. If you really do, wait a few days. It will still be there and maybe it will even be on sale! If you see an item that you fall in love with, leave it. If you’re thinking about it two days later, it might be worth going back to look at. My closet would be bursting at the seams more than it already is if I bought everything I saw on a whim. Give yourself time to think about if you can justify spending $50 on a new top that looks just like one hanging in your closet at home. If you can, good for you! I seem to find that I can’t, and I end up saving my money for something even better. The best thing you can do is budget. Whether you give yourself a weekly overall spending allowance or really get down to the details on how much money you can spend on each part of your life is completely up to you, but I guarantee you’ll find yourself with a little extra cash at the end of the school year for something sweet to start your summer right!
- Spend Time with Family: Let’s face it; we’re a generation that is constantly on our phones. You may be saying to yourself, “I do spend time with my family when I’m home.” But do you really? You may be there physically, but is your nose constantly in your phone checking the last updates from your friends back at school? While we’re in college our time with our family is limited and should be special to us because it’s normally around the holidays. I know it’s hard to imagine sitting through yet another family gathering answering questions about college and relationships without your trusty phone by your side, but your family is truly interested in your life because they are proud of you. Put the phone down, and if you really feel like you can’t go without it, shut it off! If someone needs to reach you, they can wait until you’re back tucked into bed with your phone in your hand.
With these resolution repair tips in mind, start the year off with a fresh slate and with a smile on your face. Happy New Year ladies- I hope 2014 treats you well!