Admittedly, I find New Year’s resolutions to be a bit cliche. Why wait for the beginning of a new year to begin a new habit when you can take action sooner? However, you may not realize the new habits you should make unless some big life changes occur. 2019 proved to be one of the biggest years of my life — from acceptance into college, graduating high school, moving to New York City, to making all new friends — so I find myself reflecting more on my actions as I ease into the new year (and new decade!). Read on for the top ten things I came up with!
- Continue to Work Out.
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I have been trying to work out consistently since my junior year of high school. It has been my goal to visit the gym at least 4 to 6 times a week. And while in high school this habit was easy to maintain as the local YMCA was a two-minute drive from my house, it is harder to drag myself across the street in the freezing weather to go to Dodge. However, I am my happiest and healthiest when I throw on my sweats and get moving and so one of my goals is to ensure I make the trek.
- Focus on Me.
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This one is big. For years I have found myself aiming to please, aiming to help, aiming to appeal to others. However, after moving by myself across the country this past fall, I have realized how important it is to develop yourself independent of everyone else. I want 2020 to be my own year for discovering my goals, ambitions, and wishes. I am no longer trying to be who everyone wants me to be; I am trying to direct my own life!
- Reduce My Waste.
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Each Sunday morning this past semester I was alarmed by how much trash I was producing. Seriously, I must have almost filled my waste bin every week. As a consequence of me being a neat freak, I devour paper towels and Clorox wipes. I am now becoming increasingly aware of the negative impact of waste and I am making plans to cut down on my personal problem.
- Drink More Water.
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Ok, so I am really, really bad at staying hydrated. Despite my love for the gym, I never bring water. This is mostly because I am too lazy to maintain and clean a water bottle. Towards the end of 2019 I got sick and the only way I would take medicine is by drinking Capri Suns … I need to get this under control.
- Take the Stairs.
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At the beginning of the semester I was stair-stepping everywhere. However, as the weeks continued and I found myself increasingly tired, it became harder for me to convince myself to walk up six floors to my dorm. Nowadays I pretty much exclusively take the elevator up to my room. My goal is to ascend by foot at least twice a week.
- Start One New Hobby.
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I realized the other day that I don’t really have a hobby anymore. Working out is about as close as it gets, and I feel rather silly saying that when people ask. Because I can no longer functionally play a clarinet and lack any interest in doing research for debate, I need to find something to occupy my time that is not laying in bed watching Tik Toks!
- Donate Clothes I Don’t Wear.
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I have a heckin’ ton of cute clothes back home. In high school I was constantly turning out trendy “fits,” but nowadays I pretty much live in leggings and oversized shirts (and I’ve realized, I’m okay with that). Why not donate my clothes to someone in need?
- Make My Bed in the Mornings.
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I have never been committed to making my bed in the morning because I realize I will be back in that same spot in less than eighteen hours. However, I do wonder if I would feel more refreshed if I returned to a tidy home each night? My goal is to find out!
- Let Go of Grudges.
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Maybe this goes back to #2, but I need to get over what other people are up to. I need to not let others’ behaviors impact how my day is going.
- Cut Down on Phone Time.
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This resolution may be somewhat universal. I cannot say I appreciate Apple’s screen-time monitoring data because it makes me feel guilty and unproductive. That being said, I would love to cut down on my own time!
What are your 2020 resolutions? Do we share any in common? While I am usually a resolution skeptic, I think these goals are within my reach and would actually improve my wellbeing.