As an ADHD girlie, there are many things I say I’m going to do. When 2024 rolled around, I was determined to come up (and actually follow through) with some type of resolution. Although new years are typically a time for drastic changes, I know myself, and picking a few things to suddenly change in the new year was simply not going to happen. Instead, I opted for a more reasonable approach. I made a list of action items and planned to work toward one each month. The idea was to start slow and set a goal that seemed almost too easy – and give myself grace. Whether I swam 5 laps or 50, I went to the gym and did something, so the goal was met.
So after a session with my therapist and a night of vision boarding with my roommates, I was ready to conquer the impossible (making breakfast smoothies).
February:
Let’s just call this a freebie while I was getting adjusted to being back at school. After six weeks of being at home, I needed to regulate my sleep schedule before taking on any more tasks. I also wanted to get a feel for the workload of each of my classes to realistically gauge how much more I could add to my schedule.
March:
One of my monthly goals was to be more active. My biggest obstacle to this had been deciding what workouts to do. I would search up simple workout regimens on pinterest, research what workouts are best for particular goals, realize I don’t even have a workout goal, and then go to bed. My saving grace has been the classes at Mashouf Wellness Center. So far I have attended Hatha yoga, Gentle yoga, and aqua zumba, and plan to work my way up to more. I started attending these classes with my roommates. They have given us a designated time to spend with each other amidst our busy schedules, while also achieving my goal of working out more. The classes are free to all students, and follow the same schedule every week. They range in focus from core to kickboxing, and have varying levels of intensity.
April:
The next item on my list was meal planning. Most days I have back to back classes, and the other days I have work. I simply don’t have time to come home and both cook and eat in between classes. So, when making my grocery list, I took some of the pressure off by not restricting myself to only meals. I would buy apples and peanut butter, or any filling snack that I could eat throughout my day.
So far, I would consider my monthly resolutions a success. A few more goals I have planned for the year are practicing positive affirmations and drinking more water.
If you are planning to do this, I would suggest a weekly, or even monthly planner. My advice is just don’t be afraid to switch things up if they aren’t working. Feel free to focus on a new task every 2 months, for example, or even take a month off to further solidify your new habits. Canva has many cute and elaborate planner designs; I ended up printing out a basic template I found on google.
Making changes to your life can be exciting, yet intimidating. Whether it’s signing up for a workout class or journaling, these small steps are tangible ways of achieving the life that we want.