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At 2012 draws to an end, many of us Her Campus collegiettes look to 2013 as an opportunity for a fresh start to change ourselves. There’s something about hanging a new calendar that is yet to be filled with due dates and assignments that let’s us think, “This year will be different”. And thus, the long-standing tradition of New Year’s Resolutions carries on. Whether they’re based on personal goals or professional objectives, over 50 percent of Canadians participate in the annual tradition of vowing to follow through on new commitments and to kick old bad habits when ringing in the New Year. As valiant and admirable as these resolutions can be, their impressiveness quickly fades as more than half of the Canadians that sign onto New Year’s resolutions abandon them within the first month of the new year. Not to worry ladies- Her Campus has created the ultimate guide to picking the right resolutions for you, and helping you stay right on track with them. Turn that frown upside down: Stop thinking about what you won’t do and start thinking about what you will!
1. Turn that frown upside down: Stop thinking about what you won’t do and start thinking about what you will!
Many see resolutions at promises and commitments to give up bad habits or nasty addictions: “I’ll quit smoking” or “I won’t procrastinate with my assignments”. Instead of thinking of things you need to stop doing, make resolutions that push you to start doing things you never used to. “I’ll use Nicorette patches and chewing gum until I lose my addiction” or “I’ll get each of my assignments peer-reviewed before handing them in (meaning that they will need to be completed at least 2 days before their due dates)”. By refraining from making a list of “don’ts”, you give up the chance to abandon your resolution and leave your-self open to continual success throughout the year.
2. Hold your-self accountable!
It’s easy to give up on a goal or objective when no one is hassling you to complete it, and you push it so far down your list of priorities that it hardly seems worth doing. Instead of making a list of resolutions on a post-it note on January 1st and pushing it aside for the remainder of the year, put that list in a place where you’ll see it all year long. Make a poster listing all of your objectives and hang it on your door so you see it every time you leave your house (bonus: getting to check off goals as you accomplish them feels pretty amazing). You could also post your list as a Facebook status on the first of every month and allow yourself to include notes about any progress you’ve made in reaching your goals. Doing so will make you accountable, not only to yourself, but to your friends and family who will track your progress on Facebook.
3. Make your objectives achievable!
The easiest goals to give up on are the ones that are unrealistic. While resolutions are great in helping you push your-self to new levels and to improving your overall mental and physical health, be realistic when deciding what you expect of yourself within the next year. If you’re a take-out fanatic who’s only ever used your oven to heat your clothes on cold winter mornings, cooking your way through Julia Child’s cookbook within a year might be a bit of a stretch. Instead, aim for something a little more progressive like: “Take one public cooking class each month, and try a new recipe at home every two weeks”. If you set your objectives exceedingly high, you’ll justify giving up on them, claiming that “They’re too hard” or “I don’t have time”.
Julie Powell (Amy Adams in Julie and Julia) found her-self in over her head as she tried to cook all of the 524 recipes included in Julia Child’s cookbook within one year.
4. Make your objectives measurable!
Broad, unspecific and immeasurable resolutions are easy to give up on, as bias and flexibility can be used when trying to decide if they’ve been reached. Goals such as “Run more” or “Drink less alcohol” are admirable and no doubt have positive impacts on one’s life, but the depth of their achievement is hard to measure. One might go from never running to going on three runs throughout a year and tell themselves that “I ran more”, and subsequently achieved their goal. Had they set out to “Run more by running a combined total of at least 25 kilometers per month”, they would still have been able to say to themselves, “I ran more”. Except this time they would have truly accomplished a significant goal. By making your goals measureable and concrete, its easier to judge if you’ve truly accomplished what you set out to do, or if you’re just trying to make yourself feel better by bending the rules to your own game.
And most importantly…
5. Pick resolutions that you care about!
Remember, whatever goals you set for yourself on New Years Eve will (hopefully) be with you throughout the next year. Make them about the person you are and the person you want to become. Think about your mind, your body, your passions, your lifestyle and your insecurities and base your goals on those. If you pick resolutions based on “what’s trendy” or what others in your life want you to do, you’ll lack the desire and motivation to see them through the entire year. If you pick goals you care about, desire for yourself and truly believe you can achieve, 2013 will fly by and you’ll be amazed at how much you accomplished in one year.
I don’t have a list of “The Top 10 Resolutions For 2013” because in the end, my goals are my goals and yours are your own. Take ownership of them, believe in them and make them happen.
2013, here we come!
Photo credits:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20452233,00.html
http://youwatchedthat.blogspot.ca/2011/01
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