I don’t know about you, but I have a strict, no-making-resolutions rule. Whenever I used to make them in the past, I would rarely succeed and therefore spend weeks feeling like a failure. It often made me feel worse when the resolution was intended to make me feel better about myself.
This year, I have seen an article or two about making resolutions smaller instead of larger. Instead of aiming to lose 15 pounds by spring break, you could resolve to work out for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night. That goal seems much more achievable, therefore making you feel more motivated and less intimidated.
And while we’re on the subject, weight loss and fitness are not the only resolutions out there. Many people focus on that when repairing relationships or helping others could be equally, if not more, beneficial in the long run.
I have compiled 10 easy, but wonderful, resolutions that you and I would be smart to adopt. Pick one or two, and we can do this together! We may be a couple weeks into 2013, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start now. Better late than never, folks.
1. Spend more time outdoors.
If you are anything like me, you may stay cooped up in your apartment the entire day with nothing to do. Instead, challenge yourself to get some fresh air. Whether it’s doing your homework at the park or going for picnics around Lake Eola, it’s important that you get out and appreciate the beauty around you. It can be really humbling.
2. Drink four glasses of water a day.
It’s no surprise that water is extremely good for you. Many of us take for granted how much it can help us, and it’s such an easy fix. Bring water bottles to class, have a glass with every meal, and another while you do your homework.
3. Eat one serving of fruit or veggies a day.
Again, something many of us overlook is how fruit and vegetables can help us. Even our hair and nails would benefit from them! More than one serving is recommended, but at least integrate some of it into your eating habits.
4. Don’t text when you’re hanging out with your family.
Nowadays, we connect more with the people that aren’t with us via social media or text messages when we’re in the presence of other people that would like to connect with us. In order to break this habit, start with your family and make it a point to set your phone aside and truly spend time with your loved ones.
5. Smile at three strangers every day.
Reaching out, even if it’s with only a smile, to someone you don’t know every day could feel like a vast improvement in your life. You may get people who are unresponsive or seem like they don’t care, but then again, you may get people whose day was made by something so simple.
6. Read a book every month.
A lot of us talk about reading because we remember high school and middle school, when we read so often and felt our vocabularies and general knowledge expanding with every book. One book every month is not a difficult achievement, and would most likely only need 45 minutes or so before you go to bed and a hour or two on the weekends.
7. Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while once a week.
Are you close with your grandparents, but find yourself forgetting to give them a call every once in a while? Do you have close friends from high school that seem to be becoming acquaintances from lack of communication? Write in your planner or set an alarm for once a week and give these people a call. Sometimes, initiating the relationship is all it takes to jump-start one right back to the way it was.
8. Limit yourself to checking your Facebook only twice a day.
Again, technology has really gotten the best of our generation, and social media is something we frequent far too often. Imagine if you limited this; wouldn’t that force you to do other things that are probably better (such as homework or calling friends)?
9. Keep a food diary.
If you write down what you eat every day and at what time, you can visually see what sort of unhealthy things you are putting in your body. This may help you notice how many calories you’re taking in or how late you’re eating, which can prompt you to stop the unhealthy habits. Personally, I feel like writing down that I had a bag of potato chips and a frozen pizza for lunch would be sort of embarrassing and would much rather write down that I had a salad and grilled chicken.
10. Get friends together and play a sport once a week.
This goal is great because it serves two different resolution categories: fitness and relationships. Make a group message with all the friends that would be interested, decide on a sport (or switch when you get bored of one), pick a day every week that everyone can go, and meet up to play. This kind of cardio once a week is sure to help you feel great, and seeing all these people so often can strengthen relationships and create great memories.
Good luck, everyone!