Reflections
I came into the new year extremely ambitious. I was going to get rid of my old habits, build healthy ones, and, just overall, be more happy with myself.
The first step was reflection.
Before the new year began, I started writing down habits of mine that consistently frustrated me. Ones that made me feel like I was holding myself back from reaching my full potential.
- Unhealthy eating habits
- Extreme procrastination
- Lack of sleep/sleeping very late
- Lack of commitment to the exercise
- No routine/unpreparedness
On their own, each of these habits may seem insignificant. But combined, they led to an unhealthy and unproductive lifestyle. I was constantly fatigued, unmotivation, and oftentimes, overwhelmed with stressed.
I didn’t want to live like that anymore. I knew I had it in me to make a change, so I wrote down a few actions and healthier habits I could adopt to counteract these patterns.
The second step was to take action.
Looking at these bad habits realistically, I knew it wouldn’t be possible to fix everything at all once. Change was going to be slow, but necessary.
First: eating habits. I love good food–sue me. I’m not going to stop myself from enjoying it, but I could make more balanced choices. Instead of eating out all the time or surviving off ramen, I’I committed to grocery shopping more often and actually cooking for myself. Instead of mindlessly buying snacks and neglecting proper meals, I’ve been more intentional about what I eat.
Procrastination, though, might be the hardest habit to break. It’s so easy for me think, play first, work later. I used to be a “work first, play later” girl, but what I’ve realized is… I just need to have a balance of both. Know what to prioritize. Manage my time well. Block out time for certain assignments so that I don’t have to stress about finishing it all at once later.
My sleep schedule was… terrible (like most other college students). It’s so easy to get sucked into the night. I loved saying “the night is still young” at 1 a.m, because I had trained my body to think that way. I relied on caffeine daily just to function, and I constantly felt groggy and unprepared for class. To fix this, I limit my caffeine intake so my body could naturally wind down at night. I started sleeping earlier, waking up earlier, still getting a full eight hours, and now, I actually feel energized when I get out of bed.
Lastly, I realized I didn’t take advantage of my free gym membership while at UVA. Three different gyms, packed full of equipment and resources to use, and I had gone to the gym… twice? Too often had I looked at myself and thought, I wish I was stronger, more productive, more energetic. All I had to do was push myself to show up.
My Resolutions
Now, let’s get into the resolutions. Here are some semi-strict goals I’ve set for myself. I wanted them to be specific, but flexible enough to adjust when needed. I didn’t want to force goals onto myself that I knew I couldn’t 100% commit to throughout the year.
- Go to the gym 3-4 times a week (workout for at least 45 minutes); if I can’t go to the gym, incorporate home workouts
- Fix sleep schedule & set up a morning routine (make my bed, eat a light breakfast)
- Clean my room every weekend
- Drink more water (2-3 bottles a day)
- Skincare every night
- Read before bed (no doom-scrolling)
My Progress
Now that we’re a month into the year, I’d like to think that I’ve been sticking to my resolutions fairly well. These first three weeks back have been the most active I’ve ever been. I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone and learning how to play new sports (Pickleball, Flag Football), and I’ve been going to the gym 4-5 days a week!
I can’t lie, I’ve made my bed about once, but now that I have fixed my sleep schedule, my morning routine has improved a lot. I wake up early enough for time to eat a light breakfast/snack and actually feel prepared for the day
Even though, I’ve only been back at school for three weeks, I stayed true to my cleaning resolution. I’ve done it every weekend since I moved back in over break.
Skincare and drinking lots of water every day have been non-negotiable. Reading before bed, though… that’s still a work in progress. I’ll admit, I’ve doom-scrolled a few times already, but I’m working on it!
Overall, I’m really proud of the progress that I’ve made so far, and I can only hope and push myself to continue it. It might get a little more difficult once the school work starts to pick up, but I’m sure I will be able to find some way to manage my time better so that I can continue these good habits.
I hope seeing my resolutions and my progress will give you a little push into following through with yours as well!