By this point in the month many people have probably abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions. This can be due to a number of factors including laziness, time management, or just simply losing interest. In fact, “only 3 in 10 Canadians set new year’s resolutions — and 73 per cent of those don’t actually follow through” (Somani 2017). I am happy to say that I am still sticking to my resolution… more or less.
Like so many others, my resolution is to eat healthier and exercise more. This is probably one of the most pledged and abandoned resolutions. That’s why I’ve resolved to not take my resolution too seriously! Let me add that while I am still following it I am not going full throttle on it. And that’s okay.
Trying to eat healthier and exercise more can be extremely difficult with a busy schedule, and it is so tempting to just order fast food (that you don’t have to spend time cooking) and relax in bed after a long day instead of hitting the gym or exercising at home. And that is okay in moderation. If you are truly serious about sticking to your resolution, that’s going to happen. I believe the key to making this work is not taking your resolution too seriously – at least at the beginning.
There are plenty of days where I do exactly what I said above; I lay in bed, watch tv, and eat pizza. As a student, my schedule is all over the place and I’m not always able to cook a healthy dinner. However, when I do have a day like that I try to eat vegetables at least once or twice a day by choosing them as a snack instead of something else (hey, once is better than none, right?). I plan a healthy meal when I can. I understand that slipping up is okay once in awhile. If anything, allowing myself to slip up helps me stick to it in the future. The same goes for exercising. I don’t always have time, nor do I feel like exercising everyday. Instead, since I am keen on following my resolution, I let myself do it only when I have time to without feeling overwhelmed or guilty that I’m not doing something else. It also bodes well that I have a 10 minute walk to campus so I am exercising at least a little bit everyday. This way I’m still working towards my goal.
Going slow like how I’ve suggested above is definitely okay. Taylor Simon of Taylored Training Fitness Studio says “If you make small changes every day, they’re much more likely to impact yourself down the road,” (Somani 2017). By going full throttle you burn out quickly either by pulling a muscle or just getting tired of it, or realizing how much work it will actually be and just giving up! By easing into it you won’t tire as quickly and everytime you don’t complete your goal it will help you strive to accomplish it the next day.
I know some people will strongly disagree with this idea, and that’s okay. I personally believe that this method works for me. It allows me to get healthy and make myself feel better in a healthy way. By not taking my New year’s resolution too seriously, I can still work towards my goal while keeping a balanced schedule and a healthy mind.
There’s no shame in taking your time.
Works Cited:
Image: magazine, Identity. “4 New Year’s Resolutions to Kick Start Your 2018.” Identity Magazine, 14 Jan. 2018, identity-mag.com/4-resolutions-kick-start-2018/.
Somani, Sharmeen. “Take it slow and steady to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, experts
advise.” Global News, 30 Dec. 2017,
globalnews.ca/news/3938909/experts-advice-for-new-years-resolutions/.