Okay, so I know Thanksgiving literally just ended and Christmas hasn’t even arrived, but I am already looking forward to the new year. 2016 has been one for the books and I am always excited for new things so why wait? I have already started planning for this upcoming new year and you should too!
So if you don’t know what a resolution is it’s a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere but also found in the Eastern Hemisphere, where a person makes a pledge to do an act of self-improvement beginning on New Year’s Day. Normally I’m not big on resolutions, but retrospection and re-evaluating are some of the major keys of successful living so I’m all in. Now making resolutions is the easy part, sticking to them however is a bit tougher, but no worries Her Campus is here with a few common resolutions and tips on how to stick with them!
1. Getting in shape
Over 1/3 of the population pledges to get in shape every New Year. Memberships skyrocket at gyms and people line tracks and trails everywhere in their fresh workout gear. This is such a great resolution, being healthy should be on everyone’s to do list. Whether you are trying to gain weight or lose it you should keep in mind the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule also known as the Pareto principle states that roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. What does it mean? Forming healthy eating habits! The 20 percent effort you put into eating right, that is making sure your plates are nice and colorful will directly effect the 80 percent outcome (that is your weight loss/gain).
2. Stop procrastinating
Procrastination is our biggest enemy! Let’s attribute it to the law of physics and maybe we can get a little motivation from good ol’ Sir Issac Newton. One of Newton’s laws of motion says that objects at rest have the tendency to stay at rest and objects in motion keep moving, in short. Now we aren’t apples, but it still applies. Once you know what needs to be done do it immediately, if you know it’ll take longer than say 5 minutes, tackle it a little daily and before you know it it’s complete! Stagnation is not our friend, beware!
3. Reduce stress
Stressing will literally kill you if you let it. We all have situations in our life that stress us out, finances, relationships, jobs, school, etc, but it is vital that we learn how to manage our stress effectively. Try meditation, exercise, laughing or going outside. Do anything that allows you to take your mind off of what ails you for a moment. After you’ve stepped away for a minute revisit the situation, but look at it from a different angle. Nine times out of ten it isn’t as bad as we’re making it. Perspective is key.
4. Better managing finances
If you are anything like me saving money is a bit of an issue. The older we get the more vital it is for us to save every penny! How? Take one month and write down everything you spend your money on no matter what it is, write it all down! Once you get a picture of what you are spending your money on you can create a budget. When creating a budget remember priorities. You don’t need to eat out every week or that super cute top that just came in at H&M, keep in mind your needs vs. wants. After you have your budget set goals for how much you want to save and set a little aside each month (or however you choose to break it up). Be sure to be realistic in your goal setting it’ll be easier to accomplish this way. Remember it only takes 30 days to form a habit so keep it up and you’ll be a saving expert in no time!
Well those were just a few of the most common resolutions out there and some tips on how to successfully carry them out. Remember it is never too early to work towards a better version of yourself so go ahead start planning now. Until next time HCXO!