January 1st rolls around; you scrub the glitter off your eyes, throw out the bowls of stale chips and empty cans and expect to be a completely different person come the afternoon. The reality is that New Year’s Eve is a glorified excuse to eat and drink as much as you want for one night while wearing an outrageously expensive sequin dress because when the clock turns midnight all will be forgotten – except that increasingly high credit card bill and the wicked hangover you get…
(Me @ midnight…)
I am a true believer that goals should be set throughout the whole year and not just one night under the scornful spotlight of friends and family who ask expectantly what your resolutions for the upcoming year are. You are setting yourself up for failure if you create a list of unattainable and both physically and emotionally challenging goals, right away.
Be smart going into 2019 – here are a few of my tips and tricks for staying true to your own capabilities when setting goals for the new year!
1. Do NOT think you will go to the gym on January 1st, or 2nd, or probably even 3rd
Fitness is, understandably, always a huge goal for people going into the new year. It is a fresh start and a way to finally kick start a journey that, for some, can feel impossible. But, the most important part of creating a goal surrounding physical fitness it to remember that it is exactly that – a journey. Ease into this new lifestyle and know that you aren’t going to be your best self after a night of NYE fun. Take a break for a few days and get ready to start whatever gets you sweating after some well-deserved relaxation!
After I got back from a summer abroad I felt so discouraged in the fitness aspect of my life. I had actually lost weight while travelling (probably because all I could afford was crackers) but I had also lost so much of the muscle I spent years training at dance to build. Instead of thinking I needed to hit the gym every day until I looked like a Gymshark model, I started small. By strategically transitioning into a realistic workout routine, I fell in love with being active and realised that working out didn’t have to be an end goal, but instead could just be apart of my everyday life!
When setting your fitness goals for the new year, or just for yourself anytime, remember that this is going to be a process and that it is okay to feel discouraged as long as you understand how to keep going!
2. Eating Healthy does NOT mean complete restriction
(Me @ myself after eating in the cafeteria every day in first year…)
Existing codependently with working out is the goal of eating a more healthy diet. But the word healthy is often falsely associated with ideals of decreased caloric intake and extreme dieting that involves limited indulgences and honestly just unhealthy behaviours.
If you are going to create a goal that involves a modification in your diet make sure it is still representative of your body’s needs. Do not think that when the clock changes you will suddenly fall in love with kale, one, because that is unrealistic and two, kale is disgusting and no one actually likes it. Treat this goal the same as working out, start small and work your way up to that cleaner version of what you are already doing now.
Being honest…I like to dabble in the potato chip business, and by dabble I mean eat the entire bag myself. But I also pay attention to what my body needs to get through a day of classes and Netflix watching. Set goals that are fitted to your lifestyle – think about costs, time, and nutritional value when taking health tips from outside sources – you know your body the best!
(^Me when my roommate goes home and I’m left to ‘cook’ alone…)
3. Mental Health should ALWAYS be a priority!
I can not stress this one enough! Going into the new year after the stress of the holidays can be hard for so many people. There are expectations that there is going to be big changes in everybody’s lives and it is dangerous to assume you have to change as well.
As a university student, it is especially hard to just put aside the academics and do things solely for myself. I feel like the granted independence is both a blessing and a curse because the only person I am competing with is myself. I decided long ago, probably on a NYE while listening to Sleeping At Last, that I would put myself first in every decision I make – selfish but, worth it!
My sister found a great saying that I think about all the time, especially when I feel like my actions are letting down other people. She read “Never set yourself on fire to keep others warm”, which is so true but we all forget it sometimes. There is nothing you have to do in this world but care for yourself! Create a goal that makes sure you can be the best version of yourself and if that means saying no to going out and lounging on the couch all day, so be it! You do not have to validate your decisions to other people, just try and make them based off of your own needs and desires.
(^Meredith Grey is a doctor so she must be telling the truth…)
At the end of the day, or year (haha NYE joke) making goals shouldn’t be about impressing a crowd or flaunting a flaw you wish to fix when you flip the page in your calendar. Instead, new year goal setting should be based on taking what you have already worked so hard for and then improving it, not limiting yourself!
(^Sadly this is me…)
Happy (attainable) goal setting Warriors!