No More New Year's Resolutions
Alright, you caught me. I've never been a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I think that they're dumb, and I kind of always have. But that doesn't mean I'm not a fan of the things New Year's Resolutions stand for.
And, what are they, ultimately? Goals. They're goals that you want to push yourself to reach, and generally that in the long run will make you feel better about yourself. So, I propose a new idea.
Let's make New Year's Habits. So, instead of saying, "Okay, I'll go to the gym every day this year, and I'll always do it at three in the morning by myself so no one can judge me," how about "I'm going to make a habit of going to the gym two or three times a week with a friend or two and then we can go for a salad or something after, and I'm not going to guilt trip myself if I skip a day here or there because my life gets hectic." Or, "I'm going to do this many sets of these exercises each morning as soon as I wake up, and each week I'll add in this." Perhaps even, "I'm going to start preparing my breakfasts and lunches the night before so that my mornings aren't so stressful and I can start my day off with something healthy, instead of regularly skipping meals."
The key to this whole habit thing, is actually doing it, though. Tell people who will keep you accountable to these things, even if it's not someone you usually spend a lot of time with. What I mean by this is, you're more likely to be encouraged to go work out a couple times a week by your friend who already does this regularly than by your friend who spends all their time watching The Office and eating brownies. Find someone to create these habits with. Find someone who will understand if you slip up - because we all do - but still encourage you to keep up with the goal you've set.
The point I'm making is, the reason New Year's Resolutions don't work is because we're already expecting to give them up, aren't we? But if you set a goal and make a concentrated effort to work that goal into your everyday/weekly routine, what's stopping you from reaching it? If you've got someone who's right there alongside you, are you more likely to quit or keep going to (*cough cough* show them up *cough cough*) make sure you don't disappoint them?
Tl;dr - Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, make things a habit, and find someone who will hold you accountable.
And, what are they, ultimately? Goals. They're goals that you want to push yourself to reach, and generally that in the long run will make you feel better about yourself. So, I propose a new idea.
Let's make New Year's Habits. So, instead of saying, "Okay, I'll go to the gym every day this year, and I'll always do it at three in the morning by myself so no one can judge me," how about "I'm going to make a habit of going to the gym two or three times a week with a friend or two and then we can go for a salad or something after, and I'm not going to guilt trip myself if I skip a day here or there because my life gets hectic." Or, "I'm going to do this many sets of these exercises each morning as soon as I wake up, and each week I'll add in this." Perhaps even, "I'm going to start preparing my breakfasts and lunches the night before so that my mornings aren't so stressful and I can start my day off with something healthy, instead of regularly skipping meals."
The key to this whole habit thing, is actually doing it, though. Tell people who will keep you accountable to these things, even if it's not someone you usually spend a lot of time with. What I mean by this is, you're more likely to be encouraged to go work out a couple times a week by your friend who already does this regularly than by your friend who spends all their time watching The Office and eating brownies. Find someone to create these habits with. Find someone who will understand if you slip up - because we all do - but still encourage you to keep up with the goal you've set.
The point I'm making is, the reason New Year's Resolutions don't work is because we're already expecting to give them up, aren't we? But if you set a goal and make a concentrated effort to work that goal into your everyday/weekly routine, what's stopping you from reaching it? If you've got someone who's right there alongside you, are you more likely to quit or keep going to (*cough cough* show them up *cough cough*) make sure you don't disappoint them?
Tl;dr - Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, make things a habit, and find someone who will hold you accountable.
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