New Year, New You

Each calendar year comes and goes, bringing conclusive endings and new beginnings. With each new year a common tradition befalls us: a new year’s resolution. Personally, a new year’s resolution is a lot of pressure. It’s something I consider weeks before the evening of December 31^st.

A common resolution for many is to live healthier, or to accomplish a goal they have such as getting that dream job or internship. Similar to my own past resolutions, those ideas can be difficult to realize when abstract. We lose sight of our more vague goals over the 365 days of the new year.

My advice: make specific goals, as they will stick with you throughout the year. You’ll stay more focused when you set a certain weight loss goal in pounds or amount of times per week you’d like to exercise. Setting a timeframe on networking and applications for getting that dream job could also be helpful.

Creating smaller goals that will eventually lead to your end result is a good idea as well. Setting new standards for a lifestyle change in one year can be daunting and intimidating. Often, we don’t even know where to start. Laying the foundation with stepping-stones can help.

For example, lets look at increasing your financial savings. Instead of simply stating that you’d like to “save” money this year, write out a monthly plan. During the first month, the plan could be to save $10 per week by cutting out Starbuck’s trips. Month 2: Limit lunches and dinners out to restaurants to twice per week, and start cooking at home more. Month 3: Deposit $50 from each paycheck into the savings account. And so on.

It’s important to remember your new year’s resolution throughout the year, and be flexible by changing and adapting it as need be. Posting your resolution and goals on a bulletin board or framing it in your house is just one idea. This way, you won’t lose sight of that eventual goal.

No matter what the resolution, having ambitions is important. New year’s resolutions are a way for us to aspire to be better.