While "New Year, New Me," isn't quite my style, I still find myself writing down a few new years resolutions every year right before the ball drops. I don't think the Earth turning all the way around the sun makes us magically powerful to make better choices every year, but I think writing down a new years resolution is something everyone should do.
When writing my resolution, I think of my highs and lows of the year. What did I do that made me truly happy? What did I do that I feel was a failure? How can I find a middle ground and make myself happier in the new year? Thinking about all of this is a chance for me to look in the mirror and say, "Hey, I'm not perfect! No one is!" I focus on something that I can improve on for the New Year, or something that I can continue to do in order to have a great year ahead of me.
What I found was I always set my standards too high. Saying I won't eat sweets anymore is a bit hard for a growing 14 year old, but might not be too hard for me now as a college student who can buy and cook her own meals. Along with that I can't snap my fingers and give myself the ability to lose all the fat on my body and get sexy abs in a week. I found that I would get discouraged if I couldn't see myself improving within the first few weeks and would just give up. I have learned that I need to find something attainable for myself so that I can follow through on my New Year's resolution.
By finding a good goal that is attainable for myself, it was easier for me to keep trying even when I messed up. When people first break their resolution, they think that it's time to throw in the towel, when it's really the time to just step it up! Hold yourself accountable by thinking why you even made the resolution in the first place. Remembering the reasoning behind picking that specific resolution always encourages me to keep trying even when I'm stuck in a rut. Look for encouraging words around you and post them around your workspace. Really try to incorporate your resolution into your everyday life.
Lastly, I began to look at my New Year's resolution as a journey over the year, something I, like many other people, forget. I can't even tell you what I said I was going to to differently at the start of 2013 because I didn't look at it as a full year thing. But it isn't called a New Year's resolution for nothing.
Take time to reflect on your year, your highs and lows, and then set goals for yourself. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, so our New Year's resolutions are especially not built in a night.
