While Christmas is less than a week away, I cannot help but look back at 2016 and see what a year it has been! I also cannot help but think back to New Year's Eve and the resolutions I made and how I kept up with absolutely none of them. I mean not a single resolution that I made did I keep up with throughout the year. So, I thought it was most fitting to go through the most common resolutions and take a look at your life to see if you failed as miserably as I did.

Get Healthy.

HA. Okay so if we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that every year we make this promise. We are going to start eating healthier and actually go to the gym! We go out and buy all cute new workout clothes, maybe even go so far as to get some new tennis shoes, and starting January 2,(because no one starts on January 1) we hit the gym. We buy only fruits, veggies, and lean meats. We stay on this path for a solid one a half weeks, maybe two. As the months go on we still go to the gym occasionally, but not every day. We may pick it back up around Spring Break time, but then once that's gone we just lose sight of the gym. Buying healthy foods was a thing of the past come May when finals are approaching. By the time December rolls around, we look like actual snowmen again and we promise that next year we will do better.

Save money.

So I do not know about y'all, but I have a spending problem. If I see a sale, I need to buy something. It is like there's a rush through my body where I need to swipe my card. Do I really need a new plate set? Probably not, but if it is half off, then why the heck not?! Let me say, for a couple months I am not too bad at saving money. I try to keep up with the "every time I have five dollars, put it away" thing, but slowly I stop having cash, start swiping my card more, and before you know it, I'm back at living off of peanut butter sandwiches, begging my mom to give me twenty dollars to make it until the next paycheck.

Travel to new places.

This one in theory is always a great idea. But if we really look at our bank accounts, our broke college lifestyle, and the price of gas, we will quickly realize that unless someone is funding our adventures, we most likely will not be traveling the world any time soon. However, there are simple ways to break this cycle of letting this resolution fizzle out. Try studying abroad! While it still costs money, it usually is a cheaper way than just hoping on a plane to France.

Be less stressed.

Okay, so we try. We can try as hard as we want, but for real, who does not get stressed while in school!??!? If you are one of those people please hit me up and let me know your secret because as hard as I try, stress is real. Very, very real.

Volunteer.

I can honestly say that if everyone made this resolution and actually stuck to it, the world would probably be a much better place. There would be food banks filled with food, homeless people being brought to shelters and cared for, and dogs and cats being adopted left and right. Instead, people forget to volunteer so a couple months after January, animal shelters are begging for volunteers, food banks are running around for food, and people are not being taken care of like they should be. Just a side note, volunteering makes you a happier person, and who does not want to be a happier person?!

Drink less.

This goes with the "get healthy" resolution and we should probably follow this one more often. However, Mardi Gras, spring break, graduations, Fourth of July, football season, and almost any weekend (especially in Louisiana) is a reason to party and with the party comes the drinks. People tend to be good for the "drink less" resolution until about Valentine's Day, when they get sad, or Mardi Gras when Louisiana hits the party button. Once you start drinking again it's like you forgot why you told yourself to calm down in the first place.

So, this year, make real resolutions that you really plan on keeping! Or better yet, if there is something you want to change, start today. Do not wait until the new year to change your life.