New Year's Resolutions
New Year, New Me! Right?
Wrong. It may be a new year, but you are still the same you. You’re not going to wake up on January 1st a brand new person full of ambition if you usually don’t wake up full of ambition any other day of any other year.
Hate to break it to ya! I think New Year’s Resolutions are an awesome way to set your intentions for the New Year and to change parts of your life that you know you could improve upon. I LOVE making New Year’s resolutions myself but you know what really sucks?:
When you make resolutions and you are so excited to stick to them all year. You just know that 2019 is going to be YOUR year. You are going to crush this list of resolutions you just made and you can do anything because you really really want these resolutions to stick and you want to improve yourself and your life! Then you wake up January 1st and maybe you do everything you said you would. January 2nd someone brings donuts to the office and you refuse one because one of your resolutions is to “eat better” or “lose weight” and you’re so proud of yourself. But January 3rd you sleep in a little later and miss that morning workout. “I’ll just do it this afternoon” or worse, “ it’s okay, I will work out again tomorrow”. Then the 4th you go out to lunch with your coworkers and it’s someone’s birthday and you reward yourself for being great so far this year so you can have a piece of cake. Which is fine, but then you decide since you had a piece of cake and you missed two workouts in a row you might as well give up on that resolution all together.
I’ve been there. It feels so awful to give up on your own intentions and resolutions, which is why I have learned how important it is to make those dream resolutions of yours on December 31st. But the first weekend after the New Year, you have to be honest with yourself. Go over those resolutions and see where you have already failed or what already isn’t working/not making you happy. Don’t completely give up on those resolutions because you set them for a reason just the week before, but edit them if you need to.
I want to share with you my resolutions for 2019 and what I have done last weekend to edit them after seeing that during the first half week in the New Year, I already broke some!
Resolutions:
15k Instagram/Blog more- This is a HUGE goal because I’m only at around 1,400 right now and that’s after SIX months!
How: I have a goal to interact with new and friendly accounts at least one hour per day. I’m also doing a new blog post weekly again. I was doing this the first few months of blogging but ended up focusing solely on the ‘gram and now I’ve let my blog slide… but this webpage is my BRAND y’all, and I am making it a focus to really work on this little block of web real estate because this is where my heart is.
After a week: I learned when I went back to work on the 2nd that I am rarely on my phone for an hour a day, but I’ve been doing that and it’s working out great! I work full time and can’t be on my phone all day so it’s challenging but HUSTLE gal ya know :)
Workout 5x a week, yoga 3x a week-
How: do something active (jogging at least 2miles, pilates, HIIT, heavy weight at the gym 1x a week) 5x a week and then add in a yoga sequence 3x a week after my workouts.
After a week: I didn't do yoga at all but I learned that it wasn’t a habit yet, so I am training myself to continue with yoga after a workout instead of just getting up and showering right away. Stretching and cooling down is just as important!
Splits- So funny story, this is the FOURTH year this has been my new year’s resolution. I want to be able to do full splits, and I can barely reach past my toes. Each year I am really good about this January- February and then just stop trying in March, but I realize I could have them DOWN by now if I would have never given up THREE TIMES.
How: Taking time after my workouts to stretch my legs and hips and practice getting as far as I can in the splits every day. Doing yoga 3x a week definitely helps in flexibility too!
After a week: I practiced the splits once. GUYS FOR REAL if I quit this goal for a fourth year I will be so upset with myself. I’ve wanted this for so long I literally DREAM that it’s so easy to get into them so I’m doing this, no excuses.
Healthy foods 90% of the time- I have eaten super clean for years so this isn’t hard for me, but still something I want to focus on.
How: I will be focusing on the “Fab Four” diet, which is just eating protein, fats, fiber, and greens at every meal. I have to remember that no matter how bad I THINK I want that frozen lasagna meal, my tummy will not feel happy after and it’s not doing my body any favors. Food is FUEL not just pleasure. But like the other 10% of the time I have ZERO guilt with any food whatsoever. It’s a healthy balance my friends.
After a week: Well I ate frozen lasagna today and my stomach still hurts so I obviously have a lot of learning to do. But, I meal prepped super healthy meals for the entire week so the lasagna will be part of that 10%.
Implement new morning routine- Reading a daily devotional of some sort every morning, working out in the morning again.
How: Literally just get out of bed earlier and do it.
After a week: I look forward to my devotional every morning while I make coffee or tea, and I have been working out in the AM again. It’s a habit that is challenging to develop, but easy to stick to once you realize how amazing it is to get a workout done first thing in the morning. The hardest part is getting out of bed, but I’m already getting more used to getting up earlier!
Just do things- Literally just do things you need to do. Put the clothes away, put the dishes up, do the workout, go to that event. If you know it needs to be done, just do it.
How: Suck it up and just do it and get it done! It is such a freeing feeling and I want to remind myself of this every day!
After a week: I implemented this last year and this simple resolution actually changed my life. My apartment stays neat because I put things up as soon as they are out of place, and I don’t put off things I need or want to do anymore.
Only buy one item for myself a month- This is hard for me. Blogging part time, I am constantly influenced to buy SO many items… and it gets addicting for me to buy something online and wait for it to arrive and track the package… it’s an obsession.
How: I’m saving to buy a house, so everytime I want to buy something online I have to remind myself of what my bigger financial plans are and decide if the item is really worth it. The answer “no” has come surprisingly really easily to me.
After a week: I already bought my one item BUT I have been really surprised at how easy it’s been to take the extra step in asking myself if I really need those pair of leggings or not! Going really well and I really want to try to keep this up all year! (Gift card purchases don’t count). I am waiting until February to buy a second item for myself, and it’s going to be interesting what I will actually really want after a month.
Piano- I bought myself a piano book last year and was teaching myself for a while. I learned Jingle Bells- then I just stopped.
How: Committing to this like if I paid for lessons; I want to make it through my piano book by February, and practice piano for 20 minutes 3x a week.
After a week: I have yet to touch the piano. I changed the time from 30 minutes 3x a week to 20 minutes to make it easier to fit in my schedule. I have scheduled it in my planner for this week and will stick to it this week! This is a goal I didn’t want to edit out of my resolutions because I have always regretted quitting piano when I was a kid and taking lessons.
Stop maximizing my time- I never give myself enough time to do anything or get ready for work and events.
How: I will stop giving myself “just enough” time to get ready and get somewhere!
After a week: So far, so good! I haven’t been late to work in 2019 and I have been taking extra traffic time into consideration. I’ve also been getting ready sooner than I used to and the extra 5 minutes before I have to walk out of the door is so amazing!
So, there you have it! Those are all my resolutions. Now that a week has gone by I am either really happy with myself for sticking to my goals or I am very upset that I already failed to do a few. This is just the kick in the booty I needed to commit to them even more going forward!
Remember- just because it’s not the first of January doesn’t mean it’s too late to stick to a goal. Each day you do something little will add up at the end of the year. Habits take a long time to form but I am so excited for this year and for following my dreams every single day. Happy 2019!
xoxo, jess.
