5 New Year’s Resolutions You Will Actually Stick With
By Lauren Brose ‘15
January is coming to a close and I have one question: have you stuck with your new year’s resolutions or have you forgotten all about them already?
Don’t fret if you already gave up because according to Forbes only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions this year.
I remember my first list of New Year’s resolutions. It was a long list of about 15 goals that were super specific and far-fetched such as “go to the gym everyday,” “try a new recipe every day,” “write in your journal every day,” you get the picture. This was during the time of MySpace and AIM and by the third week back in class, I completely forgot what I even put on my list. My fatal mistake was failing to understand that resolutions are not a day-by-day task but more so a set of goals that will in time turn into positive lifestyle habits. The key is to keep things vague and to allow opportunity for growth. 365 days is an ample amount of time to work toward your goals so it’s ok if one week you slip up—that’s only 1 of 52 weeks!
I’ve come up with 5 relevant New Year’s resolutions that I wouldn’t mind adopting as my own this year. I’m feeling good about 2015 so why not?
Improve communication with family: Sometimes we get so tied up with our lives as college students that we forget the very people who put us here in the first place. My parents made my life-long dream come true by sending me to USC and I couldn’t be more grateful. I wish I could buy them a new car or a vacation to Europe as a way of saying thanks but that is incredibly unrealistic when you’re a broke college student such as myself. I know that what I can do for them is to update them on all of the exciting things happening in my life because they’re my #1 fans. I made it a goal of mine to not only plan weekend visits to my parents but also to send out weekly emails to my grandparents (my other biggest fans).
Treat your body like a temple: If our bodies aren’t garbage dumpsters then we need to stop throwing so much trash in it! It all boils down to the types of foods we are consuming. When cooking at home, try to incorporate as many fresh ingredients as possible. It’s a nice start to be more mindful of what you’re putting on your plate for each meal. I am not suggesting a total revamp but rather a new perspective on health. No need to cut carbs, sugar and fat out of your diet—your body will crave the sugary food it used to receive and cause it to believe it’s being starved. The result is binge eating and all of that hard work going to waste. Another major aspect of health is sleep. 8 is the golden number of hours of sleep everyone should be getting each night. It yields a number of health benefits including better weight control, better moods, less susceptibility to injury, a better sex life, and clearer thinking. Sleep is also how your body repairs itself after a long day of working, studying and exercising. Catching more sleep is an easy way to feel healthy and energized for the day.
Maintain living space: Thankfully I have my own bedroom because I do most of my schoolwork and writing at home and I really need my own space to call my own. The best part is that I don’t need to rely on a roommate to keep her space clean. The worst part is that when my room is messy, it’s twice as big of a mess to clean up. I wouldn’t consider myself nitpicky about cleanliness but I do believe that there are two types of unkempt living spaces: dirty and messy. I value a clean living space for a number of reasons: when I have company over I am not embarrassed about the state of my apartment, a dirty living space is an invitation for cockroaches (aka the worst thing ever), I rarely misplace things, when I am stressed about school a cluttered space increases my stress and makes me feel as if my life is not in control. I came to realize that cleaning isn’t so bad when it is done in moderation. I wont target the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom all at the same time. Before bed one night I’ll put my clothes away and the next day during lunch I’ll tidy up the kitchen a bit. It’s better to do a little here and there instead of allowing your entire apartment to become infested with a cesspool of disgust.
Try new things: Discover yourself and try something new whether it’s a hike, a restaurant, a foreign film, or cross fit. USC offers a variety of events on campus such as free movie screenings and guest panelists. The Lyon Center also offers weekly group fitness classes such as Zumba, yoga, Nike Training and more. Venture to the wonders of Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Visit the Getty Museum, Griffith Observatory or LACMA if you’re feeling for museums. Whatever you do, try to step outside of your comfort zone even if it’s by a tiny bit. I never knew I loved rollercoasters until I finally rode one for the first time when I was 11. It took a ton of baby steps such as kiddie rides at Knott’s and Disneyland but in the end it led me to discovering a huge part of my personality: my addiction to thrill.
Love yourself: In most circumstances, we are our own worst critics. It can become easy to focus on the negatives and neglect to recognize the positives within yourself. It’s also easy to feed into the opinions of others and lose sense of your individuality for fear of being an outsider. I personally enjoy being different. I think it’s funny that people find me to be a bit aggressive at times because I say what comes to mind and I am not afraid to speak up. I could sit and wonder what people think of me and whether they like me as a person but that’s a massive waste of time. Bottom line: if people don’t accept you for you then they are intimidated by how comfortable you are with yourself and are insecure to be themselves. Forget about what is “cool” and focus on what is “you.” Why choose to blend in with the crowd when you can stand out and shine?
