New Year’s Resolutions: Take Two
By Rachel
I get it, New Year’s Resolutions. Your intentions are really good, and I know that you’re well-meaning. But no matter how many of us seem to subscribe to your ways, and no matter how much effort and time we put into them, you always seem to fizzle out before we hit February.
I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions myself for a couple of reasons — the main one being that I never really seem to commit full-term. They always tend to be WAY harder than anticipated and I’m always left disappointed instead of proud of what I did accomplish. But it’s never too late to make a change or start something new, so I’m doing a Take Two of some common New Year’s Resolutions — tailored to make them just a little easier, but still beneficial.
Workout on a regular basis → Take the stairs!!!
You’ve seen those signs — you know, the ones that say, “Take the stairs! It’s great for your health, and the environment!” But you ignore them anyway because, let’s face it, there’s no way you’re climbing up four floors of Business to get to your English class, only to arrive panting and sweating and trying to hide this fact from your classmates.
But what I hate even more than showing up to class or walking up the LRT steps panting and wheezing is going to the gym on a regular basis. So, if you’re like me and do no physical activity whatsoever, try taking the stairs. I started out easy — please, for the sake of your breathing, DO NOT start with the LRT stairs. SAB’s stairs are also really hard to climb, and I swear the Business staircase gets wider as you go up the floors. It might not have the same effect as going to the gym every day, but it’s a start. Plus, it’s much better than relying on my jaw to do the most exercise for me.
Eat all healthy, all day, every day → Watch what you eat
I think this plan was doomed from the start. We all get super cravings for McDonald’s fries and potato chips, and there’s absolutely no shame in digging into treats once and a while (I’m sorry if I now made you crave either of those foods. Are you drooling yet? I swear I’m not trying to make this harder for you).
If you’re like me and seem to have no self-control when it comes to food, you might want to start off a little easier on yourself. Checking the Nutritional Information on the back of foods means I can no longer live in ignorant bliss when eating those TV Dinners instead of making myself a better supper. Only eating out when it’s conveniently necessary has not only saved my body from unnecessary fats but has also saved my bank account.
Stop buying unnecessary things → Take account of EVERYTHING you purchase
#studentlife is rough, especially because we all seem to be on a budget. Who doesn’t want to study abroad for a semester, or buy a car instead of taking an hour long bus ride to campus, or buy the new iPhone? But alas, these things take money.
If you have a steady income and are baffled as to how it escapes so quickly from your fingertips, try to start keeping tabs on what you spend your money on. The second I get a pay check it seems to vanish in thin air, but with some investigating I found that I spent way more money than I had thought on concert tickets, books, and music. Saving takes time, so this resolution probably won’t see any benefits until next year, but it’ll all pay off once you get your hands on that new laptop you desperately need.
Get the right amount of sleep every night → Put some time and effort into your sleep schedule
Look, I’m going to save you the math: there’s no possible way you can go to all your classes, watch every season of The Office, plan a prank on your roommate, execute that prank, fail miserably at that prank because you are not Jim, finish all your assignments, get in some studying time, and then get eight hours’ worth of sleep. It just isn’t feasible.
So, okay, maybe we should be a bit more rational and a little less hopeful when it comes to planning our sleep. Instead of thinking we should get seven to eight hours of sleep, let’s start planning to get seven to eight hours of sleep. Maybe then we won’t start watching How to Get Away with Murder right before our bedtime because, let’s face it, you can’t NOT find out what happens next.
Stop procrastinating → ????
Anyone have any idea how to fix this one? I’m still at a loss. Maybe it was a losing battle to begin with. But I like to believe that there’s a heaven out there somewhere. I guess that I could try these 10 tips to prevent the perils of procrastination though.
