Top New Year’s Resolutions and How to Get Them to Stick

Why do we make New Year's resolutions? Is there such thing as making them stick? New Year’s resolutions are important to most of because it's a time of your that we can start over. Hit a reset button, or just give yourself hope. Okay let's say your goodbyes to all the bad, all the failures, and start over this year. This year is going to be different. 

1. Exercise more

Almost everyone would love to work out more, but when the time comes to actually do it we either forget about it or just don’t want to do it. Year after year we get memberships, hoping that’ll it’ll be the year that we finally start to workout, only to cancel that plan once again. You shouldn’t have to do that every year, but rather here are some helpful tips. First, get a workout partner. Getting a workout partner not only leaves you with someone dependable, who will get you to the gym every day, but it will also make working out enjoyable. Another tip is making sure that you set a specific day each day to work out. If you set a time and a place it makes you dependable, ensuring the exact time you have to work out, making life easy. Technology has also become very helpful in keeping us healthy, and there are a number of apps that help us track our fitness. One of these apps is Myfitnesspal, which tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal calorie intake and nutrients.

2. Lose weight and eat healthy

During the holidays it can be hard to stay healthy because of the constant struggle of indulgences at your fingertips. An indulgence every now and then isn’t a bad thing, but plate after plate of sweets or meats can be bad for you, causing you to gain extra weight. Some tips to keep the weight off are using apps such as Fatsecret, which allows you to chart in advance what you are going to eat. By doing this you can plan exactly what you will eat, which will make mealtime easier, and keep you from straying.

3. Save money

These days about a third of all American’s have no money in their savings, and a big portion of the population is also in debt. For these individuals, saving money is on the top of their list, not only because of convenience but also because of the stress that debt can play in your life. Some tips to save money are to record your expenses, make a budget, choose something to save for, and decide your priorities. By keeping everything in a list you can easily see where you need to spend more money or less. By charting exactly what you need to spend money on, in accordance with your salary, you can see the available money you have left over, this allows you to stay in check with your payments.

4. Be less stressed

More than 3 million people suffer from anxiety, which affects their daily days, and can make it hard for some people to stay ahead of their responsibilities. Some stress is beneficial because it can motivate you, but for these 3 million people who suffer from anxiety, it can be detrimental. A tip to keep you stress-free is to add fitness into your daily schedule. Fitness is known to help reduce stress, leaving you feeling energized. Another tip is to use apps to your advantage. Meditation is a known activity that helps a lot of those with anxiety, deal with daily stressors. Calm is a meditation app, which reduces anxiety, helping you sleep better and feel better.  

5. Quit smoking

Everyone knows smoking is bad for you, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to quit. Many people try time and time again to quit, but only end up smoking again. However, there are some tips to ensure you stop smoking. First, consider nicotine replacement therapy; when you go "cold turkey", there are often many drawbacks, such as cravings. Nicotine replacement therapy gets rid of these cravings, letting you wean off nicotine smoothly. Another tip is to lean off of loved ones. Let your loved ones know your plan so they can hold you responsible for your actions, and also know one other thing: it is ok to let others help you. Loved ones not only encourage you, but they also give you much needed support when you feel like quitting. Remember it is also important to stay away from other addicting substances, such as alcohol. You don’t want to replace one addicting substance for another.

6. Quit drinking

Having a drink every now and then is ok, but for others that drink can be every few hours. Alcohol has the ability to make us feel alive, and for some, it is some of their happiest moments, but it is not good to be dependent on some things. So if you are wanting to quit here are some helpful tips. First get rid of all temptation; if your house is full of alcohol throw it away, or maybe give it to a friend. You don’t have to fall into temptation again. Second, announce your goal to others. If others know that you want to quit smoking they cannot only encourage you but also keep you responsible for your actions. Third, sometimes certain places or people are a bad influence in our life, it might be a good idea to get rid of these bad influences. Not saying you necessarily have to cut them out of your lives, but maybe instead stay away from them in certain situations. Lastly, don’t get discouraged, most likely you will probably have a drawback somewhere down the road, and that is ok. We are not perfect, and if we were we wouldn’t have these problems. Just remember it is ok to fail and lean on others if you need it.

7. Spend more time with family and friends

Life gets busy, and we tend to forget about the important things in life. Our family and our friends. A poll conducted back in 2015 by General Nutrition Centers, showed that more than 50% of Americans vowed to appreciate their loved ones and spend more time with family and friends. You can spend more time listening and talking to Your grandparents. Forgive and try to avoid alienating some dear friends that you have grievances with. Put this one on the top of your list. 

8. Giving back

There are all kinds of ways to give back. You can start with your immediate family one you see struggling. Any form of giving counts. I use to think that giving only counted if it went to a big charitable organization, but as I've grown up I realized that most of those organizations the money never makes it to the people it was intended for. Now I give directly or to small organizations like a church, or small non-profits. I look into the organization. How big is there payroll? Sometimes an organization has so much overhead your money goes to them. Be careful and give wisely. If you do not have money to give donate time. Again you can start with the elderly in your own family. 

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