New Year’s Resolutions 101

Author: Maggie Cammaroto

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A new year, a new semester, maybe even a new country if you’re studying abroad. What a great time to set that New Year’s Resolution.

But if you’re not setting a resolution this year that is totally awesome, as well. After all, we’re enough as we are right now in this moment. Below you’ll find some quick tricks for setting any goal, just in case that’s something you’re looking to do in the future.

January will see a flurry of new gym-goers and vegans, but by February 1st, these crowds will have dwindled. Why is it so darn difficult to keep a New Year’s resolution? The truth is, you can make it a whole lot easier on yourself by following what we call here at mindhamok “New Year’s Resolutions 101”:

🌱Keep it simple

            With all the fresh vibes going around these days, it’s tempting to want to clean out your closet, go gluten-free, start reading before bed, and instill world peace all at

once. There’s so much to work on – how are we supposed to choose?  The good news is that focusing on one goal will help you in the long run. And besides, there are plenty of opportunities to take your growth one step at a time and grow exponentially!

            So choose one thing to work on (like “quitting morning scrolling”) . Maybe even narrow it down to one word if that’s helpful (like “presence”). Let this focus be the soundtrack of your year.

⏰ Tick, tick, tick

 

Imagine this. Max has decided to cut out sugar for the new year. With 300-something days of no cake ahead of them, suddenly every sweet treat looks extra tempting. They just can’t keep their eyes off the brownies in the bakery window, and…oh no…they’re drooling.

 

Does Max sound like someone you might know? Well we have a tiny little tip that might just solve this problem:

 

What if our resolution didn’t have to span the whole year? What if we could start with a month or even a week and see how things go? Chances are Max will be much more motivated to stay away from those Skittles. And by the end of that first month, they’ll feel so accomplished, they won’t even want them.

🖼 Curate your life

If we’re wanting to really dive deep & change our lives, it’s helpful to surround ourselves with the resolution. For example, if we want to start reading before bed instead of scrolling, maybe we do some research in our favorite book genre and fill a whole shelf with exciting next reads. Or if we want to bring more mindfulness into our lives, we can do some research on daily mindful practices. We don’t need to empty our holiday savings to get a jump start on our resolution; use the handy-dandy and mostly free interwebs. YouTube is a great place to start for pretty much any goal you’re setting this month.

 

👯‍♂️You can count on me like 1, 2, 3

 

None of us live in a vacuum (thank goodness, it would probably be pretty loud in there). You’re probably surrounded by others trying to stick to their resolutions. Getting our friends & family involved in our new year’s adventure will not only make the process easier, but also more fun!

 

Consider making a group chat and updating each other daily with the successes & obstacles of the day. Or make it a challenge by seeing who can read the most books, drink the most water, or floss most frequently in the month.

 

When we make one small change in our lives, the domino effects ripple out to every other area. So we invite you to start small & committed, and then watch everything else fall into place.

If you’re working on any part of your health (physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, the list goes on…) we applaud you 👏. To commit to our own growth is the gift that keeps on giving, and we’re here to help you on that journey. Call our helpline, request a therapist, or DM us on Instagram (@mindhamok).

 

This new year, put your mind in a hammock and remember you’re not alone in your resolution quest.

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