While it’s important to set goals and challenge yourself, the odds of finding your soulmate, having kids and banishing gluten from your life in 12 months is about as likely as finding a vacant elliptical in January’s swarming gyms. As 2016 approaches, the New Year blues become a gross reality for many. Your holiday gusto has been pillaged and all you have to show for it is an empty bank account and a sad spare tire. Everyone is hibernating, budgeting and practicing sobriety.
The few people who fulfill their New Year’s resolutions are either over-medicated and delusional, or liars. According to statisticbrain.com, a scanty eight percent of people are actually successful in accomplishing their resolutions. That said, individuals who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t. So, if you’re interested in self-improvement or making a contribution to society, you too should establish a few ambitions. Just make sure they are somewhat manageable and start with these.
Number Five: Stop Worrying About Weight.
Everyone eats a lot over Christmas. If your weight is affecting your health, that’s one thing. But for most people, those five extra pounds are simply the sign of a stellar holiday and once you’ve eradicated your steady diet of mimosas and chocolate oranges, they will probably just fall off. (And inevitably come back again next Christmas.) Life is way too short to worry about it.
Number Four: Wake Up 15 Minutes Earlier.
Setting your alarm a bit early gets your blood flowing and your mind rolling. Spend those fifteen minutes making a great breakfast, doing pushups, reading, or clipping your toenails, you Neanderthal.
Number Three: Return Your Family’s Phone Calls.
This is an easy one – stop being such a Millennial and pick up the phone. Call your Mom and catch up on family chinwag, or ask your Dad for car advice. If you’re lucky enough to have Grandparents this late in the game, call them too.
Number Two: Purge and Organize.
There are probably dead rodents in that box of Shreddies from the early 2000s, and you’ll be dead before your clothing from high school comes back into style. Eliminating junk and jumble can do wonders for the psyche.
Number One: Set Specific Goals.
“Becoming a better person in 2016” is nebulous and difficult to measure. Instead, set targeted goals with real outcomes – you’ll be more likely to reach them. Whether you take up a new hobby one evening a week or quit a bad habit, develop a simple plan with a clear outcome.