Happy New Year! 2021 perhaps wasn’t the best year to try a New Year’s resolution for obvious reasons. But 2022 may just offer a resolutions comeback! Here are a few things to know if you’re considering a resolution this year.
Craft a resolution that is authentic to you
Most people are capable of making small changes in their lives that relieve stress, improve self-esteem, and promote personal growth. So why don’t resolutions stick around? Resolutions fail for many reasons, and most of them don’t have to do with willpower. Sometimes the timing isn’t right, and your desire to make a change doesn’t line up perfectly with the new calendar year. Resolutions are often imposed from outside sources, especially those who stand to profit off of your attempt to change. So, be sure that your desires come from within, and not from an external source. Other tips include choosing goals that are manageable and specific. So rather than making a resolution to save money, which is not specific, create a new recurring transfer to your savings account for $5/week, or increase your existing transfer. Then, as February rolls around, see if you can increase that transfer by another few dollars, and repeat. Here’s a list of fifty-five resolutions to get your ideas flowing.
Choose a resolution you can stick to
By now, everyone knows that quitting a resolution is par for the course. But it doesn’t have to be that way! A resolution is simply a good habit started at the beginning of the year. There are many ways to increase the likelihood that you’ll stick with your resolution, including bringing in friends as accountability partners and reducing the “activation effort” by making the new habit as easily accessible as possible to reduce the energy necessary to get it started. So move your language learning app to the front screen of your phone, put the book you want to read on your bedside table, and lay out your exercise clothes the night before.
How to create a sustainable exercise routine
In 2021, as well as other years, the most popular New Year’s resolution was to get in shape. It’s popular for a reason: there are myriad benefits to routine exercise outside of weight loss, such as decreased blood pressure, help with stress management, and better sleep.
There are a lot of opinions out there about what the “best” exercise is, but the truth is, the best exercise is whatever you’ll actually do. The most important thing to consider when setting a fitness goal is whether or not you enjoy it enough to show up. Yes, swimming is a great full-body workout, but if the nearest pool is thirty minutes away and the only time you have to swim is at 6 AM… maybe “swimming more” isn’t an attainable goal.
Here are some ideas to get started with a sustainable exercise routine. If you like working out in a group, but get bored easily, try ClassPass. This subscription gives you access to many gyms and studios in your area, so you can try a little of everything. If you run short on time but not motivation, apps like the Seven Minute Workout bring short, high-intensity workouts right to your phone, no equipment required. These workouts are also available for free on YouTube. If you crave accountability, find a workout buddy, or even create a standing phone call with a friend while you both take a walk around your neighborhood. Finally, Patreon is a site that allows you to pay creators directly for their services, and that includes workouts! You can find hundreds of people creating fun workouts at a variety of intensities for as little as $1-3 per month. That’s huge savings when you consider the average gym membership costs over $50!
Don’t let your money get away from you
December is a notoriously expensive month, which means that saving money and budgeting usually rank pretty high on the resolutions list. Make sure you’re on top of your 2022 budget by calculating your expenses, setting money goals, and exploring different budgeting plans. If you’re one of the 43.2 million Americans paying off student loan debt, you’ll be glad to know that the pause in payments has been extended through May 1, 2022. Check out this article for more information pertaining to the pause and what that means for your future payments.