Realistic resolutions | The Triangle

Realistic resolutions

Flickr: Drexel University
Flickr: Drexel University

Many people find that the best way to commemorate a new year is by creating resolutions to go along with it.

Resolutions are typically made to create a positive change in life, whether it be getting into shape, travelling to new destinations or learning how to be more confident or how to make new friends.

There’s just one problem with resolutions — they are possibly the least kept promises in the world. People never end up following through with them because of the way that we look at accomplishing our resolutions.

Many people make very large and demanding resolutions that would require lots of time and effort to complete. Resolutions are often thought to be more difficult to accomplish than they really are because people often set unrealistic expectations for themselves.

The best way to tackle a demanding resolution is by determining how much time and effort it will take to achieve a resolution.

If someone’s resolution is to lose weight and go to the gym, it must be understood that it is not something that can be accomplished within a short amount of time. Keep in mind, everybody has the entire year to accomplish their resolutions. Often, people try especially hard to complete their resolutions within the first month of the year and tire themselves out.

The key here is to pace yourself. Keep in mind that you have an entire year to achieve these goals. So, if you want to go to the gym more regularly, start slowly by going maybe two or three times a week at first and gradually increasing the time you spend in the gym based on your schedule and what you are able to physically handle. This will give you sort of a “resolution roadmap” which will help you dedicate more time to your resolutions and hopefully make you realize achieving it is easier than you thought.

Personally, I never used to set resolutions because I knew I would never be able to accomplish them. But this year I set a resolution that I know I will be able to tackle: I am going to journal every day of 2017. By taking it day by day, I realize it is easy to just write a few words a day on what I did and take note of any artistic ideas I may have. It can easily be accomplished if I continue to have the motivation to improve my writing skills and take the time out of my day to let my thoughts flow.

Although I realize resolutions are not always easy to stick with, I do recommend that everyone makes at least one for this year. 2016 was a rough year for everybody, so we should all aspire to make this year better. By simply setting realistic goals to accomplish throughout the year, we can improve ourselves and our way of living.