We all know that maintaining New Year’s Resolutions can be tricky. We spend the latter half of December dreaming up new ways in which we will positively improve our lives, polish our personalities and engage in the world around us in introspective and beneficial ways. By the time March emerges, these resolutions can already start to become tiresome, or we are already sick of doing them over and over. The book that you planned to read this month is suddenly less interesting, the gym you joined is just too far of a drive and the recipes you organized for your meal plan have already started to taste terrible. Excuses are largely what makeup the shortcomings of our resolutions, but there are a few easy ways to help hold yourself accountable for maintaining these new standards, as well as fulfilling them throughout the year, rather than all at once.
One way you can do this is through goal setting. Goal setting allows you to be able to work towards your resolutions rather than working through them. You made a resolution to read more? Try setting the goal of reading one book a month. By setting realistic and achievable goals, this helps you to practice these resolutions during the whole year while also building yourself up to achieve them by the end of the year. As a UM student, you have university amenities that can aid in this. Check out the goal-setting tool in your University of Michigan MHealthy portal, linked here https://assethealth.com/umich.
Another helpful way to maintain resolution fulfillment can be by creating a solid routine for the new year or semester, and sticking to it the best you can. Routines encourage productivity and organization, as well as help people prioritize wellness in their everyday lives. You can establish a set time or day to work on your resolution, for example going to the gym or participating in a hobby, this ensures that you will not be weighed down by the complications of not having enough time in your day. One great way you can work on building a routine is through the use of planning apps and calendars. Through your UM student account, you can utilize Google Calendar to build out your month and create space in your week to work on or participate in resolutions that you made.
Whereas New Years is a wonderful time to start fresh, it’s important to remember that you can make these changes at any time of the year, not just January 1st. Work towards resolutions in meaningful and valuable ways that work for you specifically, not other people. Whether your resolutions are big or small, complicated or simple, making them is the first step.