New Year New Us!
New Year is a wonderful time for most of us. It’s a fresh start, an opportunity for personal changes, and a chance for growth. It’s as if the world presses ctrl-alt-del and gives you the choice of which habits to continue and which to change. Do you continue eating out for lunch or start meal prepping? Begin new skin care routine or stick with the dish soap and sponge? The possibilities are endless, but it’s still up to you to decide whether to do anything or not.
Commitment and Lack Thereof
Like myself, most people don’t always fully commit to their resolutions. They go strong for a few months then the commitment dwindles. That doesn’t mean you should give up before you begin though! The point of a resolution is to TRY! How can you expect to start something and be perfect right off the bat?
Yes, starting healthy habits are difficult but the point is to try. You CANNOT give up on your resolution after three days claiming the habit just won’t stick. It doesn’t work like that. Give whatever 
your resolution is at least a month or two. After all, a quick Google will tell you habits take about 21 to 66 days to stick.
Get some aide
Enlisting the help of a friend or book is an amazing way to stick to your resolution and guide you through the commitment. You can’t expect to learn to play the piano without some type of instruction and going to the gym alone is doomed for failure. Small personal goals are great to work on alone, but you should also tell your friends and family what you are trying to do. I’m sure they’d love to call you out if you start slacking off.
Breaks
Taking a break from something is fine too, so long as you have a set time when the break will end. After all, a break entails RETURNING to the task/situation at hand. This includes breaks in the moment and breaks over several days. Breaks can be healthy and keep you from being burned out on your resolution.
For example, his past year I was good about going to the gym twice a week. However, with finals and the end of the semester, I realized I had to prioritize my school work over the gym. My 
problem though, was that I didn’t set a firm date when to return to the gym. Two weeks quickly turned into a month and the only way out, I now realize, is to set a firm return date. Thankfully I have one and will return shortly!
I know you don’t care about my little setback, but the point of that short tale is to emphasize that just because I took a short break, that didn’t mean I gave up. Neither should you!
Old Resolutions
What about trying old resolutions? Should you give them a go again or start new ones? If you came here for a definite answer to this sadly you won’t get one, however, I do have some suggestions. If you are thinking about attempting a previous year’s resolution again, ONLY do so if you are certain you have a more effective way to follow through with it. Otherwise, why even try if you know you won’t follow through?
Shake it up
I think that one of the most common reasons people drop their resolutions is monotony. When things become boring and repetitive, people tend to stop doing them. It’s nothing to be that ashamed of, who wants to do something boring all the time, but it does hinder our ability to follow through with those important, yet doldrum resolutions.
To remedy this, simply shake up the routine. Trying to floss more? Listen to new songs each time you do it as a treat. Want to drink more water, make a game out of it and reward yourself at set checkpoints. Exercise too boring? Listen to music, watch tv shows, or try hiking instead of the treadmill. The goal here is to do something different while continuing the same task. Not all resolutions are fun and exciting, but they definitely can be!
Good Luck!
So, while we all face our new and old resolutions, I encourage you all to try your best and stick with it for as long as you can. Don’t get down on yourself if you fall, instead get up and keep marching forward. Finally, happy new year, I wish you all the best adventures in 2019!
More Blogs for the New Year
A: B. Delamater