New Year’s Resolutions are great ways to bring positive change into your life…if you do them right. Unfortunately, it’s much easier to make new year’s resolutions than it is to actually keep them. But thankfully, there is hope. According to hypnotist Michael Ellner, “the best resolutions are those that actually include a plan of action”. That means you’re better off making resolutions that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound). Here are eight New Year’s Resolutions not to make this year:
1. Losing Weight
Before you start a new diet, consider why you want to lose weight. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose a few pounds, as long as your motivations are pure. But if you’re currently unsatisfied with your body and you think losing weight will help you feel better, your first priority should be working on your self-esteem and building up self-love. You can try working out your feelings in a journal, talking to a friend or family member, or consider getting some professional help from a therapist, life coach or mentor.
Better Goal: If you still want to lose weight, and it’s not because you think it will make you look better, but because you want to feel better and healthier, start with a more specific goal. Instead of focusing heavily on how much you weigh, make a commitment to simply exercise a certain number of days a week.
2. Make More Money
Wanting more is not a bad thing, but it can become an unhealthy obsession. The goal of making more money isn’t quite specific enough to be a successful new year’s resolution. However, making a goal to spend less money is more practical because it is something you can start doing now.
Better Goal: Make a goal to use a budget planner or daily or weekly spending record to help track your spending. You can also plan out your major expenses at the beginning of each month, to help reduce your chance of impulse buying. Or, set a resolution to eat mostly home-cooked meals and only ever go grocery shopping with a list. Not only does spending less help you build discipline and responsibility, but it feels better to make do with what you already have.
3. Going On A Diet
Researchers from Florida State University found a correlation between the age at which women started diets and the variety of health problems that may develop in the future. Heavily controlled and restrictive diets rarely work for the long term, and instead, put you at risk for developing health problems and disordered thinking about food.
Better Goal: Consider gradually instilling some slight lifestyle changes into your life, that can be sustained for the long-term. For example, make a goal to eat three solid meals every single day, or buy a book on healthy, tasty recipes that contain the proteins and vegetables necessary for a well-balanced diet. Even just making a goal to eat home-cooked meals 3-4 times a week can be a better alternative to going on a diet.
4. Becoming a Vegan
It may be a little unrealistic to just stop eating meat cold after December 31st. According to the I Love Vegan website, it’s a better idea to add to your diet before you begin to remove items from your diet. For instance, rather than removing meat from your diet all at once, start eating whole grain, legumes, nuts, tofu to help ease your transition.
Better Goal: Talk to your doctor about going on a vegan diet. If your doctor gives you the all-clear, make a resolution to research and gather plenty of yummy vegan recipes and proceed to gradually cut down on meat and dairy. Find out as much as you can about being vegan by watching documentaries, reading books, magazines, and blogs. Don’t be afraid to form a community and ask any vegans you know for advice – even if it’s just to find out the best vegan restaurants to sample food at.
5. Getting More Organized
It can be hard to keep track of all your classes, extra-curricular activities, healthcare appointments and juggle a social life simultaneously. If you have plans to become more organized, make sure you understand what’s making you disorganized and start small.
Better Goal: The best way to keep track of things you need to remember, is to write it down. The act of writing can help cement things in your memory, so investing in a bullet journal or a day-to-day planner is one concrete way to help you get organized. You can also try downloading an organizational app like Cozi or Wunderlist, and keep track of your to-do list there.
6. Old Resolutions
If you’ve had the same resolutions on your list for the past couple of years, it may be time to re-evaluate why you’re struggling to accomplish these goals. Are you truly interested in achieving these goals? Or, have you been pressured into committing to these goals by well-meaning friends and family or by society? If so, it’s time to recycle those old resolutions.
If you are genuinely interested in accomplishing an old resolution, take the time to revise the goal and create a detailed, specific plan on how you are going to achieve it. According to the founders of ToneItUp.com, Karena and Katrina, it’s best to “break your end goal down into smaller, weekly goals so you feel like you’re working towards something immediate, and make a calendar with something to do every day that will get you closer to your desired result”.
7. Spending More Time With Family (and Friends)
While this is a great goal to work towards, it’s still not quite specific enough.
Better Goal: Research classes you can take with a family member, or set one day every few weeks to visit with a friend and do an activity you both love to do. If you make specific plans with people, it helps keep you accountable.
8. Negative Resolutions
Have you ever tried breaking a bad habit and given up shortly after? The reason why it’s so difficult to break addictions is that it’s harder for people to stop doing something than it is to start something new. So rather than trying to kick a bad habit, try replacing it with something new, fun and exciting.
Better Goal: It’s difficult to reduce the number of hours you spend on social media, but it becomes much easier to break the cycle by replacing that activity with a fun hobby like reading some books, baking, or writing.