Happy New Year, everyone!
Ah, my favorite time of the year. A time for new beginnings, fresh starts and new goals. It’s resolution time.
Often, my resolutions are like anyone else’s: lose weight, eat healthy, get good grades, find world peace, yadda yadda; and when the clock strikes midnight, I am pumped! I’m ready to ace my goals and there’s nothing that can stop me!
Then week two hits and my motivation gets lost somewhere between my fourth cheeseburger and my 100th episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I become so mad at myself that my goals are “ruined,” I stop trying altogether.
“I’ll try again next year,” I tell myself.
Sound familiar?
According to businessinsider.com, “80 percent of resolutions fail by the second week of February.”
If you’re one of those people who wants a fresh start every year or every Monday, I’m right there with you. However, after years of beating myself up because I missed a day of exercise, and in light of this new statistic, I’ve decided to write down a new goal: keep trying.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve flaked on my New Year’s resolutions, and for what? Because one day I was too tired to hit the gym, or because it was my friend’s birthday and I wanted some cake? Not everything is picture perfect but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it.
You won’t get everything on the first try, and somebody needs to tell you that that’s OK. I’m no longer a believer in getting things “perfect.” I’m a believer in getting things done with my sanity still intact.
We have to be realistic with ourselves. How many times did you hit the gym last year? Is it likely that you’ll visit it seven days a week? Do you even like vegetables? How likely is it that you’ll eat a salad every day?
I’m not saying don’t set these big goals for yourself. They are a nice idea. I’m just saying don’t throw your resolutions out the window if you don’t ace them. Set big goals and take tiny steps. Allow yourself some wiggle room and expect that you will stumble. We’re human college students where our time isn’t our own and our body craves junk food. You can’t punish yourself for that.
If you can’t hit the gym because you’ve been up all night studying for your 8 a.m. exam, get some sleep, it’s more important. You can hit the Rec tomorrow and maybe you stay for an extra 10 to 15 minutes. It’s January and I can already tell you I’ve stumbled a few times, and I’ve made adjustments.
So, if you “fail” after the first month?
Pause.
Take a breath.
Recuperate.
And try, try again.