Top 5 New Year's Resolutions to Make and Keep
New year’s resolutions, everyone makes them and very few people actually keep them. Surveys have shown that less than 25 percent of people stay committed to their new year’s resolutions after 30 days of starting them, and only 8 percent of people actually achieve their goals. Why is this number so low?
Well, there are a variety of factors that might influence a person’s ability to stick to their resolutions. However, one of the most common mistakes people make when setting new year's resolutions, or general goals is not being specific. Having specific goals that outline a consistent and easy-to-follow plan, can help you maintain steady progress toward achieving them.
Having a variety of goals that address different areas of your life can also help you create an environment that is both productive and enjoyable. So if you’re not sure what goals you want to set for yourself going into the new year, here are a few, specific ideas to help you out.
A Steady Diet
This may not be a surprising one to make but there are plenty of reasons why you should maintain a healthy and steady diet. For women, menopause and age increase the body’s dependency on specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that can only be achieved through diet. Adjusting your diet to fit your body’s specific nutritional needs is essential to preserving and protecting your health as you get older. So how can you set reasonable goals to help you maintain a healthier diet? Identify what foods you need to eat and what foods you need to cut back on, and then make an action statement.
Action statement as an example: This year I will cut down on refined grains, eat more foods high in Vitamin K, and drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Regular Exercise
Exercise isn’t just important in a weight loss regimen. Exercise can help strengthen bones, build muscle, and improve long-term metabolism. Of course, committing to a regular exercise routine is easier said than done for many people. Finding time to set aside for any kind of exercise is hard and once we have some time in the day to get around to it, odds are we’re too tired from the day to follow through.
But there is a way to get into a regular exercise routine without it feeling like an added impediment. You only need as little as 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day to start seeing improvements in your energy levels and muscle development. Start off with this in mind.
Action statement example: This year I will work out for 25 minutes 4 days out of the week. I will focus on light weight training, aerobic exercises to improve cardio, and resistance exercises to strengthen bones. Now that seems achievable!
Work-Life Balance
If you’ve ever felt like your career was taking over your life, you’ve probably not had a good relationship with work-life balance and are looking to improve that. Maybe the opposite is true? Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while and have spent a lot of time at home doing more or less nothing and you want to find ways to supplement your income or pursue a different career path? Whatever the reason, finding the balance in satisfying work life and relaxing personal life is important to your overall health. Having a stressful work life or a lackluster personal life can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can take a toll on your mental and physical health.
So how do you find balance in your work life and your personal life effectively? Take a look at the areas of your life that seem to be overwhelming your time. If work is eating up your world, then make an action statement to help you fix that.
Action statement example: This year I will dedicate two hours out of every Saturday to spend working on one of my hobbies (i.e. sewing, painting, baking).
If you’re experiencing too much free time and not enough productivity, then a different action statement is needed.
Action statement example: This year I will look into freelance opportunities to supplement my income. I will sign up for a freelancing platform (i.e. Upwork) and I will apply to 5 job listings a day.
Keeping a Journal or Planner
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 5 women over the age of 65 is more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than men of the same age. A large part of this reason is due to the changes in the sex hormones during the menopausal transition. The brain relies on the steady production, release, and regulation of specific neurochemicals to maintain cognitive functions. If you’ve ever experienced brain fog during the menopausal transition, you’ve experienced this change to cognitive performance.
A lowered ability to concentrate and troubles with memory can all fall under the feeling of brain fog. The question is, how can you give your brain a little help when it comes to improving memory and focus? A daily planner can actually go a long way to helping you stay focused and sharpen your memory. Using a planner every day can help you organize your thoughts, prioritize tasks, and look back at what you’ve accomplished.
So as part of your new year’s goals, try setting yourself the goal of keeping a daily planner.
Action statement example: This year I will keep a daily planner to log my daily work tasks, personal tasks, hobbies, and achievements. I will write my three best successes at the end of each week to help me look at all that I’ve achieved and give me encouragement to reach further.
Learning a New Language
Another way to improve your memory skills and sharpen your focus is to learn a new language! Learning a new language isn’t just a great way to learn a new skill and feel a little more cultured. It’s also a great way to sharpen your recollection abilities. Exercising your brain is just as important as exercising your body.
Thanks to the glories of the internet, there are thousands of ways you can learn a new language that works best for you and your timetable. You can download an app on your phone to do a few exercises every day. You can enroll in an online class to get one-on-one sessions with an instructor. You can go at your pace with a self-directed software program. However you choose to practice the language center of your brain, you can rest assured that you’ll see an improvement in your mental concentration just by putting aside a little time out of your day to learn.
Action statement example: This year I will set aside an hour out of my day, 4 days out of the week to work on learning a new language. I will choose a method that works best for me and practice what I’ve learned aloud, to myself, or to someone who can help me.
It’s A New Year & A New You!
One of the best things about being a human being is that we are constantly changing and growing to become even better tomorrow than we were today! You have the capacity to change your life in positive ways, ways that you may not have thought were possible. You are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.
If you’re ready to set your new year’s resolutions and you’re a little skeptical or nervous, remember this. You have to be patient, you have to be committed to your goals, and you have to be kind to yourself when you feel yourself slipping up. It’s okay to make mistakes. If you don’t achieve everything on your list, don’t put yourself down! Even the smallest progress is good progress! Remember, you’ve got this!
