Skip to content

Keeping up with your 2020 Resolutions

January is always the month where we make loads of new promises about our year and what it’s going to mean for us and how we’re going to shape it. I want to discuss today some of the practicalities of actually doing this and the best promises to keep and the worst. It’s a resolution to help you keep your new year’s resolutions.

Healthy living

Exercise is normally a go-to promise, you’ll do more or you’ll focus on improving a particular part of your life. However, this is easier said than done. Struggling to fit it into a hectic lifestyle or finding the motivation is hard particularly after the fun filled exciting Christmas period. A promising way I found of improving this was to set up a monthly payment to go to a gym. Doing it at home can be incredibly fun and you can do your own thing but motivating yourself to get out of bed to do it is incredibly hard.

However, if you have money coming out of your account every month, it will motivate you to go and make the most of it; otherwise it is a complete waste of money. Also, there are some very good apps on the market such as “shreddy” and “blogilates” which can help you to plan out workouts to make the most out of your exercise. It is also a confident boost. Walking into a gym for the first time can be intimidating but once you’ve done it, the next time will be even easier.

Food for thought

Within the idea of healthy living, healthy food and diets are always common promises made in January. This is something as students we need to be careful of. It’s very easy to say you’re going to stick to a diet, but we are constrained by money and by time. Getting in after 5pm lectures and making a healthy meal by Joe Wicks is sometimes incredibly unappealing. This is why if I prepare the food in advance at the start of the week, it means I can stick to a healthier food plan. Also, there is no perfect diet for everyone, it’s everything in moderation and you will be fine. All the latest diets are just trends and the only person who should be telling you what you eat is yourself (and sometimes your mum).

Money management

Another common resolution in January is that you will save better this year. This is a goal that you will only be able to see the results from in the long term. Saving in January but spending it all in February is a complete waste of time and unlike other goals, if you’ve spent the money, you are not getting it back. If you have a job, you should be able to put a little of your paycheck away each month, even if it’s only £10 and by the end of the year that is everyone’s Christmas presents sorted. However, if you don’t have a job, saving is a little bit harder so I would aim to instead reduce your spending a little bit each week. You will be surprised by what you can live off when you put your mind to it.

Prepare your education

This is the common one for students, “I will work harder this year” “I will do my work on the day I am given it, not the day it is due” However, to really do this takes proper preparation and the right mind set which is why it is so easy to break. To prepare ensure that you do repetition. Every night you come in and do your work right away. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that you will always be free in which case you do it your next available time. Setting yourself a reminder on your phone works or if like me you prefer the old-fashioned way, a diary is very helpful. Writing down everything you need to do that evening will help you to prepare. However this may mean you need to cut down on your socialising a bit and saying no to people too. Going into your housemates room for an hour long chat when you should be reading an article instead is just a waste of time, instead try reading for half an hour then having a half an hour break and then reading the rest. It will break up the monotony of it.

It takes on average 66 days to form a new habit and this is why people so often break their new year’s resolutions. It is also not something on January 1st you can just agree to, instead you need to take your time and prepare not just your mind but your body. Getting used to waking up at 7am for example every day is hard and there will be times when you make a mistake, and this is just something that you should accept but not let become a regular habit. Make a mistake once sure but make certain that you are back on it the next day. Your 2020 will be great if you hold onto this mindset.