Just Your Best

I tend to take New Years Resolutions very seriously, always have. The new year feels so refreshing and like the perfect time to start something new or let go of the negative. Every year at this time I recall some of my best resolutions, so I wanted to share them in case you’re looking for inspiration and ideas of your own.

Most of these are great for your mental health, which is probably what I have loved most about them. I set each resolution with good intentions and was happy with the results.

Make the Bed Every Morning

This one seems so boring and mundane, but it actually was such a positive change in my life that I continued to do this long after that year had ended (in 2018). To take pause every morning and do something you can check off your list so early is truly a blessing in disguise. You get a nice boost of confidence when it’s 7am (or whatever time you wake up) and you already have something checked off your to-do list. Starting the day on the right foot, marking off an accomplishment, even something as small as making the bed, gives you a little self confidence to carry with you for the rest of the day. And once you check the first thing off your to-do list, it feels really good, doesn’t it?

The big perk here is when you go to bed. After a long day, whether it’s a boring Monday or a busy Saturday, there is no better feeling than walking into the bedroom to find your bed is already made and waiting for you! Give yourself a nice mental high-five for setting yourself up for a good night’s rest.

Say Yes to New Things

This was my resolution coming out of a really rough year. I had ended a pretty negative relationship that had gone on far too long. I exiled myself from the bad friends and any connections to that relationship, I moved back home with my parents to finish my final year of college after a failed attempt to rent with “friends” near school. So I decided I needed to really make some big changes, and so I encouraged myself to start saying yes to new opportunities. This led to lots of new adventures, making new friendships, meeting new people, I studied abroad in a foreign country on my own and ventured to another country solo, I tried barre and pilates classes, started working out regularly…. I took myself to Disney World with my best friend for spring break!

The list of things I said yes to could go on forever, and it was truly an unforgettable year. Obviously say no to things that are bad for you, say no to drugs, but besides that, just go for it! If it makes you nervous, you’ll maybe be surprised by how much joy it brings you!

The Year of the Purge

Last year I was getting married, so my house was very quickly filling with extra STUFF in every corner of our apartment. I decided with the new year that I would start purging as much as I can. While I couldn’t quite throw out all the wedding decor and pieces until July, I started sorting through everything at home and tossing everything I hadn’t touched in years. I donated bags and bags of clothing that I no longer wore or fit in; tossing the old clothes was probably the hardest because for the last 3 years I’ve been praying I’d lose weight to fit in a lot of them again, but I decided that if I did lose weight, I would treat myself to new outfits then instead of holding on to the memories.

I saw a funny meme somewhere that said, “If the item had poop on it, would you throw it away, or would you buy a new one?” That question became my anthem. As a dog mom of 2, there has been a few occasions where things ended up with poop or pee on them, and most times I decided to just buy a new one rather than try to clean it. Like I said, there’s a lot of things that have been collecting dusts in my closets and crannies, so thinking about it in this way made it easier to sift through. Some things seem so useful and important to hold on to, but if it’s cheap enough that’d I’d rather replace it, that was a good sign to PURGE it!

Other questions to ask yourself when purging your home:

• Does it bring me joy?
  • If it does, where can it be stored without being in the way?
• When is the last time I used this?
  • If it’s been 6 months, it may be a seasonal thing, but if it’s over 365 days, it probably doesn’t serve you anymore.
• Would I keep this if it were free?
  • Sometimes I hold on to clothes or some items just because I spent a lot of money on them in the first place. If the cost wasn’t tied to it, would you really keep it?
• Could someone else get more use out of this than me?
  • This feels like a question primarily made for clothing purges, but there are a lot of household items you could donate to organizations to help those in need, and even books. How often are you really going back and re-reading your books, or are they better off donated to someone who love a chance to read it?

A Workout A Day

This was a huge commitment, but after having gained an excess amount of weight in college and barely recognizing myself in the mirror and photos, I knew I needed this change more than ever. I thought I would give myself a break when I would go on vacation during the year or on holidays when the gyms closed early, but believe it or not, once I got into the routine, I couldn’t stop!

I already had a gym membership from several failed attempts to go in the year prior, so I new I was starting on the right foot. It was slow and hard in the beginning, but I was encouraged early on when I saw how many people were in the gym come January. I was surrounded by people wanting to better themselves in the new year. They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but after 21 days, the numbers in the gym started dwindling. This only encouraged me more to stay on track. I thought to myself, I’m going to be the one who sticks to it. And I was!

Sure there were a few days I couldn’t fit the drive to the gym and an hour workout into my schedule, but I made sure to go for a long walk with my dog those days, even if it was late at night before I went to bed, and I did some home workouts too. On most of my business trips that year, I found myself in the hotel gyms, and even on the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, I started my morning with a visit to my “happy place” as I called it.

This New Years Resolution probably had the most positive impact on my mental health, as well as my physical health. I couldn’t believe how different I felt by the end of the year compared to where I started. My mindset completely changed, my priorities changed, my habits changed, all for the better.

So my challenge to you now is to pick your own resolution or goal for the year and stick to it. When you think about quitting, remember why you started. Remember you want to be the one who went for it – and succeeded! Trust me, the end of the year feels whole and complete when you reach your goals after 12 months of giving it your all. You can do it – I believe in you!