Every year we say to ourselves, “I think I’ll try to lose weight again, but I’ll wait to start until the new Year.” Then that dreadful January 1st comes along and many of us begin strong the first day and fall off before even the end of the first week. Sometimes we even give up the day after and tell ourselves “Oh, that resolution was too difficult.” But that is only because we are setting unrealistic goals. If we want to lose weight, start a decent sleep schedule, or even learn how to better organize our lives, we need to start small. Here are five easy-to-commit-to New Year’s Resolutions.
1. Pick up a new hobby. This can be anything: knitting, doing puzzles, learning how to play checkers or chess. Get a coloring book and some crayons or colored pencils. Download thinking games on your phone and try them out once a day. You just want to pick something that will keep your brain healthy and sharp throughout the new year.
2. Read one book this year. This can be any book you like. If it’s relatively small and you finish before the year ends, you can either be proud of your accomplishment or start another. Reading one book may sound a bit too easy, but with all of our lives becoming more and more busy with each coming year, reading a book may not be as simple as it sounds, and could very well pose a fun and exciting challenge.
3. Try yoga. If you can’t bring yourself to get to the gym, you can do yoga at home. There are plenty of beginner’s videos on YouTube for getting started. All you need is a good small space for yourself to stretch and get to know how your own body and mind. This is also a helpful solution to getting motivated for your day if you try it in the morning, or getting rid of any stress you might have from a busy day, before bedtime.
4. Get to planning. Using a planner or even using the Reminders App on your phone is easier than you think. You can buy a small notebook at the dollar store. As soon as you think of something that has to be done either later today or even tomorrow, quickly jot it down in your notebook. The next day when you wake up, you can look through it and have an easy plan to follow for your whole day. This way you won’t forget anything or hurriedly have to do something at the last minute. Your planner doesn’t have to be extraordinary, it can be as plain as black ink on white paper. But once you make planning a habit you’ll come to appreciate it much more than you’d expect.
5. Learn to cook one easy meal. Whether it may be scrambled eggs or a grilled cheese sandwich, you’ll thank yourself later. You may not have time in the morning on a work or school day to cook a meal, but when you’re home on a Saturday and don’t want cereal for the sixth time this week, you can turn to either of these easy dishes. If you already know how to cook the two meals I mentioned, pick something small and new you haven’t tried to cook yet. You’ll feel accomplished once you master it, and the more often throughout this year you cook it, the faster and better you’ll get at it. Therefore, you’ll feel satisfied with your new skills and yourself.