January 2nd: Tips and Tricks for New Years Resolution-ers

Every writer, painter, singer, would-be fitness model, hopeful student, aspiring entrepreneur, and general human aims to make this year better than the last. Whether it be finding love at your own pace, publishing a novel, or finally going to the gym, here are some tips and tricks for maintaining your New Year’s Resolution past January 2^nd.

1. Wear a rubber band around your wrist, or make a dot on your wrist with non-harmful markers to remind yourself of your goal. Every time you look at the band/marking, you’ll remember your resolution and try to keep it.
2. Write it down. Whether you use pen and paper, a typewriter, or your smartphone, write down your resolution every day before bed then look at it every morning.
3. Wake up early. I’m sorry night owls, but I’ve found that this has helped me so much in productivity. I used to scoff at early risers and stay up until four or five in the morning because I insisted that I was a night owl. I’ve recently discovered that I don’t like nighttime so much as I like the peace and quiet I find when everyone else is asleep. You know the other time most people are asleep? Early in the morning. That, and you might end up fixing your sleep schedule too.
4. Take care of yourself first. If you’re not eating/sleeping properly, how will you find the motivation to go the gym or sit down and write the next greatest novel?
5. Have a buddy. If somebody else has the same/different New Year’s Resolution, motivate each other to keep on keeping on. If everyone else has already jumped ship on the New Year’s Resolution thing, then set up motivational posters all around your home or leave little notes to keep inspired.
6. Have a mantra. Saying things aloud helps us remember them. Sing your resolution to the tune of your favorite song if you so please. Bonus points for those whose resolutions include “vocalist training”.
7. Set aside a block of time for yourself. Keep a calendar and mark down whatever free time you have. Write your resolution at that point.
8. If life hits you out of nowhere and you forget to hold your resolve for one day, don’t despair. The best thing about a New Year is that it’s new. You always have tomorrow!
9. Leave the past in 2016 or (insert year here). Whatever failures you had last year are in the past for a reason. Nobody’s invented time travel (or the Doctor from Doctor Who still hasn’t enlisted my help yet). If you can’t change it, then focus on what you can change.
10. Associate your resolution with positive, not negative feelings. You set that goal to make yourself a better person, to improve your health, to sharpen your mind, or just to learn something you’ve never known before. If you see it as a chore, maybe alter your resolution to give you more fulfillment in your life. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. But don’t let your mistakes define who you truly are on the inside.