Happy 2019! I’ve been reading a lot lately on why you shouldn’t make New Year’s Resolutions but for me, I enjoy going into the new year fresh with a sense of hope and opportunity to course correct on things that have gotten me off-track in the past year. So without further ado here are 5 ways I’m going to be happier and healthier in 2019:
1) Commit to exercise my body
I had a good routine where I was exercising 5-6 days a week until I got an infection that lasted the entire month of November (it’s a long story). I went from working out almost every day to not at all for the last couple months because I just wasn’t physically feeling up to it. Now that I’m feeling better I’m trying to commit to working out every other day until I can work my way back into my old routine. And let me tell you, it’s hard. Once you get out of that routine it can be very hard to find a way back. If you’re struggling to start a workout routine, I feel you. I’m right there with you. I’m making a commitment to myself because I know I will be better for it.
2) Complete a 31-day cleaning challenge
I am not an organized person. Not in the slightest. I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like my stuff is owning me, rather than the other way around. I am making a commitment to myself to clean, declutter, and organize one space in my home every day in January. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the space. I might have days where all I can manage is cleaning a junk drawer, but it’s something, and it will help me develop good habits. Plus I’m moving later this year so anything I can get rid of before then will help make the move easier.
3) Set a monthly savings goal
I am pretty good at saving money. I realize I’m about to make that sound like it’s not true but I have managed to save a decent amount in proportion to my income. The problem is, I don’t hold myself accountable by forcing myself to save regularly or holding myself to my savings goal. I just typically have a number in mind I’d like to put away every two weeks and if I can I do, and if I can’t I don’t. This year, there are a couple large purchases I would like to save up for. I want to not only hold myself accountable to putting enough away each month to cover those expenses, but I would like to see if I can also maximize my savings more and more each month. It’s going to require some discipline but it’s something I want to do for myself.
4) Be honest with myself
There’s a lot of ways in which we lie to ourselves. We tell ourselves we should buy things for some new hobby we never end up taking up, or that we need to keep something because of some occasion it could be needed for that never comes around. We keep books on our shelves we feel like we should own and read but we never get around to reading them. I just want to be more honest with myself about these things I don’t and will never need. If you would like to try applying this to your life, remember that the other side of the coin here is that to be honest with yourself you have to embrace and know that it’s okay to be who you are.
5) Take more risks
I’ll be honest, I am not great at taking risks. I have a very cozy comfort zone so why would I ever leave it? But to grow we have to move outside our comfort zones (as scary as it may be) and live a little. This is something I feel like I haven’t done enough of in the last year. I’ve gotten too comfortable where I am and I need to push myself to do better by challenging myself to take risks more often.
Wishing You a Happy and Healthy 2019!
Livvy