The smart girl’s guide to New Year’s resolutions

I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, as once January has faded they seem to have faded along with it – leaving you with a 12 month gym membership that never gets used again (seriously, gyms must be creaming it off people who never actually go), a juicer that is relegated to the back of the cupboard, a to do list a mile long that never gets a second look or a stash of nictotine patches that you’ll never actually use. Do I sound a bit cynical? Yeah, I guess I am, and that’s because I don’t think that a lot of New Year’s resolutions are well thought out.

When you set a goal for yourself at any other time of the year, you come up with a plan about how you’re going to achieve it, in what timeframe and how you will measure that achievement. So why should a goal at this time of year be any different? Check out some of my tips below for approaching common New Year’s resolutions, get your pen and paper, write your plan down and stick it somewhere that you can see it every day!

A bit of a disclaimer – I’m not a doctor, a financial adviser, a lawyer or anything other than a blogger who has experienced life. I write based on my experience and realise that what works for me may not work for everyone else – check in with your doctor/nutritionist/shrink/kaumatua/lawyer/spiritual or financial advisor about what’s best for you.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Whether it’s getting fit, eating better, exercising more or just generally aiming to be healthier, this is the most popular New Year’s resolution. After a month of drinking at Christmas parties, eating lots of tasty food over Christmas and partying it up on New Year’s Eve, I’m not surprised that so many people wake up on January 1st wanting to make health and lifestyle changes! It’s the New Year’s equivalent of waking up with a horrific hangover and swearing that you’re never going to drink again … until next weekend.

One of my goals for the coming year is to eat better and exercise more, so we’re in this together. I’ve joined up to the Motivate Me NZ trial for support and ideas, and I’m really looking forward to that, but when it comes down to it the only one who can make me eat better and exercise more is me. I’m not talking about fad diets where you only eat soup, or restrict yourself to 500 calories a day – I’m talking about eating mostly unprocessed foods (because let’s be honest, I’m still eating chocolate), and not obsessing over every bite I take. I’m not talking about spending half my wages on a gym membership either – if you can afford a gym membership and are actually going to use it (if not, you can totally give it to me!), then great – but there is plenty of exercise to be had outside the walls of a gym! Basically what I’m saying here is be sensible with your body and your wallet.

QUIT SMOKING

I had my last cigarette on 31 December 2010, so this New Year’s Eve will mark my 4th year smokefree. I quit cold turkey, and it was probably my 20th attempt at giving up the smokes. I think that there are two key things you need to quit smoking – the first (and for me, the biggest), is motivation. Whether it’s for health reasons, to live longer, because you have or are wanting to have kids, or because smoking damages your skin and you don’t want extra wrinkles (hey, whatever works for you, no judgement!). It’s handy to keep your motivation in mind on the days that are tough or stressful – trust me, they will seem plentiful! The second is a method of quitting that works for you. As I mentioned,  I quit cold turkey, but I know that isn’t going to work for a lot of people, so call Quitline, get the patches or gum, talk to your doctor, book a hypnotherapy session or read that book by Allen Carr. It might take more than one attempt, but you will get there!

NEW JOB

If you hate your job, sit down and think about what you want to do before you write your letter of resignation. Do you want a new job in the same field? Is it time to retrain and follow your passion? If you’re going to look for a new job, update your CV and get hunting. Don’t slack off at your current job, don’t badmouth your boss and don’t resign until you have something else lined up – it’s much easier to get a job if you’re already employed! If you’ve decided that you want to do something new, find out what you need to do to get into that industry – can you just start applying for jobs or do you need qualifications? Can you study while staying at your old job – either through remote learning, a change in hours or night classes? Universities may take late submissions if that’s the route you’re planning to take (but make sure you get on to it soon!), and some courses will accept enrolments right up until they start.

BE FEARLESS IN FASHION

If you want to push yourself outside your comfort zone this year, set yourself a goal about what you want to wear. Is it a bikini? A crop top? More colours? Bodycon? Just a general style update? Be inspired by your favourite blogs for styling ideas, book an appointment with a personal stylist to help you out if you need it, and surround yourself with body positivity. I’ll be blogging about being fearless in fashion as always, and you can share your fearless style adventures with me, so stay tuned…

GET SORTED FINANCIALLY

Whether you want to pay off debt, save for something in particular or just be better with your finances, now is as good a time to start as any! Set yourself a specific goal (pay off a credit card, save for a trip overseas, put aside some of your pay for a rainy day) and figure out how to make that work – this is a good resource to help you out. Work out your budget (you can get free budgeting advice if you need a hand), be realistic about the amount you can do without and what small changes you could make (do you really need to spend $10 a day on coffee?), and do it. For me, I like having all my money in an account so I can see it stacking up. If you’re tempted to spend, look at getting an account that you can’t touch without penalties, or one that requires two signatures (nothing like having to explain to your dad why you need to spend $200 on shoes…). Only set aside what you can afford to do without – if you’re on a low income I know it can be difficult to spare money to put aside (I’ve been there!), but even a couple of dollars a week will make a difference!

This coming year is about wellness for me – eating better, exercising more, rehabilitating old injuries and doing things that make me feel good. What New Year’s resolutions will you be making? Share them with me below – sharing your goals helps to make you feel more accountable for them!

Title image from Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson