Spice up 2019 right by taking these steps to enforce a better year and you. I Fiona Legesse/ The Cougar
As time feels more and more like the construct it really is, New Year’s Eve dulls in its specialties and resolutions are often written off as performative and un-transforming. The NYE excitement isn’t as exciting because by now we’ve learned how little the new year makes a new you. “If I was going to change, I would have by now. What’s the new year got to do with it?” Right? Not always.
Although you might think I’ve started 2019 off on a bleak note, my point is to remind you that although the new year doesn’t necessitate a new you, that doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t. By now we must know that January 1 marks a figurative beginning more than a literal one, and what’s so wrong with that? Some of us need one, and you might, too.
Sure, if you were really going to start waking up at 7 a.m. every day, you would be by now, and if you aren’t, then maybe a New Year’s goal won’t cut it either. It’s time to stop forcing our New Year’s resolutions into a box of pseudo-productivity because how often do you really stick to it anyway?
So, let’s start off the new year right. Many of us are in need of revamped resolutions, ones that will get us excited for the new year. When did our resolutions become so boring? If the new year is a chance for a new you, you might as well have fun with it. Below are five resolutions to keep you feeling positive about the new year.
Grow a plant
Nurture yourself through the act of taking care of another living thing. It’s hard maintaining your own well-being, so take care of something else’s and learn how to be kinder to yourself and the things around you in the process. Having pets in college isn’t as feasible, but a plant? You can pick any, and it’ll brighten up your space. Water it before class, and add it to your morning routine.
Read more books, especially ones written by women
It’s time we stop telling ourselves we don’t have time to read the way we used to when we were young. If you’re anything like me, every year you tell yourself you’ll get better at time management, and it never happens. Instead, you should try reading more and let the rest follow. Adding a few time slots here and there allows you to have more structure in your day. I say read more books written by women because it provides a different perspective you can learn from. Maybe by 2020 you’ll think differently about something you were dead set on before.
Learn a new sport, and play it for fun
Another thing that might force you to manage your time better is getting a new hobby, any hobby. Buy a bike, a penny board, a basketball. Anything works, and you’ll have yourself something to actually do when you’re bored instead of just sitting on your phone for hours. Doing things for pleasure is a habit we all need to get in touch with a little more.
Start saving, and humble your wallet
Maybe you’re someone who wants something and has the ability to get it right away, either from your parents or your job or your trust fund. Either way, if every paycheck or allowance you get is immediately distributed for your desires, try saving a little. Even if you don’t have something to save for, maybe you will in the future. I recommend having at least $1,000 as an emergency savings. Be thoughtful with your money, it won’t hurt.
Make one new friend that you will keep for life
Are the people you surround yourself with ones you’d like to keep around forever? Ones you’d invite to your wedding? Or your funeral? If you’re not regularly around at least one person that fulfills such criteria, you might need to make some new friends, ones that are worth the time investment. It’s not that having company is worthless otherwise, but having a friend is very different from having a close friend.
