My New Year's Resolutions

Image contributed by Emma Sloan

It’s that time again. Every new year starts with change. We want to work out more, eat healthier, refresh our old wardrobe, and declutter. Then after about a week and a half of solid work, we slowly start piling our clothes on the floor. We make excuses because the gym is just a bit too far and it’s just a bit too cold. No matter the reason, every February we find ways out of the promises we made to ourselves in January. 

So, how do you make an impactful New Year’s Resolution? The answer is you don’t. The problem with a New Year’s resolution is that at some point the year is no longer new. About a month in we realize that this isn’t a pivotal shift in our way of life, it’s simply the passage of time. When the year loses that title, you lose your motivation. 

Instead of making a New Year’s Resolution because you feel like you need to, make changes in your life because you want to. This isn’t you just “starting fresh in 2020,” this is you deciding to improve your daily life. It’s not something you have to do, it’s something you chose to do because it makes you feel better. This past year I successfully made a healthy living lifestyle change and shockingly have yet to falter even in the last month of the year. You can too, all you have to do is realize why you aren’t happy and make the steps to change it. Here are the changes I’m hoping to make in 2020 and beyond... 

1. Going to therapy

Let’s just dive straight into the deep end. I have always been a vocal supporter of therapy. Whether or not mental illness is apparent in your life, talking through your problems with an educated professional can cause a revolution in your emotional processing. Health isn’t just limited to crossfit and kombucha, your brain needs help too. This all being said, I myself have never gone. I want to be kinder to myself in 2020, and this is my first step in that process.

2. Reading more books

I can probably count the amount of books I’ve read in full on my two hands. In 19 years of life, I honestly don’t think I’ve read more than 10 books fully and voluntarily. Simply put, that’s just sad. As soon as I finish writing this article, I’m buying a book. That’s a promise I made to myself. Maybe once you finish this article, you should buy one too. Check out the new bookstore, Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers, next to Taco Mama in Downtown Auburn for some much needed inspiration.

3. Doing a face mask once a week

This is more self-indulgent than the rest of the list, however, as someone living with extremely sensitive and acne-prone skin, this could really change my life as well as my self-confidence. Face masks are fantastic. They make you feel relaxed and your skin look great. When you get busy with school, work, and life, self-care tends to get put on pause. Keeping things on your calendar that aren’t meant for anything more than making you feel good will change the way you treat yourself and others.

Hopefully this has inspired you to make some positive life changes in this new year. I don’t know where you’re falling short or what will help you the most, but you probably do. It’s 2020, a new decade. Be a better you in the new year.