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New Year’s resolutions have always seemed a little silly to me: if there’s something you want to change about yourself or your life, why not do so on a random Tuesday? Why wait until the calendar and society tells you to do so? Well, it’s a commonly accepted practice, so I digress.
New Year’s resolutions are vital to some and not as important to others, but there are certainly ways to improve your daily habits at the beginning of a fresh calendar year besides the usual “eat better” and “exercise more” that everyone vows to abide by.
If you’re hoping for a little self-improvement this January, keep the following New Year’s resolutions in mind:
- Help those less fortunate. Whenever you’re feeling down about the crappy day you just had at work, remember that someone else is always having a worse one. Wait, isn’t the New Year supposed to focus on happy things, not bring you down? Yes, but taking a moment out of your day to help someone who needs it is the happiest of all things! Whether you’ve got a few hours to spare on the weekend, clothing to donate or can write a check to a charity, there are plenty of local organizations that could use the help. Consider taking the time to help one like Gleaners Community Food Bank, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Forgotten Harvest or The Salvation Army.
- Show your Detroit pride. Whether you’re a sports fanatic or not, this year, vow to make it to at least one Detroit sporting event in 2015. While I always make it to several Tigers games throughout the summer, I’ve never been to a Lions game, and it is officially on my New Year’s Resolutions/Bucket List for this coming year. Am I a crazy about football? No, but I do love supporting the city of Detroit. You should, too!
- Don’t be afraid to stick up for yourself and/or ask for what you want. Have you wanted to ask for a raise at work for the past five years but are too timid to speak up? Are you ready to leave a relationship but don’t want to start over? Do both now.
- Let this be the year of “you.” In the first days of 2014, this advice was given to me by one of my best friends, and it’s some of the best I have ever received. It’s stuck with me all year long, and whenever I’ve had an important decision to make, I’ve always remembered it. It doesn’t mean be selfish and forget about everyone else’s feelings, wants and needs, it simply means to remember to take care of yourself and don’t forget about your own goals. Are you dying to travel to Europe? Are you ready to go back to school? Buy a plane ticket. Sign up for classes. Sayonara! Take time for yourself, and you will be thankful later on.
- Practice everything in moderation and stop beating yourself up all the time. If you’d like to start exercising more and eating better, great. Start working up to your goal, don’t cut everything but lettuce and tuna fish out of your diet cold turkey. A) you will be cranky and B) your plan will not work. On another note, cut out all negative self-talk from your vocabulary while on the way to reaching your goal, and every time you utter the words “I’m so fat” or “I need to lose five pounds” or anything along those lines, put $5 into a jar. Then give that jar to me. If you’re looking for a few local gyms to check out, consider Namaste Yoga in Royal Oak, Core Sport in Plymouth, and Level Health & Fitness in Shelby Township.
These are, of course, just a few suggestions, as your best and most successful New Year’s resolutions will be tailored to your own goals specifically. What are your most important New Year’s resolutions going into 2015?
