4. Stopping a habit
We know we left this one vague on purpose, but it was because this resolution has many versions and some can not get rid of them, no matter how much they try or wish to stop come the new year. Habits are, by their very name, actions we keep doing unconsciously, because we have been doing them for so long we cannot control them. Be it that they help soothe anxiety or we do it when we are stressed, just trying to will ourselves to stop is not going to actually yield any results.
Simply wanting to stop biting our nails, for example, will not actually stop us from doing it when we absentmindedly watch the new episode of our favorite series on Netflix. We have to identify why we are doing these habits and actively try to stop them so that the next time we find ourselves having the drive to do it, we will stop. Talking with a psychologist is also a good idea, maybe there is something else attached to it.
5. Do not put things off so much
Let’s be real. Who has ever stopped procrastinating just because they wanted to? It happens to the best of us, we wake up with the drive to do a certain thing and by noon we find ourselves putting it off, for whatever reason. Much like habits, procrastinating is not just something you can stop doing because you are aware you are doing it and you should stop. All of us have put off something for so long that we end up swarmed with a ton of tasks at the last minute.
It is unpleasant when it happens, but sometimes we cannot avoid it. And making it a resolution to stop will not just resolve all your problems and suddenly you do things early or with a lot of time to spare. You have to work towards this, to break the cycle and not keep telling yourself there is time later. It would also help if you started to write down what you have to do in advance, planning when to do certain things so you can manage them and not have so many tasks in a day you get overwhelmed, only to end up not doing anything.
Again, maybe talking to a professional can also help as often we can end up procrastinating due to other issues, or because we are so stressed we cannot handle it. Looking into it never hurt anyone, and if anyone ever mentioned to you that it’s so easy to stop doing this, just know they have no idea what they are saying.
This is a long process, not a silly resolution you can make come true as the clock strikes twelve.
6. Lose a specific amount of weight
This goes hand in hand with some of the previous resolutions mentioned before: exercise, dieting, and even the smoking one. Attaching a number to it is not going to make you more likely to do it. Nor is the time limit. Losing weight for that ‘summer bod’ or fitting into some old clothes come summer, a relative’s wedding etc is not going to work. Ask anyone who makes such an overused promise how many of them have actually stuck to it.
This is not to say you should not strive to lose some weight if you want to, or if you need to do so for health reasons. It is admirable and we should support all the people in our lives that want to be healthier. But just saying you want to lose weight is not going to make it a reality. Look into your eating habits and try some healthy alternatives to what you already eat, see a nutritionist if you can to help you if you do not know how to do it, introduce more exercise into your life and try to stick to it.
Do not count on fad diets and weight loss pills or teas or whatever the Kardashians are promoting now, and make lifelong changes that will help you reach your goal.
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