As we wave a longing goodbye to the carefree gift giving season of December, many of us find ourselves turning our undivided attention toward the blank canvas of the New Year. No doubt we all spent the last hours of December thoughtfully pondering what our New Year’s Resolution should be, but now as we saunter into late January, it comes to the quintessential moment of evaluation on how well those resolutions were kept.
As it has now been more than three weeks since the New Year, most of us have already faithfully formed these new habits and are likely well on our way to tiny waistlines, washboard abs, 100 percent gluten and dairy free diets, balanced budgets, and/or fluency in a second and third language. However, if you are among the proletarians who have so far failed in the pursuit of perfection, there are certain steps that it may be possible to take in order to rectify your previous shortcomings and step onto the path of the enlightened.
If you’re trying to improve your diet, do not attempt to cut all sugar or carbs from your daily intake at once, for you will fail. Instead, make the Herculean effort to replace all soda and juice with water. This can be easily said with food as well. Instead of eating a desert after every meal, maybe limit yourself to one treat every day. This forces us to use some self control to not eat that last cookie!
If you’ve failed in the simple endeavor of exercising six times a week, start with the lowly goal of simply hitting 10,000 steps in one day. And fear not, there is no need to mentally count each step as you take it, as your mighty smartphone will tally it for you. High Point University even offers free workout classes for anyone to get their squats in! If interested in the workout classes, go to the Rec Desk in the Slane Student Center for more details.
If your room/house/desk/bathroom/life has remained as cluttered and messy as it was in December, do not attempt to embark on a dangerous effort to conquer disorganization without properly preparing for battle. Start by taking one simple action against the said foe. For example, make your bed each day, or buy wall hangers for your bathroom. Through these small steps you may be able to vanquish the beast growing amongst the dirty laundry and old term papers.
Follow these humble steps, and soon you may walk with the greatest among us as a keeper of great New Year’s Resolutions.
