Why you should not have resolutions for 2019?

We all want to be better than what we are today. We want to have a healthier lifestyle, we want to crush our goals and we want to be on top of our finances. How often do we wait for a new year to chalk down a new set of resolutions? And how often do we fail to keep up? I have done the same mistake in the past. I have made quite a few resolutions at the beginning of the year, tried to conquer them with all my force at the start of the year and fizzed out early. I have come to realize the problem with the resolutions.

You see, the resolutions are short-term stuff. You make them at the start of a year, you try to achieve them with all enthusiasm and fail miserably as the year progresses. You find yourself in the same circle every year. The problem with the resolutions is, if we fail to stick to them for a few days then mentally we start to believe we are behind on the schedule and we can’t achieve them by the limited time we have. It’s easier to give up on them and we fall into our old habits easily. That’s why I have decided not to have any resolutions for 2019. Instead, I would like to concentrate on developing long-lasting and meaningful habits. I encourage you to give it a try as well.

1. Exercise regular

There’s no doubt we are leading a very sedentary lifestyle compared to our previous generations. Our jobs are mostly glued to a desk all day and we rarely do any physical labor. It’s very important to develop an active lifestyle. Try to move as much as possible in your day. Spend at least 20-30 minutes sweating it out every day without a miss. It doesn’t matter if you workout in a gym, yoga, biking, walking or any other sports. The main thing is to give your body some form of physical exercise and make it a habit. I hear a lot of people make silly excuses to skip this. Remember, we will not be young forever. You might be in your 20s or 30s today, but you will soon enter your 40s and then you will understand how important it is to have a healthier body. If you develop the habit of an active lifestyle, you will find you have more energy to do things that matter most.  Plus you could cut down plenty in medical expenses and frequent doctor visits. If there’s one habit you would want to adopt in your life, then it should be Exercise regular.

2. Read every day, read often

If exercise gives your body a full workout, then reading does the same for your brain. It doesn’t matter what you read, but make it a habit to read at least 20-30 minutes a day. I prefer to read self-help books or articles every day and I find it very fulfilling indeed. I make sure to read a minimum of 20 minutes a day and this has really helped me to broaden my knowledge in the past year. Now it has ingrained in my routine and I can’t go without reading more than a day. Most successful people spend the majority of their time reading books since it gives you a very wide perspective on life. It sharpens your brain and helps you to think analytically. So next time you want to binge-watch a Netflix series, pick up a book instead. 

3. Set goals and achieve them

In order to keep pushing ourselves, we need to set goals. If you have a goal in mind then it motivates you to get up every day and show up no matter what. It’s important to have goals. Successful people have specific goals every year and they try to achieve them. Once you achieve a goal, it gives you confidence and boosts your self-esteem. It’s important to have goals and track the progress frequently. This will help you build healthy routines and come up with a plan to achieve them. Once you achieve a goal, give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate them. It gives you more motivation to start a new goal and work towards it.

4.  Take care of your finances

One of the most important aspects of our lives is our finances. We all want to be rich or at least hope to have a good reserve in the bank. But many a time we do not even have any idea where do we spend our money. If you want to be rich then you should keep track of your expenses. You should be able to identify where your money is going and how you could put it to better use. Read any personal finance books like I will teach you to be richor The total money makeoverand you would understand the importance of personal finances. In this day and age, it has become really important to be more conscious of our spendings because it is so easy to lure yourself to empty your pockets. With so many options to buy virtually anything with a click of a button, it is really tempting to go all out and spend your hard earned money. But just take a step back and ask yourself, what value does this add to my life? Can I see this using long term? I am not against spending but I am urging you to be more conscious.

5. Self-Contemplate

We are usually too busy in our day to day activities, we rarely give time for ourselves. Most successful people spend a few minutes of their day in self contemplate. They immerse in the thoughts and evaluate the day gone by. It gives you a perspective on what things went right, what went wrong and where you could improve. It also gives you a chance to connect with your thoughts. It’s even better if you have a habit of journaling. You could spend some time of your day writing down your achievements of the day and track your progress. You could also talk a long walk early morning in nature and mull over the things which matter to you most. It doesn’t matter when you do it but spend some time alone in a day to reconnect with yourself.

6. Strike a balance between work-life

Many of us are consumed by our work. We believe our identities come from our work. While it is great if you find your work the most important thing in your life, try to find a balance between work and personal life. It feels alright to drown ourselves in work during our younger days but once you have a family of your own, it is important to strive for that balance. Spend time developing lasting habits outside of your working hours. Be it art, photography, writing, playing an instrument and so on. During your older years and at times of distress, these habits will shape your memories. Sometimes it is important to attend the parent-teacher meeting than the corporate meeting.