How many of you have read the words, “New Year, New Me!” on social media within the last 3 weeks? Being a millennial (sorry to make you all feel old), I think I have read those words at least 100 times on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. However, we are officially 24 days in to 2019, and I am beginning to wonder how many of those people have kept up with their new motto, “New Year, New Me”. So many New Year’s resolutions have started, and some probably have already ended by now. Let’s face it, most resolutions are made just to be broken; like how my “no sweets January” was broken about by January 2nd.
Resolutions are something I always found to be fascinating. The word itself literally means “the action of solving a problem, dispute or contentious matter”. So why is that as humans we decided that resolutions cannot be started unless it is on January 1st? And with that, the same resolution is usually broken by the end of the month? A resolution is a problem or challenge that you face every day; from the way we choose to diet and exercise, how we interact with those around us, and even how we choose to treat ourselves mentally. This is why going into 2019, I challenged myself to not make a “New Year, New Me” resolution; instead I decided to make small goals at the start of each week that will not only better myself physically, but also mentally. Whether it’s taking an hour out of my week to volunteer at a local charity, or turning off my phone during family gatherings to truly be present with those around me, or even as simple as going 1 week without my “non-negotiable” dessert after dinner. I wanted to start 2019 by making each week purposeful.
So, my question to you is not what your 2019 New Year’s resolution is (or was at this point); but instead, what will you do this week that might seem small, but is a challenge you can accomplish for at least one week. Sometimes one week can lead to two, which leads to a month and eventually a lifestyle change; and then you can truly post on social media “New Year, New Me”.
—Alyssa Johnson, FITT-RX Trainer