My New Years Resolutions
It is officially 2019, which means time for some New Years resolutions! I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently of how to be more balanced with schoolwork and outside activities since I’ve started my semester at Marist. Since I’ve gotten home, I was able to reflect on my year and first semester and recognize some changes that I should try to make for 2019 to be a better year.
1. Doing more blog posts: At the beginning of the year, I was really good with keeping up with my weekly blog posts and photos on Instagram, but when I went to college, it became less of a priority. I kept putting it off because I was so focused on studying and tired of writing since I was in two writing classes last semester. I started losing motivation to continue writing blog posts by leaving it last and optional on my list of things to do. To avoid that, and try to manage my time better at college, I’m going to plan out topics over the weekend, and write them during the week so I’ll always have an idea to write about. My goal is to publish one blog post every 2-3 weeks. I will also be making more of an effort to take pictures around campus whenever I can so I have fresh content on my instagram account of new outfits, pretty scenery, and other pictures that I think are worthy of being posted.
2. Spending less money: I know every college student gets to the point where they don’t have any money because they’ve spent it all. A majority of my money is mindlessly spent on clothes. These clothes are worn a couple times and then put in the back of my closet, where it doesn’t see any light until a couple weeks later. This is going to be a big challenge for me because one of my favorite activities that I get to do off campus is going to the mall and shopping. To start off this “less spending” goal of mine, my mom and I will be giving up clothing and beauty shopping for the whole month of January to show conscious consumption. I’m not going to lie, I will be getting my fix of shopping in February. Once I am satisfied with that, I will be thinking of other ways to save money by experimenting in the Rent the Runway college trial. I have done a lot of research, and have spoken to many Rent the Runway college ambassadors at Marist and they have said nothing but good things about it, including that they have saved so much money as well as being more sustainable, while still having trendy looks.
3. Eating healthier: Eating healthier is also a goal that I strive to make a daily routine. While I’m at home, I have so much freedom to eat whatever I want. Although I think I eat healthy most of the time, I give into the temptation of foods that may not be so healthy because they taste good. While working at the mall over winter break, I found myself eating a lot of my favorite food (and weakness) macaroni and cheese from California Pizza Kitchen because it happens to be the closest restaurant to Anthropologie. Since I have noticed, I have been eating more healthier options for meals such as avocado wraps and sandwiches. At school, I have a very routined schedule. I eat a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, a natural valley bar/ Belvita bar for lunch, and either pasta or a wrap with a side salad for dinner. Although this diet is pretty healthy I would say, I think I can make it better by adding more fruit, yogurt and water to my diet.
4. Balancing gym time with homework: I would say I go to the gym for 2-3 hours 5-6 times a week. When I tell most people that I do that, their response is always “Oh my gosh, good for you! I wish I could work out for that long.” Although it may seem like the longer you work out, the more in shape you will be, it is not the case. I have found that the gym has always taken up a large amount of time for me. At home, I would go for 2.5 to 3 hours daily, spending a half hour for cardio (either elliptical or steps) and the rest on strength and stretching. At school, I would be there for 2-2.5 hours daily, spending a half hour on the treadmill and the rest of the time doing strength. Although I got into a routine of being able to fit everything in while still having a good amount of time for the gym, I want to learn how to spend less time at the gym and still feel like I am getting stronger and having effective workouts. I’ve realized that a lot of my workouts that I do already can be made harder by adding more movements to them. My trainer back at home taught me how to reduce the amount of time at the gym and the amount of workouts that I do by adding or taking away a component of the workout that I feel makes it too easy. By doing that, it will give me a new challenge at the gym that will hopefully reduce the amount of time I spend there, so I have more time for other activities that I can incorporate into my routine at school and at home!
5. Be more positive: This seems like a simple one, yet it is something that I realized has not always been there. Although I always try to think of the positives in a situation, whether it’s work, social, or school related, there’s some times where I can only think of the negatives. Being more positive will not only allow me to be more happier, but it will also bring me less stress. Other’s around me also will have an influence on how positive I can be. This year, I want to do everything I can to remain the most positive me I can be. To achieve this, I will do anything from making a list to unfollowing negative influences in social media. I also want to start doing more yoga once I get back to school as a stress relieving activity.