New year – new futile resolutions
It’s that time of the year when people reflect on the year that has passed and think about what they have achieved, or more likely, what they wanted to achieve and failed to. This is where I’m currently at. Right now, I’m super motivated to avoid the same mistake next year. However, this is exactly how the ending and start of every year is with me. To title this post ‘New year – new futile resolutions’ is perfectly appropriate because fireworks and new year’s resolutions are equally fleeting.
Introspection
I’ve been doing some introspection about this problem of mine. Don’t get me wrong, I did achieve some pretty cool stuff this year, but there were also many things that I didn’t get around to. If I’m honest, I didn’t make enough time for it.
My problem lies with wanting to achieve everything and get it right in a short amount of time. Yes, in that sense I am the typical instant gratification addict millennial. I set unrealistic goals and then get demotivated when I don’t live up to my ridiculous new standards. Obviously, this is something I should change and I think I have come up with a solution.
Bite for bite
In school, I heard the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? By taking one bite at a time” (not sure who originally said this). That’s true for most things in life. If you want success with something it will take time, and you will probably have to break down the goal or project into smaller, more manageable chunks.
In 2020 I want to put this concept into practice, starting with my health. I’m not unhealthy per se, I exercise a lot and eat moderately healthy, but I don’t feel that healthy. I think many people can relate to that (or they are just plain unhealthy).
Taking on a new diet is daunting – the meal prep, buying healthy food, knowing what to avoid, having the will power to avoid those unhealthy foods, exercising, etc. That’s why a lot of people can’t stick to diets. It’s just too overwhelming. I’m not judging, I’m one of those people.
My plan is to break up the “daunting diet” into manageable chunks. Each week I want to introduce a small, healthy change to my diet. In this way, I won’t get overwhelmed by the 2020 lifestyle change, because each little change will feel very feasible and easy. If I can stick to the small change each week, I will be proud of myself and motivated to add the next thing.
Forming healthy habits
The whole point is to incorporate healthy habits into my lifestyle, to physically feel better. Obviously, it will take a while for me to feel and see the results, but I’m happy knowing that the benefits will be sustainable. Screw you, 10-day diets.
My first new habit is to drink at least 2 liters of water per day (it sounds like a lot, but it’s just eight glasses). Don’t underestimate how terrible dehydration makes you feel, especially if you exercise a lot. Note that it’s water, not coffee, tea, cool drink, etc. It has to be water. If you want to drink coffee, tea, or whatnot, you’re welcome to do that, but that should be in addition to the water.
What do you think of my methods towards a healthy lifestyle? Contact details below.
Meh.
Michelle
P.S. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to comment below, send an email to thatmichelleperson@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @M_ClutterBox.
