When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, don’t set yourself up for failure.
I am of two minds when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. On one hand they can be an awesome way to motivate yourself in the new year and accomplish new goals, but they can also lead to disappointment and feelings of failure if they go unfulfilled.
I don’t know the exact statistics, but I would venture to say that 99% of New Year’s resolutions are never met, so how do we go about making positive changes in our lives, while still holding ourselves accountable, and not setting ourselves up for failure?
The answer can be found in the number 10. These five New Year’s resolutions only take 10 minutes or 10 dollars to fulfill, but they can have lasting effects on your physical and mental well-being.
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So if you have been unlucky with your past New Year’s resolutions, give a few of these a try. Maybe in 2019 it really will be a new year, new you.
Add 10 minutes of physical movement to your routine every day. It doesn’t matter if you walk around your office, or do jumping jacks in the handicapped stall, adding 10 minutes of some kind of movement to your routine every day will have positive effects on your mental health and energy level.
Go to bed 10 minutes earlier every night. Get in bed 10 minutes before your planned bed-time every night. You would be surprised how much extra sleep that can add up to.
Spend 10 minutes every day, with your eyes closed, lightly meditating. I know actually meditating every day might seem daunting, but simply closing your eyes for 10 minutes, focusing on your breathing or letting your mind wander without stress can do wonders for your mental well-being.
Every week put $10 into a separate account to save. Saving money is really difficult for most Americans, but putting away 10$ per week should be reasonable enough. By the end of the year you will have $520 extra dollars, which is enough for a vacation!
Spend 10 minutes every week catching up with a friend or family member ON THE PHONE. I know actually using the telephone function of our cell phones seems like blasphemy nowadays, but there is something to be said for hearing people’s voices and engaging in an actual conversation. These days we consider ‘likes’ on Facebook and text messages to be our default forms of communication, but nothing is better for the soul than an actual conversation with a loved one.