New Year's Resolutions or Failures?

It's January 3rd and by now you've probably already had the chance to break at least one of your New Year's resolutions. This year I've noticed a lot of people saying that they don't make any resolutions. They say they don't make them because they don't like the idea of setting themselves up for failure. It's true. Most people do not end up following through with their resolutions. Personally, I've decided to give up alcohol until the spring recreational football season starts up (with my upcoming 30th birthday as an exception).

Maybe the solution isn't to stop making resolutions but instead to make more attainable ones. How many times have you vowed to fit into those jeans from high school? How many times have you vowed to quit smoking? These things, while not impossible, are not easy. They take a lot of effort and in the daily grind of life they can take a back seat to other more important things like paying for gas or finding a job.

Here are some ideas for resolutions that might be a little easier to hold up and they can still help improve your life.

1) Be Healthier: I know this one is vague but when you set a massive weight loss goal, it's easy to become discouraged and want to give up. Start small with some simple healthier eating habits. Give up the cheetos and maybe try some rice cakes. Coincidentally, I've found these amazing cheesy rice cakes that taste just like cheetos but have nowhere near the calories. Some healthier eating habits and some simple daily exercise (like going for a walk) can really improve your life.

2) Spend More Time With Friends/Loved Ones: Sounds so simple that you might not even think it is necessary. It definitely is. Speaking for myself, I just spent the last week of my vacation by myself at my house relaxing. While it was nice to recharge, It was also very lonely. This doesn't need to cost you a lot of money either. Have a game night once in a while or get together to watch the Ravens.

3) Don't Make Unrealistic Goals: Sure, I'd love to run a 4 minute mile but it's not going to happen. I can get through a mile in about 10 minutes (don't laugh). I decided that I'd like to get that down to 9 minutes by the end of the year. I'll be very happy if I reach it and there's always the possibility that I could knock my time down a little more. When you make a goal that is unrealistic, the chances of you accomplishing it are very slim. For example, instead of saying you're going to quit smoking, try saying you're going to cut back from 20 cigarettes a day to 15. Once you've been able to hit that mark you'll be able to take the next step down to 12.

4) Relax: We are a very stressed out group of people. We're upset about everything under the sun but how much of that stress is in our control? Very little. We can't do anything about that idiot on the road that hasn't figured out how to merge yet so why let it bother us? Sit back, take a breath and try to smile. It's simple, attainable and it will make your real life stresses much easier to handle.