With our minds shifting out of holiday mode and into our upcoming New Year’s resolution goals, it’s time to ditch the age old resolutions to lose weight, get fit, or make more money. They are too general, and just plain plaid out! Here’s a list of some unexpected New Year’s resolutions for you to try out and stick to!
This resolutions plays into the generic “get fit” resolution, yet is much more specific and easier to plan out. That makes your chances of actually keeping up with this resolution so much more likely. Going slow and trying something new every month is totally doable, and may lead you to find the type of fitness that you will love doing. Some options are bootcamps, hot yoga, rock climbing, strength training, and cycling. But your options don’t end there, you have 12 months of options to try!
Again, this takes the “save money” resolution and makes it into a doable plan. Start slow
by putting aside $10 a week for the first month or two. If you find that’s pretty easy to
manage then up your saving amount. Keep upping the amount that you place into your savings account each month and by the end of the year not only will you have a pretty impressive chunk of money saved, but you will have also started a great habit that you can follow every year! This is a great addition to your unexpected New Year’s Resolutions.
Stopping your addiction to fast food or take out can help you out in more ways than one. The most notable are, you will save more money (take that savings and add it to your weekly stash) and getting a little healthier. The food that you usually get while dining out can be highly processed and filled with hidden sugars and sodium. Not the healthiest of ingredients! Take this one slow too, if you eat out almost every day, try reducing that to three times a week. If you only eat out once a week, try to extend that out to once every two weeks. You get the point.
With all of the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, we never really stop to think about all that the loved ones in our lives have done for us. Chances are, it’s a whole lot! And chances are, we never really tell them just how much they mean to us. Let’s change that! Being appreciated is something that everyone values and cherishes, so let’s help to make that happen. Go hug your best friend, call your mom and tell her you love her, take your dad out for a beer. There are so many ways to show love. This is one of the best unexpected New Year’s Resolutions.
Reading is a great habit to get into. It’s a great way to reduce stress, unwind, and can help with mental stimulation. Score. Starting to read one new book a month strictly for recreation is a great way to keep your mind active. Reading doesn’t have to be associated with your dreaded English Lit final. It can be fun, and most of the time it is! Find a subject or genre that interests you, be it non-fiction, or sci-fi, even romance (no judgement here).
A messy closet can sometimes reflect a messy life. You reach in for your favorite sweater and end up pulling out a hoodie from 2006. Um… do you ever plan on wearing that again? Probably not. So, why not start to declutter your closet. Get rid of clothes and shoes you haven’t worn in years. Try and sell them, or give them away to a charity if they are in good condition. Doing this can help make your morning routine so much simpler. Try and go through your closet once a season and clear out all your unwanted items.
Volunteering can help to put your life into perspective. Not only are you going out and helping a community in need and feeling great about it, but it can also make your weekly freak out about your roommate constantly eating your vegan cookies seem totally irrelevant! There are so many great organizations that need help. Search for something local that you can do, or opt for a large charity organization like St. Jude’s or the Humane Society. Either way, your time will be well spent. Chose an organization that is dear to your heart and give it all you’ve got.
Journaling is a great way to discover a little more about yourself, or self reflect on your day. A gratitude journal is made specifically for you to write down what you are thankful for. Much like volunteering, it can really help to put your life and your problems into perspective. Start by writing down three things a day that you are grateful for. You’d be surprised just how much you have. You can start to add more and more per day as the year goes on. This is a great form of self care and can really help turn your mood around on any bad day. Gratitude as a whole is a great addition to your unexpected New Year’s resolutions.
We’ve all heard the dangers of toxic people who spend their time sucking up all of our most precious good vibes. But sometimes we may not realize that some of the people in our lives are toxic. So why not start your year off with figuring out those toxic relationships, and effectively ending them! Start off by paying attention to how you feel around the people in your life. Do they make you happy? Do they support you? Are they honest with you? If the answer is no, it may be time to cut the cord. Start to distance yourself from anyone who is constantly putting you down or thrives on confrontation. You deserve fulfilling and happy connections in your life.
Ah your comfort zone, we are very content staying inside its perimeters. Buuuut, staying inside of this cozy little zone may be harming you in the long run. If you are allowing your fears or anxiety keep you from trying something new and exciting, then that’s a sign it’s time to break out! Take that challenging political science class you’ve been hearing so much about, or challenge yourself to speak at your high school alumni night. Have you been dreading the advanced yoga class at your studio? Sign up for that class! It can really help you to expand your horizons. And hey, trying a few of these unexpected New Year’s resolutions is a great place to start!
This next resolution is for anyone who is overloading themselves, or feels a constant need to please others. If you are already at your max load you need to learn to say no to anyone or anything wanting to add more items to your to-do list. Does your boss want you to take on another project when you’re already have five in the works? Do your friends want you to head out for a night on the town even though you have a paper due at midnight? Just say no! It’s ok! Anyone with compassion will be receptive to the fact that you’re already swamped.
Being away from your family and hometown friends can have some stressful side effects that we may not even be aware of. And when we get bogged down with essays, tests, and tailgating our calls home to loved ones can often get fewer and farther in between. But oftentimes, a call home can be just what we need. Even something as simple as hearing the voice of a loved one can make you feel at ease. And chances are, the person you are calling may need to hear your voice just as much as you need to hear theirs. Calling home more often is a great way to make everyone feel a little better.
Next up on the list of unexpected New Year’s resolutions, is one that can encompass a whole strain of things. So you can make this resolution work for you by identifying something that isn’t the healthiest part of your life and vow to cut it out. It can be as simple as kicking your soda habit, or as complicated as finally ending an abusive relationship. Whatever you chose, remember to really commit to making sure that you root out the habit for good. This can help to turn your whole year around for the better.
So we already identified cutting out take out and fast food as some great unexpected New Year’s resolutions. But what are you going to eat when you take that resolution on? That is where cooking can come in really clutch. Not only will you be able to see and control everything that you are whipping up, but you are also embracing a great habit of home cooked meals. And cooking has also been shown to reduce stress and help us relax at the end of a hard day. Put on your favorite Spotify playlist, or find a great podcast to listen to while you get down in that kitchen!
Ok, I know how this one sounds but I’m not talking about putting on your hottest dress and walking down greek row. I’m talking about your health, which is so much more fun! Making your annual appointments to take care of your body and mind are so important. I know check ups aren’t exactly high on most college students priority lists because, well… we’re young! But it’s important to remember we are not invincible so scheduling regular trips to our gyno, dentist, and general practitioner are so important! And if you see a mental health professional then don;t forget to frequent those appointments as well. Check up on how often you need to visit all of these doctors and try to comply.
A lot of the unexpected New Year’s resolutions I included in here require some self reflecting, and true soul searching. This next one… not so much. Searching through all of the podcasts available today can be pretty fun all its own. And when you find the perfect one (or ones) there is a certain level of joy, similar to how you felt when you met your bff. There’s a connection and you know your ears were meant for this podcast. Podcasts can pretty much make any mundane activity exciting. Got a long commute, a class on the other side of campus, a 8 hour drive back home for the holidays? The right podcast can get you through all of that! So, go on, go find yours!
Traveling is so important, but a lot of the time college students don’t take advantage of the option for a number of reasons. Maybe they are scared, or think they don’t have enough money, or maybe they simply think they don’t have the time. This is so not true! Travel can be done by anyone, college students included. You don’t have to fly first class to Paris to travel. You can drive to a nearby town you’ve never seen, or take advantage of the Spring Break trip all your friends are going in on, or take a Semester Abroad. Make travel work for you, you won’t regret it!
Just by reading this article and showing interest in unexpected New Year’s Resolutions, you are already empowering yourself. Seeking to make any kind of positive change in your life is such a great way to start off the year! You can also empower yourself in your day to day life by taking self care breaks, or focusing on your awareness. Even being kind to yourself is an excellent way to empower yourself!
Remember all those toxic people you were gonna start identifying. Well how horrible would it be if someone identified YOU as a toxic individual in their life!? Don’t be that person! Always treat people with kindness, be encouraging, respectful, and positive. Positivity really can go along way!
When you’re an incoming freshman you’ll have a variety of people telling college is about who you know and what…
Oh Liberty. It's a special college with its own little quirks. It takes its students on a roller coaster of…
Are you ready to begin your career as a Jayhawk? The University of Kansas is a great school with great…
Going to College is moving onto the next chapter of your life. New classes, new friends, and most importantly a…
Ah, sorority recruitment at Oregon State University. For many girls, myself included, it's an exhausting process filled with cute outfits,…
Planning a date night can be tricky on a college student's budget. Here are 15 cheap and fun date ideas…
