Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

January. Everyone rushes to the sales and frets about the extra present that has appeared on their scales. We vow to change but by March, this is forgotten and not achieved. Never fear!
Here are some tips to help you keep your resolutions.

Setting Goals

Flexible targets are key to achieving your aims-Be positive and challenge yourself, but don’t afraid to tweak your targets if it becomes too much.
Always set realistic goals for your resolutions, changing something small can make a huge difference. For example, ‘to be stress free’ is quite possibly one of the most unrealistic targets you could set for the year. We’re students, we get stressed, it’s a natural occurrence. Why not find a way that isn’t eating/ drinking/ smoking that alleviates stress for you? A better target would be to introduce things that limit stress.

Motivation

Check your progress every so often, it will help motivate you to keep improving or try harder.
If you manage to stick at it reward yourself! (Not with things that could counteract your hard work, i.e. a chocolate binge if you are eating healthy) Little treats make keeping your goals more enjoyable.
Getting together with other people doing the same or similar resolutions lets you motivate each other. Support from others is the best encourager.

Keep working at your resolutions

It takes about 66 days for something to become a habit, press on and be patient. Your new routine will become more natural eventually.
Help yourself keep your targets. Set alarms, write it on
calendars, if you are eating healthy make a shopping list. Write post-its, make signs, posters, anything that will constantly remind you to keep your New Year’s promise.
If you mess up, don’t worry or try to make up for lost time, just start afresh the next day. Don’t give up!

Remember that it is never too late to make a decision to lead a better lifestyle. The best thing you could do this year is to get a change of perspective. Be more positive and confident that you can achieve, and your New Year’s resolutions will be a piece of cake! Mmmm…cake.

Quick list of New Year’s Resolutions (In case you’re stuck)
• Get 8 hours of sleep per day
• Get a Be.Active Membership and attend at least one class a week
• Create a meal plan every week
• Eat at least one portion of vegetables with each meal.
• Read a book every month
• Join a society/club (it’s not too late)
• Drink a glass of water every other hour
• Learn/relearn a language.
• Stay in touch with friends (abroad, in other cities etc.)