This Year I Will...

Magnets, $12 @ HappyTownUSA

 
Read more, eat less, get organised, take up a new sport... It's that time of the year when we all make resolutions in an attempt to better our lives or better ourselves. Maybe you've already broken a few of the promises you made to yourself on January 1? That's okay, because the good news is, you've got another 350+ days to turn it around.

The best advice I ever got about New Year's Resolutions is this: break it down, keep it simple. Don't just say, "I need to visit my grandparents more" or "I want to start running". It's too broad and too vague. Instead, make it manageable – think about it not as a yearly resolution, but on a week-to-week basis. If you want to visit your grandparents, set aside one day a week and do it – make it a habit. If you want to start running, start with one morning a week, and go from there. It's only one morning a week – there's no room for excuses.

If you rush out of the starting blocks to fast, without thinking about how you're logistically going to maintain your resolution long-term, you'll get tired too fast and you'll fall off the wagon. And when the first day of 2013 rolls around, you'll be resolving all over again to achieve the exact same thing.

And if you're really serious about your resolutions – tell somebody. Having someone on board to help you might just be what you need to get you over the line on December 31.