5 Impactful Resolutions to Have in 2019

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of January and whatever resolution was taken at New Year’s is pretty much a distant memory by now. Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us.

It’s too bad, really, because I do personally believe in the power of making a decision to change things and sticking to it, especially when keeping a journal to document said changes, or say, by verbalizing your resolutions to friends, which makes you accountable (I personally decided that my accountability would be found on the interwebs by way of this article).

Another reason why it’s so hard to stick to our New Year’s goals is that we choose ones that are unattainable. No, you probably won’t be able to become an astrophysicist by the end of next year, but decreasing your alcohol intake? Maybe! That’s why I decided to make a short list of ATTAINABLE resolutions for you and I to cut our teeth on and finally be able to keep.

1. Get organized

You know those people who seem to have it so, SO together? You know the ones I’m talking about. They kill it at their jobs, they have two kids and a million hobbies and they still manage to always look like they have everything under control. Spoiler alert: they have the same amount of hours in a day than you do, but they’re just very, VERY organized. So pick up a pen (or an Excel sheet), draft out your schedule, make lists and stick to it. No more excuses (and scrolling on Instagram)!

2. Clean up your finances

This is a tricky one because not everyone has the same annual salary. However, unless you’re a trust fund baby (and even then, nothing is ever guaranteed in this hard knock life!), saving for retirement is something that you have to start to think about a.s.a.p. So, even if you have debts to pay, make a budget and figure out the amount of money you can afford to set aside in an RRSP or a TFSA, and have it be taken directly from your pay check, before you have a chance to spend it. It’s a healthy financial habit to have and you will be thankful in you old age. 

3. Cook more

The operative word here is “more”. As in, more than you did in 2018. This resolution is useful both for your waistline AND your wallet, and you obviously don’t need me to explain why such is the case. Personally, the best way to ensure that I will eat homemade meals is to shop for said meals, and I try to do it on Sundays as it really sets the tone for the rest of the week. If I don’t grocery shop on Sundays, chances are I will eat out a lot more that week because I don’t have the energy to grocery shop on weekdays. So set yourself up for success and prepare ahead of time!

4. Exercise at least 3 times a week

It could be four times a week, or even just once a week. But for the sake of argument (and because this is my personal goal), let’s say three times a week. Find a way to make it nearly impossible for you to break this resolution by preparing ahead of time and making it convenient. For me, it starts with going to the gym straight after work so I’m still energized because when I arrive home, I crash on the sofa and then forget about it (or, as Joey would say, fuhgetabawtit). It also means picking a gym that has a convenient location, even if it may be more costly. In any case, if you never make it to the damn gym because it’s too far away, however cheap it may be, it’s still money down the drain, #AmIright?

5. Learn a new skill to improve your quality of life

What I mean by that is not something like paddle boarding (although, it CAN be, if it means that much to you). I mean a skill that you can use to improve your daily life. It could be meditating or even stretching, but overall, it would have to be a skill that you would use almost daily and that would improve your overall wellbeing. 

As you can tell, my goals for 2019 are nothing short of very attainable. Of course, yours don’t have to be these exact ones and you don’t have to have as many. This is just what I personally want to focus on this year because I know that it will be good for me, not because I need to prove anything to anyone.  The key is to make it challenging enough that it will have a positive impact on my life, but not so much so that it will be impossible to upkeep.

So, I’m curious to know, what are YOUR attainable 2019 resolutions?