My favourite thing about a new year, is the concept of it being a new beginning - a new you. People will make resolutions, all positive ones, whether it is to lose weight and become healthier in the process, or finish a course, or do something you've always wanted to do. All of these goals help you become an improved you, with more life experiences. 

However, it has become a joke that most of these resolutions fail within the first 2 weeks of the new year. I often use the word goal instead of resolution because I feel like resolution has lost it's meaning. Resolution means to make "a firm decision to do or not to do something," and how can a decision that falls through be firm? So using the word "goal" to give some flexibility, as long as you achieve or have made progress to achieve your goal, you have improved yourself. 

Here are 3 things that I've found to help achieve the resolutions that I've made. I hope you find them useful.

Decide on your goals - A good way to start improving yourself, is to set goals for yourself to achieve. Let your heart guide you, and pick something you want to improve upon. What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? Also write the steps that are needed to accomplish this goal. Eg. If you want to get a certain mark at school, you need to break up the curriculum and focus your energy accordingly. 

Make a flow chart - Have the year in the middle, along with all of the goals/resolutions you have for yourself. From each goal, write things that you have to do to achieve it. For example, if you wanted to lose weight, you would write exercise, or eat more nutrient dense foods. Do this for all of your goals, and place this chart somewhere you can see it every day as a reminder.

Have a daily to do list - If we were to take the weight loss example, you would want to eat more nutrient dense foods everyday, and exercise everyday. You would write these down, and at the end of the day, have the satisfaction of knowing you are getting closer to your goal, and checking off that box. As the day goes on, you would choose to do these things, and slowly, you will be able to achieve your goals - because after all - anything worth having takes time.

Bonus - If you have a friend with the same goals as you, you can make plans to get together to achieve them. Whether it is exercising, learning to cook nutrient dense foods, support, trying something new, it is always better and more enjoyable when you are accomplishing something with another person.

By the time the end of the year comes, you will have achieved or made your way to achieving your goals. Do not be discouraged by set backs - they will come, it's a part of living - just get back on, and remember what it is YOU want to achieve. 

~ Dr. Charmagne