Okay, it’s January 1st. This means the gyms are filled with new sign-ups, packs of cigarettes are being thrown out, and girls are deleting their ex-boyfriends number from their phone contacts.

Tomorrow, the gyms will be empty, more cigarettes will be purchased, and girls will be facebook messaging their ex-boyfriends.

How do you make a resolution come true?

Take it from someone who can proudly say “Hey, I’ve done it.” I’ve lost 25 pounds. It seems like a huge feat, when you first step on the scale and say “Ew, no, this is stopping now.” It isn’t, though.

• Pick something doable. I’m sorry, but you aren’t going to be the first man to walk on Mars in 2013. You also aren’t going to survive a drop from the top of the Empire State Building. Pick something realistic. This also usually means is has to be something you can accomplish ALONE. While “let’s stop fighting” seems like a great resolution to have with your significant other, you can’t stop a habit without figuring out the cause behind it. You also can’t make a resolution for another person, unless you have both mutually decide that you would like to take the necessary steps. That being said…
• Take it in steps. I didn’t lose the weight in the first week. I think, in my first week, I lost 2 pounds. Even stepping in the right direction makes a huge difference. Things will not change overnight. It’s impossible to give up an entire lifestyle cold turkey – eventually, you’re going to cave. Instead, take baby steps. My first step was to take up regular exercising. If your goal is to become more social, start by reaching out to one of your old friends instead of all of them. By slowly accomplishing a goal, it will have a more effective outcome.
• Consider a support system. Get a friend to join you! It’s so much easier this way. Are you trying to cut an ex out of your life? Have a friend you can text every time you’re considering contacting them, and they can help talk you out of it. Get a friend to join you at the gym, or get a friend to drag you to school events. It’s much harder to let someone else down, because we all know how much we want to please others.
• Don’t kill yourself over breaking your resolution. Just look at why it happened, and get back on track. Maybe you made your goal a bit too much, and need to take baby steps to get there. Maybe you need to find a support system. Change isn’t going to happen when the ball drops in NYC. Things really are the same as they were on December 31, 2012…the new year does not bring magic to us, only an opportunity.

Best of luck on your 2013 endeavors! Hopefully you followed our earlier advice, and have resolved to join us at more events in the new year 😉

~ Corinne