January has been a strong month, I need to keep my goals and resolutions in my mind to finish the year strong. photo courtesy of Times Square Alliance/Ryan Paraggio
Every year, millions of Americans create News Year’s resolutions for themselves; one month later, I am still trying to keep mine.
Approximately 50% of Americans create a New Year’s resolution for themselves every year; sadly only around 10% of those resolutions are kept. This year, I had three main resolutions to keep: drinking more water, exercising multiple times a week, and saving money. I know those sound like resolutions that everybody makes, but I am trying to help my body and bank account in the best ways possible this year.
Dehydration is something that I have dealt with in the past, and I am finally ready to get rid of it for good. What better way to do that than create a New Year’s resolution for it? Not drinking enough water has regularly deprived me of energy, as well as caused an occasional headache. So, one month into 2021, I have been very successful at this goal. Thus far, I have placed a water bottle next to my desk during the day and one by my bed at night. I also bring a water bottle to work every shift to make sure I am keeping up with it. This is the best resolution I have kept up with so far as the benefits make it worth the hassle. So far, I have felt energized daily because I have kept up with my water intake. My body and mind have thanked me for developing this new habit.
The next main resolution I have been working on is exercise. I try to work out at least five times a week, and six is the perfect amount. This one has been a little bit harder, and I have given myself a bit of leeway for this resolution. Due to my tight schedule, the only time I have to workout is before school because I have classes in the morning and work in the afternoon. The problem with this is I do not have a ton of time before school so I have to wake up earlier, and that is the part that makes this difficult. I get up at 6 a.m. sharp, get ready, do some cardio to wake myself up, then lift weights for about an hour, giving myself a bit of time to get ready for my school day. So far I have kept up with this almost daily, with a few extra days off because getting up at six every morning is hard to do, especially if I stayed up late the night before.
The final resolution I created for this year was to save money. I work a couple of days a week and make a solid amount of money for a part-time highschooler, but it is tempting to spend that money. I have been trying to save as much money as possible before I go to college in the fall. So far this month, I have spent a bit more money than I would have liked, but I am still keeping my resolution in the back of my mind before I buy anything. This month has gone fairly well, but I still have eleven months to improve on this.
January has been a solid month in my opinion. I have done a fair job keeping my resolutions and have been forcing myself to keep them. I have to stay in the 10% that keeps them to better myself. A month in and my bank account is loving it, and I feel healthier and happier than before I started this challenge.
