New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap.
And with good reason. When you hear “New Year’s resolution,” don’t you picture someone earnestly making a promise, probably health-related, then promptly breaking that promise? And doesn’t this just result in self-loathing, which is just the opposite of what one seeks from a new beginning?
If you don’t think of New Year’s resolutions that way—if by now, two weeks into the new year, you really are exercising more or “being more positive” or learning to play the guitar—then you probably need no resolution advice. Just keep doing your thing.
But if you’re reevaluating your resolution (be honest: is that new mandolin already gathering dust?) and could use an idea for a simple but potent alternative, consider these:
1: Stand up. You’ve probably noticed the increasing popularity of “active workstations.” In short, proponents argue that our modern propensity to sit around all day is causing a slew of health problems. These Visual.ly infographics lay out some of the facts pretty clearly: Sitting is Killing You and Sitting vs. Standing Desk. So, set up a standing desk. For example, my less-than-ideal home standing desk consists of a breakfast-in-bed tray on top of a storage bin on top of a desk, but there are better, still-inexpensive options.
2: Walk. The health benefits of walking are fairly well known. Walking outside is even better. Try 30 minutes a day at least. Before work. Over lunch. While talking on the phone. After dinner. Etc.
3: Eat food. (Not synthetics.) Michael Pollan is one of the best-known of the pro-“real food” crowd. If you were looking for a good source of food-related resolution recommendations, you could start and stop with him alone. This excerpt from his book Food Rules offers just a few of his many guidelines for eating food that’s fresh and naturally grown, rather than processed and extra-sugary (or even carcinogenic). Take your pick, and make it a resolution.
Whatever your goal, the hard part, of course, is commitment. In general, that comes down solely to you. Beyond that, there’s the standard buddy system, where you and a friend keep each other honest, maybe even with weekly check-ins. But if you want to put your money where your mouth is, check out the “commitment contract” sites Beeminder and Stikk, which let you create goals and establish financial disincentives for failing to meet them. If you can stomach it, try the option from Stikk where if you fail, your money is given to an organization you hate. What could be more motivating than the horror of donating to Americans for the Harm of Cuddly Creatures?
And with good reason. When you hear “New Year’s resolution,” don’t you picture someone earnestly making a promise, probably health-related, then promptly breaking that promise? And doesn’t this just result in self-loathing, which is just the opposite of what one seeks from a new beginning?
If you don’t think of New Year’s resolutions that way—if by now, two weeks into the new year, you really are exercising more or “being more positive” or learning to play the guitar—then you probably need no resolution advice. Just keep doing your thing.
But if you’re reevaluating your resolution (be honest: is that new mandolin already gathering dust?) and could use an idea for a simple but potent alternative, consider these:
1: Stand up. You’ve probably noticed the increasing popularity of “active workstations.” In short, proponents argue that our modern propensity to sit around all day is causing a slew of health problems. These Visual.ly infographics lay out some of the facts pretty clearly: Sitting is Killing You and Sitting vs. Standing Desk. So, set up a standing desk. For example, my less-than-ideal home standing desk consists of a breakfast-in-bed tray on top of a storage bin on top of a desk, but there are better, still-inexpensive options.
2: Walk. The health benefits of walking are fairly well known. Walking outside is even better. Try 30 minutes a day at least. Before work. Over lunch. While talking on the phone. After dinner. Etc.
3: Eat food. (Not synthetics.) Michael Pollan is one of the best-known of the pro-“real food” crowd. If you were looking for a good source of food-related resolution recommendations, you could start and stop with him alone. This excerpt from his book Food Rules offers just a few of his many guidelines for eating food that’s fresh and naturally grown, rather than processed and extra-sugary (or even carcinogenic). Take your pick, and make it a resolution.
Whatever your goal, the hard part, of course, is commitment. In general, that comes down solely to you. Beyond that, there’s the standard buddy system, where you and a friend keep each other honest, maybe even with weekly check-ins. But if you want to put your money where your mouth is, check out the “commitment contract” sites Beeminder and Stikk, which let you create goals and establish financial disincentives for failing to meet them. If you can stomach it, try the option from Stikk where if you fail, your money is given to an organization you hate. What could be more motivating than the horror of donating to Americans for the Harm of Cuddly Creatures?