Kelsey Knows It: 10 New Year’s Resolutions You can ACTUALLY Keep

Hi Guys, Kelsey Here! New Year’s resolutions are all the rage at the start of the year. People love to try and commit to going to the gym everyday, losing a ton of weight, and making all these big changes, but the truth is that people don’t usually follow through for very long when they make these resolutions. Why? Because big life changes don’t happen overnight.  They are the result of small changes and commitments that add up over time.

I’m all for getting in shape or making healthier choices, but why not make a resolution that you can keep for the new year, a resolution that actually inspires change in your life. Last year I decided that it would be the year that I followed through with my resolution (a resolution to keep a resolution, if you will!) and I wanted to make a resolution that was attainable, while still being something important to me. And so was born my list of attainable, important, and realistic New Year’s Resolutions.

Thanks so much to our Aunt Teresa for letting us shoot in her FABULOUS new kitchen!! 

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Stop correcting your grammar/spelling in text messages

This is the resolution that I made last year, and while it might sound silly to you, it was so good for me! I used to spend so much time correcting my mistakes in texts and I realized how dumb that was. I’ve never been great at spelling, but the people who love me couldn’t care less if I type effect as affect or if I spell the word immidealty like, well, like that (ex. Kassy can’t spell ‘definitely’ to save her life).  My whole outlook on showing grace when people make mistakes has been altered because I changed the way I look at my own small mistakes. Perfection is not attainable and that is okay.

Only drink soft drinks on the weekends

Giving up soft drinks is a fairly common resolution, and that’s awesome if you can stick to that, but I am way too reliant on a celebratory Coca-Cola at the end of a long day to actually follow through with that. Instead of giving up your favorite soft drink cold turkey and failing a week in, start small and only have it on the weekends. This is totally doable and maybe you’ll find that you don’t actually need that coke anyway. (let me know if this works for you because I’m not quite to this level of commitment..)

Everytime you look in the mirror, find something positive about yourself

I don’t know about you, but if you are anything like me, then when you look in the mirror the first thing you notice is probably something that you don’t like.  Challenge this negative focus by instead recognizing something that you do like about yourself. Maybe even say it outloud so that you start to really believe it.  It sounds simple, but changing your mindset about how you look can majorly affect how you feel each day.

Be more intentional about compliments

This one goes along with #3, but instead focuses more outward. When you see something that you like about someone else’s outfit, makeup, personality, or anything, tell them – OUT LOUD! A compliment can go a long way and even that small gesture can make someone’s day.  Words have power to majorly impact how people feel and you’ll never regret saying something nice.

Never feel bad about eating a cookie

I feel like this one should be simple, but it can be so hard! Instead of making yourself feel bad about a silly little cookie (apply to your dessert of choice)  that you really really need (for your sanity and happiness), enjoy the dang cookie! It’s delicious and will 100% make your day better.

Re-try foods that you don’t like

This resolution was inspired by by roommate who regularly tries bananas even though she doesn’t like them. Your tastes change every few years, but if you never try the foods you used to not like, then you will never know if you now like them.  There are so many foods that I haven’t even tasted in years because I did not like them one time. I’m not saying that you’ll magically love every food you hated, but maybe you will find a new food you enjoy that you never really gave a chance. Be more adventurous with your eating and you might just be surprised!

Every time you get a bottled water, drink the entire thing

So maybe this resolution is aimed at myself for many reasons. One, I need to drink more water. Two, I am the worst at leaving half-empty bottles lying around (& I hate when other people do it). So fix all of these issues by drinking the entire bottle of water! It’s better for you and doesn’t annoy people.  I’m not ready to commit to this being my official resolution for the year, but it is something I’m working on.

Walk while you talk

This is mainly aimed at you fancy working people who take a lot of calls. If you spend a ton of time talking on the phone, try walking around when you are talking.  This keeps you active and prevents you from spending all of your time behind a desk. It has also been proven to help you think better, therefore it improves your entire conversation! Win Win!

Take more pictures than you think you need

I am all about living in the moment, but if baby Kate has taught me anything it’s that time moves so quick! We want to remember everything, so I have been trying to take more pictures of her and of everyday life. I want to be able to look back and see my favorite things and have a snapshot of some of of my favorite moments. Years from now I know that I will be thankful for these pictures!   

Say YES to something every day

One piece of advice that I hear so often is to say no to something everyday. I get it mostly, but I think that people go overboard with it and use it as an excuse to avoid things. Instead of saying no, say yes to things. Say yes when a friend invites you to Sonic before class, say yes to a late night movie with your roommate, and maybe even say yes to a night in with your textbook and some note cards. It’s still about balance, but saying yes to things allows you to focus on the positive instead of the negative. It’s all about your mindset, folks.

Have you decided on what resolution you’ll make this year? We’d love to hear what it is in the comments below!

 I hope this list inspires you to make a resolution that is both attainable and important. The little changes inspire true life change and I am so excited to see where this year takes you!