Promises, promises

Making new year resolutions is a time honoured tradition of New Year’s Eve. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.
Did your New Year’s resolutions make our top ten list?

1. Spend more time with family & friends

Everyone’s busy these days, it’s true. But the beginning of the year is an ideal time to reconnect with family that you haven’t seen in a while. Great idea, right? Then February arrives, reality sets in, and you realise that the reason you didn’t see cousin Jim more often is because he really isn’t that interesting at all. Or that plan to spend more time with the kids? Well, it turns out that work doesn’t magically disappear with the dawning of a new year, and you’re at the office more than ever. It’s a hard promise to keep — no matter how sincere the desire. Hopefully 2015 is the year you can make it happen.

2. Get fit

Each January, the crowded classes and treadmill lines at the gym make the new year a dreaded time. Luckily for gym rats, research says that 60% of gym memberships go unused and attendance is usually back to normal by mid-February. Why is that? Simple: people are lazy. If you want to stick to your goal this year, fitness experts suggest you set attainable goals like 10 gym sessions by the end of February. That way you avoid the common ‘all or nothing’ approach which often leads to failure to follow through.

3. Reach your wellness goals

After a season of way too many holiday parties, it’s only natural that a vow to lose weight would follow. It’s time to eat healthy. We promise to swap eggs and bacon for fruit and yoghurt breakfasts; eat lean, protein-rich salads (nonfat dressing on the side, please) and cook fish and brown rice for dinner. It all sounds so good and possible on the 2nd of January. The problem is that most people take this resolution too far by forcing themselves onto restricting diets they can’t possibly keep. As the saying goes, try everything in moderation, including moderation. Eat healthy, but allow yourself a treat now and then. Otherwise, it won’t be long before this resolution falls by the ‘weight’-side.

4. Quit smoking

So you want to quit smoking? You should. It yellows your teeth, infiltrates all your clothing, irritates your significant other and charms only those in an ever dwindling crowd of fellow smokers. So what better time than now? Good luck! There are a host of products to help wean you off your nicotine addiction so think it over during your next cigarette break.

5. Enjoy life more

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of South Africans, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you. Take up a new hobby or try your hand at yoga. Go to the theatre or head to the local spa. Johannesburg offers a wealth of artistic and recreational activities to meet just about anyone’s wishes.

6. Reduce your alcohol intake

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.

7. Free yourself financially

Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of South Africans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. Draw up a budget, get rid of credit card debt as soon as possible and learn to distinguish between necessities and ‘nice to haves’. With a focused approach you can reach financial freedom sooner than you think.

8. Learn something new

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep.

9. Get organised

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organisation can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organised enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organised enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, you can be on your way to a more organised life.

10. Help others

A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local orphanage, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organisations that could really use your help.