New Year’s Eve is always an interesting time; one of the few days people really look back on the past and also look forward to the future. Now is the time to consider the changes we want to make in our lives (and also figure out a way to make those changes stick).
Here is our unofficial list of the Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.
5. Get Out of Debt
Think Major League Baseball is the national pastime? I think it’s more likely trying to get out of debt. Money is a great stressor in our society and gaining control over this part of your life will go a long way towards your peace of mind. It’s ultimately one of the best things you can do for your family and yourself.
4. Enjoy Life More
You work hard; we already decided we don’t get a lot of time off in this part of the world. We have to make sure we’re making the most out of our free time. Consider the way you spend your time away from the office. Do you spend a lot of time in front of the TV or surfing the web? That’s time that could probably be better spent. Make a list of things you’d like to experience this coming year and promise yourself you’ll get out a do them.
3. Spend More Time with Friends/Family
Surveys show that over half will vow to spend more quality time with their friends and family. This is difficult in the U.S. where the average person gets 13 days of paid time off each year (compare that to 40+ days in Italy or 35+ days in France). Once again, an agreement with your friends and family to spend time together is the answer. Maybe the movies every Saturday night? What about billiards and laughs Wednesday night?
2. Quit Smoking
Okay, maybe you already tried to quit a few times. Among people that have successfully quit, it takes an average of 4 attempts. Communities are getting more aggressive and severely limiting where people can smoke in public. Now is a great time to finally quit; you’ll not only be healthier and avoid the inconvience of smoking in the alley in the rain, but you’ll save a lot of money too. With an average cost of $5.50/pack, a pack a day is over $2,000/year. What could you do with an extra $2,000?
1. Lose the Gut / Get Into Shape
You know that you would be healthier, feel better and look better…. but this has always been a difficult one to see through to the end.. Make a deal with some friends that you’ll get together 3x/week and get some exercise. Even if it’s just going for a walk, if it’s more activity than you’re getting now, you’ll see results. The ‘perfect diet’ is going to be the eating plan that will allow you to be consistently compliant and allow progress to be made. The world’s greatest diest won’t do you much good if you can’t stick with it.
Article by: K.L. Gibbs
