“New Year, New Me!” Many people say this on January 1st, but what does it really mean? For many, it means that they want to throw away their past year and want to start their new year fresh. But how do you start off fresh? For that you need to make your New Year’s resolution. The list can range from losing weight, stopping procrastination, or even bigger things like stopping a bad habit such as drinking or smoking.

These three resolutions are very common amongst many resolutioners, but many still fail to keep them. Here is a compilation of tips that can help you achieve the three most common resolutions.

Lose Weight- Many people choose to lose weight but many will fail at it and here are some common reasons why. The biggest reason why people fail to do this is because people start with unreal standards. For example, if you went to the New Year without going to the gym at all, an unreal resolution might be to go everyday in the New Year. Instead of starting the New Year with the bar high, you should start off slow.

If your resolution is to lose weight you should start by going to the gym once every 3 days and then gradually go more often. This way you can start somewhere without giving up.

Stop Procrastinating - Have you ever had a big assignment due the following week, but waited till the last day to do it? In that last day you are probably stressed out, thinking how you are going to finish it. A few tips to stop procrastination is to put all your distractions away, make a to-do list, and picking an environment that works best for you. If your phone is a distraction for you to work, then keep it somewhere you won’t touch it. For example, if you are a very lazy person, then put your phone downstairs or far as possible from you.

When you wake up, the first thing you should to is make a to-do list. This way you can keep track of what you have done and what you need to do throughout the day. Make sure to complete your list by the end of the day. If you cannot work at your house because there are distractions, you can go to a nearby library or cafe.

Quit Your Bad Habits- Bad habits can be simple as biting your nails. Or it can be more hardcore as smoking or drinking. If your bad habit is to quit smoking, then stop off slowly. It is very hard to stop right away. If you smoke 5 times a day, then lower it down to 4 times a day. When you think 4 times a day is enough, then smoke 3 times a day. Repeat this process until you stop smoking. Another tip to stop smoking is to tell someone you see on a daily basis. That way he/she can help you.

Keeping your New Year’s resolution is harder than you think. But if you follow these tips then you can overcome your resolutions in no time! I hope you can achieve the goal and be proud of the change you have made by the end of the year. Happy New Years!

<Willie Ro/ Torrance HS 9th>