As we have entered the new year and the beginning days of 2019 are now upon us, the motto “New Year, New Me” is plastered in everyone’s minds. Everyone has their resolutions and goals that they plan to achieve throughout the year. They make aspirations that they have a desire to live up to and fulfill for their own benefit.

As the previous year has passed and the future of starting over is upon us, channeling a new perspective and having a refresher from the troubles last year brought is quite needed among most individuals.

When a new year approaches, perfecting and altering certain aspects that the previous year had brought into existence blankets our thoughts and consumes the first few days going into January. From mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual topics dedicating yourself to the process, it takes to reach the end result longed for can be tiring and a bit of a struggle. For most people, losing weight, eating healthy, thinking positive, being nicer, and spending less money are goals.  Setting up a plan is a key component in most resolutions and something that individuals compose accordingly, hoping that they will stick strictly to what they had laid out. Whether that would be a meal plan, a financial plan, workout plan, giving yourself an hour each morning or each evening to read and distress, there are multiple choices here and there that align creating the best fitting arrangement for each person that they believe will help them become a better person throughout the year. Junior, Maggie Cornelius has a goal to be vegetarian and cut out meat in order for a healthier diet.

However, by the end of the first week of the year, those aspirations aren’t as easy to accomplish as people thought. Grabbing a coffee from Starbucks on the way to school, treat yourself to an ice-cream cone after a long day of work, telling yourself you’ll start whatever you had planned before the first of the year tomorrow are all frequent disruptions in our plans. However, having stepping stones in the process instead of taking a big leap will benefit the ideas that are in mind, making the entire plan bearable. Taking baby steps will allow flexibility, helping you understand what works best and what doesn’t, and what you can progress in and what needs to be dimmed down. From there, you can advance your process. For example, for those trying to eat healthily and are wanting to go vegan, instead of cutting out dairy and meat altogether, start being a pescetarian, then vegetarian, then cut out dairy products one by one. Go take a walk a 15-minute walk, have a budget of $20 spending, turn off your notifications so you’re on technology less often. Tiny changes in how you used to live a life that contributes to the big difference you are looking for will help in the long run.

Mastering the ability to hold yourself accountable and balanced on the plans you have set for yourself will bring the changes you are striving for. Plastering the end result that you are determined to reach throughout your process, no matter how difficult, will be worth your happiness and contentment in the end.