1. They are generally vague. "I will lose weight in 2014" - great, but how? And will you keep it off, or drink your way through another gallon of eggnog in approximately 365 days and end up in this exact same position?
2. They read like a laundry list of steps to becoming a perfect person. Eat healthier. Go to sleep earlier. Be a better wife/girlfriend/dad/whatever. Resolutions tend to come in multiples - if not, aren't you underachieving? After all, you have a whole freakin' year to do this stuff, slacker. A long list of lifestyle changes can be hard to tackle all at once.
3. They make the gym really, really crowded.
This year, I'm doing things a little differently. Maybe I have commitment issues and can't settle on a single topic for a year, but in 2014 I'm going to set monthly challenges for myself instead of a few year-long resolutions.
In January, I'll be running a mile every day.
Photo from RunOm Cincy - Great American Ballpark
I know most of you are probably thinking that's pretty easy. After all, a mile isn't a challenging run. Most people run a mile in just 10-12 minutes. My mile a day challenge is about consistency. If I can't make time for a 10 minute run every day, I need to re-evaluate my priorities. I chose January for this challenge because I also really, really dislike the cold weather.
The distance isn't the important part for me - actually running is. You see, I hate running. Loathe it. Most likely this is because I'm not great at it, and I tend to gravitate towards activities that reward me with quick, juicy, satisfying success. Here's to waking up early, freezing my butt off, and probably taking a few more running shoe pictures along the way.
So there's my plan for January. What's yours?
xo,
Rachel
