It takes 21 days to create a habit, and 90 to create a lifestyle. It’s notoriously known that most people tend to create for themselves a list of resolutions in order to achieve personal goals otherwise not achieved in previous years, and then fail on actually achieving them. The phrase “it’s easier said than done” can be taken quite literally in this sense.

While some people are dead-set on their resolutions and what steps need to be taken in order to satisfy them, it’s easy to feel in the dark about what there is to accomplish, seeing as there are countless resolutions one could apply to their life. Better eating habits? Clear skin? Motivation? It can be quite hard to pinpoint what aspects of life need revamping and revising. Below is a compromised list of resolution-worthy goals and what methods to take in facing them.

1. Stop Procrastinating – Start your homework as soon as you arrive home from school. Don’t watch an episode (or if you’re a binge-r, then a season) of your favorite TV show and then begin your essay due the next day, just start right away. You’ll benefit from it academically and especially mentally. Start putting yourself in the mood to just get things done and soon enough you’ll begin to realize that you could actually have a lot of downtime if you just, get it over with.
2. Take Care Of A Plant – Malieka Khan (11) spills personal details about owning a plant by saying, “Having a plant is the best. People really don’t know what they’re missing out on, as lame as it sounds it’s good to know that even when my life is falling apart, something else could be thriving. Just say you come home and you didn’t have the best day, or whatever reason, but you see a kid get some ice cream. Even though your day isn’t going how you wanted it to, at least you know someone else is having a good day.”
3. Sanitize Daily – While this one is rather subtle, there’s no harm in ensuring that you’re as bacteria-free as you can be. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona says that our phones are at least 10x dirtier than toilet seats. Instead of only sanitizing your body, make it a goal to sanitize things such as your mobile devices often. (USA Today)
4. Use Your Phone Less – While this generation obviously isn’t as addicted to our cellular devices as older generations claim us to be, it still wouldn’t hurt to cut back from our phones. Put your phone in a different room while you finish assignments and if you can, try going the first 30 minutes of the day without checking your phone. It might just make your day a bit brighter and a little less grumpy.
5. Save More Money – A problem that many teenagers can identify with is the struggle of obtaining money and then blowing it all off in one go. After each paycheck/allowance you receive, make it a small goal to slowly but surely stow away a bit of money each month so that eventually you’ll have a bit of leftover money to spend how you please.
6. Recognize Toxic Friends – Let’s be real: we all said we would do it in 2018, but did we really? 2019 should become a year of realization for many. If you’re constantly feeling down or more negative around a certain person, evaluate their characteristics and find the root of the problem and more importantly, solve it- even if it means cutting them out of your life.
7. Keep Your Environment Organized – Nothing feels better than walking into a neat, organized bedroom, which is why this resolution made the list. Be aware of the clutter than can inevitably flourish within the confinements of your room, and make it a habit to organize and declutter every so often. Trust me, declutterization does wonders on the mind and soul in regards to mental health and happiness.
8. Drink More Water– This resolution is simple, but sticking to it, not so much. Personally, I would always be inconsistent with my water intake. Some days I’d be consuming 80-90 ml of water, and other days I probably wouldn’t even pick up a water bottle. But apps such as “MyWater” help their users stay consistent with drinking water by sending notifications every hour. The more you reach your goal, (for example, my goal is to drink 75 ml of water a day) the less the apps sends you notifications. It’s a game changer for those who are looking for an easy way to improve themselves in a consistent manner.
9. Sit Stronger – Saving the most simple resolution for last, this one doesn’t even require you to get up. Slouching is a bad habit that most of us unconsciously indulge in everyday, and by giving yourself a mental check about your physical position has the ability to prevent a lot of strain in the upper back and neck, says Leon Turetsky, a corrective exercise specialist in Boston (Prevention). hey