Staying strong until Easter

| Lisa Waldera

Lisa Waldera (24) is a master’s student Communication Studies from Bremen, Germany. For three years now, she’s been living on campus. Next to her study, she regularly visits the cinema and enjoys concerts of all music genres. Every other week she writes about her life at the University of Twente.

Photo by: Annabel Jeuring

Stop smoking. Be healthy. Dry January. Go to the gym. Diets and a healthy lifestyle are all I hear people talk about since the new year started. Not just a new year, a new decade. For some reason it feels as if the start of 2020 is predicting the course of the upcoming 10 years. This adds extra weight to any new resolutions.

I decided to go into this year/decade without any resolutions. No expectations at all. This does not mean that I should not improve my lifestyle. Especially after the expansive holiday meals. Of course, it helps that I do not smoke. One less vice to work on. I also do not eat meat. I regularly save the planet with my reusable travel mug.

As a Psychology student, I learned everything about behavioral change. But it just does not seem to work for me. Google tells me to use the 21/90 rule. To form a habit, you have to establish a behavior for 21 days. Then continue the habit for another 90 days. I would have to stay strong until 21st April. Easter is already behind us then!

I guess that is why it has been proven many times that new year’s resolutions are rarely successful. Take mine from after the summer vacation for example. I was motivated and recharged for the new academic year. I got myself a gym membership. I even set myself a minimum number of workout sessions. Never aim too high I thought. Once a month is better than none. I worked hard to reach my goal, but I still failed miserably. Why is everyone always choosing resolutions that can be physically done anyway? To bless me with your healthy meals and positive vibes in your Instagram stories? For a few weeks at least.

So, no resolutions for me this year. A new start does not always have to lead to actions. I am convinced that a fresh start should be a change in thinking. Thinking differently about setting goals for myself. Changing my attitude about the daily fireworks in front of my bedroom window. Being more relaxed about the one spot on my face that is always coming back.

But I guess that is kind of setting a new year’s resolution for myself too. However, I send all of you the strength to carry on with your own resolutions until Easter! But first, happy new year!

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