Hello everyone! Welcome back and if you’re a new reader to this column, I’m glad to have you! This article is going to be extra exciting because when you read this, it will be 2022! How is that even possible? 2021 went insanely fast but having a fresh start is always great. This month’s article will be a little shorter, mainly focusing on effective ways to make (and keep) New Year’s resolutions, crazy New Year’s facts and hilarious holiday jokes. Now, let’s dive right in!

————————————————————————————-

Monthly Quote:

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” -Melody Beattie

————————————————————————————-

A Guide to Making and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions: 

Every year there is always the same talk about New Year’s Resolutions. Resolutions are very important because this is a goal you need to stick to and improve for the whole year. So, here are some tips to make sure your resolution is the right one for you!

Focus on something you are passionate about: Maybe you really want to start getting more active or learn how to bake. Whatever your goal is, it is imperative that you are passionate about making it happen. 

Make resolutions attainable: Oftentimes we give up on resolutions  because they are too hard and we do not feel like putting the effort in. Although all resolutions might be harder to achieve than the regular short-term goals, setting far-fetched resolutions will lead us to more sadness than positivity. If your resolution is able to be achieved through a fair amount of hard work and you are dedicated, that is a recipe for success. 

Track Progress: Do not let your resolution go without close examination. If resolutions are not tracked, we will end up forgetting about them by January, or if we are lucky February. By tracking progress, not only will it stay consistent, but seeing progress will make us want to strive further. 

Have someone hold you accountable: Many times resolutions fail because we do not have any motivation to keep moving forward. However, if you have a specific person holding you accountable, you will not be able to give up as easily. Additionally, you will also not want to disappoint your accountability friend by giving up. 

Rewards: Set checkpoints/short term goals for yourself in order to slowly reach your resolution. Say your resolution is to eat less chocolate. A short term goal could be to go without chocolate for a few weeks. Once that goal is reached, you can reward yourself with a small piece of chocolate. Then, you can slowly increase the time in between each piece of candy until you are eating a lot less unhealthy food. Rewards keep us motivated!

————————————————————————————-

New Year’s Facts: 

We all look forward to New Year’s, but by reading some of these facts you will definitely love this holiday even more. 

The first New Year’s celebration was 4,000 years ago. 

45% of Americans make resolutions.

The first actual ball drop was 1907.

2,000 pounds of confetti are dropped in Times Square. 

Americans drink around 360 million glasses of sparkling wine on New Year’s.

36 days is the average period most Americans keep their resolutions. 

Greek people hang onions on their doors on New Year’s Eve because they believe it will bring good luck to the children in the house. 

————————————————————————————-

Hilarious Holiday Jokes: 

Q: Where do Santa’s reindeer stop for coffee? 

A: Star-bucks!

Q: What did the gingerbread man put on his bed? 

A: A cookie sheet!

Q: What did one Christmas tree say to another? 

A: Lighten up!

Q: What’s the absolute best Christmas present? 

A: A broken drum — you can’t beat it!

Q: What do you call a broke Santa Claus? 

A: Saint-nickel-less.

Q: Who’s Santa’s favorite singer? 

A: Elfish Presley.

————————————————————————————-

Well, looks like that is all I have for today. I hope everyone reading this has an absolutely amazing, healthy and happy upcoming year. It is time for a fresh start and to reinvent yourself, so make the most of it. With that being said, I will speak to you all next month to reflect on goals and look back on the first month of the year. Thank you to everyone who has read and watched my column evolve over the last year and I can’t wait to see what more advancements and articles this column will produce! 

Best wishes to all! 

————————————————————————————-