Like many of us, I am also guilty of making New Year’s resolutions that last only a week before realizing they are unrealistic. This year, I decided to change things by creating a new routine. Welcome to January Refresh – my first blog of the new year! 

January is a month where goals are set – some are met and others are dropped before even trying. You see your grocery store become more crowded in the first few weeks of the month, filled with people grabbing healthy foods off the shelves. In your local gym, suddenly all the machines are being used. But, as you follow along with this blog, January can become a month of refreshing your habits to rejuvenate yourself for the new year. It is the month to make mistakes and adjust to what you and your needs are for the rest of the year. 

Here are some of the ways I am refreshing 2024 in January! 

Goodbye Procrastination 

As a college student who is now counting down the days until I graduate, I have been procrastinating tasks and pushing away anything that seems daunting. During the last few months of 2023, I have saved numerous jobs on LinkedIn, made notes to myself about networking opportunities, and even drafted some emails to send to previous employers. But, I never hit send and I never hit submit on the applications. 

When January rolled around, I realized that these tasks, like applying to jobs, scared me away. It made me think of what was coming next in my life and I was hesitant to hit submit because I was scared to leave the era I am currently living in. However, I soon realized that the more I procrastinated on these applications, the more stress would weigh on my shoulders. So, I got to work and applied to jobs, emailed individuals within my network, and began the search for opportunities after college. 

Procrastination doesn’t only happen with work or school tasks. For me, it comes in many forms. How many times have I closed my closet door, shoving clothes inside then saying, “I’ll clean it out next week.” How many times has the low storage notification popped up on my phone begging me to clear out my photos? How many times have I reached into my car console looking for chapstick and it was not there? 

All of these things are tedious tasks that I ignore every day and continue to build. Just yesterday, I finally faced the mountain of disorganized clothes in my closet. I was not only able to organize the mess, but I was able to take out clothes that no longer served me and donate them to others. This week, I made it a goal of mine to clear out my photos and make sure I have enough storage to capture the new year ahead. Finally, I went to the store and restocked some essentials I needed in places like my car, purse, and backpack. Protip: Always remember to bring chapstick with you wherever you go. 

This month, I encourage anyone reading this blog to finally do the task that has been weighing on your shoulders. Though the thought of it may be scary, taking the first step forward will lead you to success. So, clean your oven, organize your laundry room, go through your refrigerator, and refresh for the new year! 

Take an Hour For Yourself Each Day 

In one of my previous blogs, My Current Fitness Favorites, I talked about my favorite way to move my body. At CycleBar, the instructors take a few minutes as we are riding our bikes for a motivational session – a whole song dedicated to focusing on yourself and speaking positively. After taking over 100 spin classes, I have not only met many of my fitness goals but I constantly repeat motivational sayings to myself that I have learned through CycleBar. Here at Campus Recreation, we have similar cycle classes and numerous other fitness classes. Like CycleBar, Campus Recreation’s classes have amazing instructions that motivate you to do your best and enjoy what you are doing for your body. 

One of these sayings is “Take an hour for yourself each day.” For me, the hardest thing to fit into my schedule is a time to workout, one that is efficient and worthy of my time. So, I often take this hour to plan a workout to keep my mental and physical health intact. Though the hour I take for myself is not always working out, it is always related to doing something to allow me to take a step away from the busy world around me. Sometimes I like to take a longer shower, read, or even take a long drive in my car. 

As we get older, taking time for ourselves becomes a hard task to focus on. With a heavy workload, busy schedules, and simply not enough time in the day, it is important to find a time to be intentional with your actions while taking moments to yourself. 

This year, try to pick a new hobby, exercise, or book to read within this hour of your time! 

Be Prepared 

One of my biggest goals for the new year is to be more prepared in any way. Many people in my life always refer to me as the “planner,” “the mom of the friend group,” and the friend who always has endless amounts of supplies in her purse. Though I may seem prepared in that sense, I would like to be prepared for the week ahead of me, be prepared for an emergency in my car, and be prepared for being forgetful. 

Just yesterday, I started my preparation for returning to school for the spring semester. For me, this means gathering all the essentials to put into my work bag, backpack, car, and purse. I went to Walmart and shopped in my favorite section of the store – the travel-sized items area. Here, I found wipes, Tide-to-Go pens, hand sanitizer, lotions, floss, and many more things that I could use to be prepared for whatever I may face this spring semester. I organized them into clear pouches and placed them in my bags. This is one of my favorite ways to stay organized and know that I am prepared. 

Another way I like to be ready for the week is to prepare meals. Unlike others, I do not prepare full meals. I like to prepare many of the ingredients and organize them into containers, like cutting up fruit or cooking quinoa. Doing this ahead of time allows for a smoother week of meals and snacks! This year, I am aiming to eat more fruits. By cutting up the berries and putting them into fun containers (which helps me stay even more organized), I know that the food will be eaten and enjoyed more. 

Being prepared for the new year comes in many forms. Life is very unpredictable but, by preparing the small things like emergency pouches and meal prepping food, things become a little easier. 

A January refresh is not only satisfying, but it is essential to starting the year off on the right foot. The new year always brings in new goals and resolutions. But, with a simple refresh, the year is less daunting and instead, more enjoyable. Thank you for reading this blog and I hope you are able to use some of my tips for a seamless transition into the new year!