January always feels like a fresh start. It’s a new year, a new semester, and now it’s even a new decade. Many people make resolutions to leave behind their old bad habits and make improvements in their lives. New year, new you.
Three out of every 10 Canadians will make a New Year’s resolution this year, and 73 per cent of of them will abandon their resolutions by mid-February. This is partly because people put unrealistic expectations on themselves within the first couple of weeks of the new year, only to find that old habits die hard, and quickly give up when they fail to see results. No one is expecting you to make huge, sweeping character changes, but rather tiny increments of change pushing you a little further in the right direction every day.
To make a resolution that is easy to stick to, focus on writing SMART goals.
SMART Goals were originally a business tool developed by George T. Doran in 1981. The idea was to provide a simple and easy-to-follow framework for creating realistic, result-oriented goals.
S – Specific
Be specific with what you want to accomplish. Don’t just say you want to “be more active” or “lose weight” or “save money”; make your resolution as specific as possible. How many times a week do you want to be active, doing what? Why do you want to lose weight? How much money do you want to add to your savings each month, and what are you saving money for, exactly? The more detailed you can be about what exactly it is you want to do in this new year, the better.
M – Measurable
With what metric are you going to measure how you achieve your resolution? This is easy with goals like saving money or getting better grades, as you can easily measure your progress in dollars and GPA points. Measurements are a little harder to do with abstract resolutions such as “stop procrastinating” or “develop deeper friendships.” Try to put these abstract concepts into measurable quantities, like aiming to achieve certain tasks you tend to procrastinate on in time-bound targets, or by putting a number on how often you want to see your friends each month or each week.
A – Achievable
Be realistic with your resolutions. Are you actually going to read 100 books this year? Is losing 20 lbs. a month a realistic goal to strive for? This is not meant to put a damper on your lofty goals, but rather to keep them in check to avoid abandoning them altogether. Set goals that are actually attainable with your time constraints, and think about new skills that you would need to acquire in order to achieve your goals.
R – Relevant
Start asking yourself why you are making this resolution. Why will your life improve if you follow through with this goal? Is this resolution meaningful to you specifically, or are you just saying that you want to visit more art shows this year because you think that is what all the cool kids are doing? Make sure whatever resolution you decide to make is actually relevant to your life, or else you will lack the motivation needed to complete it.
T- Time-Bound
Breaking down your resolutions into time-bound goals is the key to success. Don’t just say “I want to learn to garden this year.” Instead, focus on what tasks you will accomplish each month of the year that will make this goal attainable. Give yourself a deadline on when you want to achieve the goal by, or else it may never happen.
Let’s look at four of the most common resolutions and make a plan to be our best selves this year!
I resolve to exercise more in 2020.
Exercising is something most students find difficult to incorporate into their busy schedules, but its benefits are hard to ignore. Studies show that regular exercise can improve your mental health, boost your energy levels, and improve your cognitive functions. Avoid crowded gyms and expensive memberships by taking advantage of some of the perks you get as a UFV student.
UFV Campus Recreation offers free fitness classes at both the Chilliwack and Abbotsford campuses, with everything from belly dancing to yoga to spin class. All you need to do is sign a waiver and try to keep up! UFV also hosts free drop-in sports at the Abbotsford campus for badminton, basketball, and soccer. Check out all UFV has to offer on My Campus Life.
Your U-Pass gets you free membership to the Abbotsford Recreation Centre, Matsqui Recreation Centre, Mission Leisure Centre, and the CEP fitness centre. You have a whole range of fitness options at these centres that offer drop-in sports, swimming, skating, fitness classes, and weight rooms. There is even a women’s only weight room at the Matsqui Centre if going to the gym seems a bit intimidating for you. Check out their calendars to see which activities work within your schedule.
If you prefer exercising in the peace of your own home, there are countless YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and fitness apps that will help keep you on track. If you want to try out yoga, but are a bit intimidated by the thought of wrapping your feet around your head, Yoga with Adrienne is the perfect solution. Her easy-to-follow videos and down-to-earth personality are the reason for her 5.87 million followers, and she always posts a 30-day challenge in January to get a jumpstart on the year.
If you absolutely do not have the time to attend fitness classes, go to the gym, or do yoga, there are still ways to sneak some physical activity into your schedule. Try biking to school, walking to the grocery store, always opting to take the stairs rather than the elevator, or going for walks in the park with your friends instead of sitting in a coffee shop. There are always ways to make substitutions and adapt your schedule to make some time for yourself; you just need to be creative.
I resolve to build healthier relationships in 2020.
Everyone has relationships they would like to improve upon. Whether that be with their mother, partner, best friend, or co-workers, all of our relationships can use tune-ups once in a while. Our relationships are our support system and we need to do our part to keep them healthy, so it makes sense to establish this as a New Year’s resolution!
An important first step in building healthier relationships is setting up boundaries. Boundaries protect us in every relationship — they help us to keep our own well-being a priority and communicate our limits to other people. Each person will have different boundaries for different relationships, and not every boundary has to be carved in stone. Setting up boundaries can be as simple as unfollowing or muting people you find negatively affect your mental health on social media platforms, or as difficult as having a serious conversation with a partner who has an addiction about what you will and will not tolerate.
Learn proper interpersonal communication skills — this means being able to tell people what you need and listening to understand, instead of listening to respond. Know that your partner or roommate is not a mind reader and they may not be able to tell when you are mad or annoyed at them for constantly leaving their half-empty coffee mugs around the apartment. Use “I” statements to communicate your wants, needs, and desires to the people in your life so that they know how to take action. Be open to listen when your partner has feedback on your own actions, and indicate that you understand what they’re saying by reflecting back to them what they have said. Be sure to also validate their feelings. A crucial part of interpersonal communication is knowing what conversations to have in person, and what to have through text; save yourself a lot of confusion by agreeing to never argue over text or discuss serious issues through messenger group chats.
Learn to apologize and to forgive. This is a mandatory life skill that everyone must learn. According to Aaron Lazare, author of ****On Apology, there are four steps to make a proper apology: acknowledge what you did wrong to hurt the other person, offer an explanation on why you did what you did, express remorse and apologize for what happened, and say what you’ll do to make amends. Some hurts are harder to forgive than others, but once you have forgiven someone, let the issue go and don’t bring it up again in future arguments or hold a grudge against that person for what they’ve done.
A necessary step to take if you want healthier relationships this year is to work on yourself. By fully accepting and loving yourself, and getting over past traumas and hurts that are negatively affecting your present, you will be able to engage in healthier relationships in the future. UFV offers free counselling to students, and if you are on the student healthcare plan, you get access to an even wider range of counselling services, such as in-person counselling, phone sessions, or video counselling.
I resolve to get better grades in 2020.
If you want to do well in a course, you need to show up. Many teachers give participation marks if you simply fill a seat in class, so why are you wasting such easy marks by skipping out? Other professors count the quantity and even the quality of your input in class discussions, so by just putting up your hand and speaking, you get some points that may contribute to an A.
At UFV, we have the advantage of small class sizes, so professors can actually know their students by name and offer assistance to students who are struggling. If you find you are unable to grasp a difficult concept that is being taught, don’t be afraid to get in contact with your professor to find out their office hours, or get advice through email. If you have a large paper due, many professors will look over your outline or even your first draft to give their input.
Make friends with people in your class, or at least the person you are sitting beside. It makes a huge difference just to have someone who is able to send you notes if you happen to miss a class. For upper-level courses it may help to create a study group with your classmates. Designate a certain time and place you will meet each week to work on projects and assignments, and study for exams together.
Read your textbooks and do the assignments. Doing the assigned readings for each week of your courses will enable you to contribute to class discussions and prevents you from having to read 150 pages of material the night before your midterm. Keeping on top of your assignments and making sure to hand in even the assignments that are worth just 0.5 per cent of your grade do make the difference between a B and an A.
The hardest part of doing all of this work is the discipline it takes to get it done. When you have a midterm to study for in one class and a research paper to write in another, it’s hard to complete these little assignments that seem insignificant. But just getting these little tasks done and out of the way will alleviate so much stress, and allow you to focus on assignments that are worth more. Once you establish these habits and routines of getting your assignments done on time, your mental health will improve greatly.
If you need even more help with your classes, UFV offers free peer tutoring in nearly every subject through the Academic Success Centre. These tutors are there to help you get through your homework, structure your essay, and check over your citations. As well, different departments offer more in-depth tutoring options, such as the Math & Stats Centre and the Modern Languages Institute. There are also Supported Learning Groups offered for various courses, which are study sessions led by other UFV students that help you retain what you are learning in difficult courses.
If a learning disability is hindering you from getting the grade you strive to achieve, the Centre for Accessibility Services can help you by making the proper adjustments during class time and exams to accommodate your needs.
I resolve to save more money in 2020.
Saving money is simple in theory: earn more and spend less. But this is much harder to do in practice. It’s best not to get overwhelmed by doing a complete overhaul of your finances and by pinching every penny if you are used to a more lavish lifestyle. Start by making small adjustments that you will notice in the long run.
First of all, be vigilant where you spend your money. Look at your credit card statement and do an analysis on where your money goes each month, and consider how you might be able to scale this back. Perhaps you are spending $100 per month on Tim Hortons or Fairgrounds. You can start saving money by waking up five minutes earlier to make your coffee at home and bring it to school. The same goes for food; you can save exponentially by planning your meals and prepping
ahead of time. Groceries and home-made meals cost significantly less than eating out and buying your lunch on campus every day, so plan ahead and brown bag it. Cut back your data usage on your cell phone bill, or cut out data altogether; constant access to the internet is expensive and adds up quickly — not to mention the mental health issues that may arise from phone addiction and constantly being plugged in. Consider sharing streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime with friends by using family accounts, and take advantage of student pricing with Apple Music, Spotify, and Adobe products. The more you examine your bills and where your money is going, the more you will be able to identify areas where you can save money.
Buy everything, short of socks and underwear, used. Not only is this helping the environment, but it will also save you a significant amount of money if you try to buy everything you can used. Frequent the many thrift shops we have here in Abbotsford, like the MCC on Gladys Avenue or Value Village on Clearbrook. Use Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or LetGo for more specific items you need to purchase. Buy used textbooks through Facebook groups or Books2Go. Stay away from shopping malls, where you will undoubtedly make some impulsive purchases, because you can buy almost everything you need used, and in good condition, secondhand.
If you find that you are doing everything you can to save money, but are still not saving as much as you want to, you may have to earn more. Consider cutting back your course load so that you are able to have a part-time job. Graduating on time isn’t worth destroying your mental health over finances. Slow down, take your time, and take care of yourself. There are many job opportunities available on campus through the Career Centre directory, through SUS, or even with The Cascade.
Start a side hustle if you want to make a little extra cash but don’t want to commit to an official job. Sell seats in your car on PopARide if you are making a trip to Vancouver, or drive to Surrey often. Become a dog walker or pet sitter on Rover and get paid to play with dogs in your free time. Deliver food through Doordash or a similar app that allows people to order food online. Sell stuff you don’t need anymore on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or LetGo. Offer your babysitting abilities to your friends with children, or be a house-sitter for friends who are going out of town. Take advantage of any other skills you have that people will pay you for, such as graphic design, photography, and web design. There are a million ways to make a little extra cash when times are tough if you’re creative.
UFV has many scholarships and bursaries available for those who are in need and qualify for them. If you demonstrate genuine financial need, you may qualify for a bursary, which you can apply for from Jan. 15 to March 15. As well, there are many scholarships and awards available for students who show outstanding academic achievement and community leadership. Applications for these awards are accepted between March 15 and May 10.
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to eat more vegetables, drink less caffeine, or learn how to do a cartwheel, by making SMART goals, and by adjusting your lifestyle little by little each day, you will be so proud of all you have achieved by 2021.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
