By Rachel Stine
Consider this my defense of New Year's resolutions.
Yes, I understand it's easy to brush them off. Perhaps the tradition seems outdated, or it stresses unrealistic perfection, or you're convinced you'll have thrown your Sogang Korean textbook in the trash by February. And I get it. The numbers are grim. The University of Scranton estimates that only 8 percent of people actually achieve their New Year's resolutions.
But in 2019, there's nothing stopping you from joining that tiny, hyper-determined group. Here are 10 tips for achieving your New Year's resolutions, from someone who has completed theirs consistently since 2013. (And trust me, sloth is my deadly sin of choice. If this lazy, YouTube-binging English teacher did it, you can do it.)
1.) Buy a 2019 daily planner in one of Korea's many stationery stores.
Say what you like, but Korea's paper products are in demand worldwide for a reason. Alpha, ArtBox, Dream Depot, Morning Glory, Penpia … the country's stationery stores are overflowing with durable 2019 planners. The selection ranges from simple leather to cotton candy-colored diaries depicting whales floating lazily past the Eiffel Tower.
Take advantage of the country's domestic manufacturing strengths. If you're serious about embarking on a year-long journey of self-improvement, 30,000 won spent on a journal and pens is a worthy investment.
2.) Write your resolutions in the back of your 2019 planner.
Most domestically made journals have a chunk of blank pages in the back. You can use these for pretty much anything ― a list of countries you've visited, how much debt you've paid off, how many times you've said "I'll leave Korea next year" but didn't …
The most important thing is to physically write your resolutions on those blank pages. Every day, they'll remind you of the promises you made to yourself when 2019 was new. Breaking a promise never feels good, but that discomfort can spur us to action.
3.) Watch this YouTube video by Dave Ramsey.
Yes, the money man with the Southern drawl. You don't have to agree with his conservative political views, but there's no denying Ramsey is a New Year's resolutions champ. According to his theory, your goals must be specific, measurable, written down, your own desires and be bound by a time limit. If you craft resolutions within these parameters, your success rate will be unambiguous next December.
4.) Aim for a 70% completion rate, not 100%.
I couldn't tell you what I learned in eighth grade pre-algebra. All I remember is a laminated poster my teacher had on the wall that read: "Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." For whatever reason, that stuck in my 12-year-old brain. It's also the framing device that has proven invaluable while working on my New Year's resolutions as an adult.
Even if you don't study Korean for 365 hours like you planned, 250 hours is still pretty good. That's a 68.4 percent completion rate. And now, when you go shopping at Daiso, you'll know how to ask for a plastic bag.
As next winter approaches, calculate each resolution's completion rate as a percentage. If your average success rate is 70 percent or more, you've passed … much like a middle school quiz.
5.) Create or join an online New Year's resolutions group.
You know what's embarrassing? Completing the first four steps in this article and then giving up by April. But you know what's infinitely worse? Your friends watching you fail.
Like it or not, other people's expectations hold us accountable. Online support groups can remind you of the vows you made in January, even as the winter enthusiasm wears off.
Weekly updates are highly recommended. If you've stopped posting to the Facebook group by June, it won't function effectively as a motivational tool. Admins can post all sorts of discussion-generating content, but videos about the science of self-improvement have been the most popular in my own group. ASAP Science, DNews and Wellcast are all YouTube channels you can mine for relevant content.
6.) Realize that most of your resolutions will be accomplished in the fall or winter of 2019.
In five years of doing resolutions, I've seen several friends fail because they give up prematurely. Many resolutions are cumulative. That means you probably won't be able to mark them as complete until the final quarter of 2019.
A good way to illustrate this is with the goal: "I will pay off $8,000 in student loan debt." Imagine that you remain enthusiastic throughout spring, making $800 payments and chipping away at your balance. Unfortunately, however, you haven't quite calculated the interest rate correctly. Progress slows down and by summer you aren't as far along as you'd initially hoped. You give up early.
What you don't anticipate is that in October, a friend will introduce you to a temporary job that complies with your visa. You'll make an extra 7 million won and, once again, completing the goal will be a possibility.
This is why it's so critical to stay dedicated to the 12-month campaign. You simply don't know what opportunities will arise later on and working through discouraging setbacks is key to success.
7.) If you struggle with focus, research about productivity techniques.
Ever seen a blog about the Pomodoro technique? What about John Zeratsky's "daily highlight," in which you spend 50 minutes each day focused on an important task? You won't find all of the productivity strategies helpful, and finding the right one may take months of experimentation. But if a habit resonates with you, it will become incorporated into your daily life. Focus becomes less agonizing. If you feel intimidated wading through the research by yourself, you can always …
8.) Download an app that will gameify productivity.
Time management "hacks" are popular in Silicon Valley, which is probably why they've inspired so many smartphone applications. My favorite is Forest. This virtual gardening game is essentially a timer, allowing you to collect coins for bursts of focused attention. The more coins you earn, the more trees you can plant in your virtual forest. Save up enough points and an NGO will plant a tree in the real world.
A video game framework manipulates our brain's reward system. The desire to complete in-game objectives is powerful and that compulsion can get you through days when motivation is low.
9.) Establish a physical space that is only for working on your New Year's resolutions.
I can never get real work done in my apartment, because it's a den of distraction. Whenever it's time to review Korean grammar flashcards, I notice all the dirty laundry piling up and focus on that instead. Or the dishes. Or anything that doesn't involve complex verb conjugations.
Instead, I've found that sitting at a certain table in the local cafe helps me rewire my routine. The act of walking there says: "This is a working environment. When we come here, we only focus on New Year's resolutions." If you're constantly falling prey to distraction, you may want to choose a small library corner, restaurant or bench in the park where you feel ready to work. Your brain will start to associate that physical space with getting things done.
10.) When you succeed, reward yourself.
It's easier to begin your resolutions when a massive reward awaits you on their completion. As 2019 progresses, and more gains are made, start thinking about something you'd like to do to celebrate your victory. That can be a big-ticket purchase, like plane tickets to Southeast Asia, or even a small, yet relaxing visit to the neighborhood spa. Some prefer to implement a tiered reward system so that motivation remains high throughout the 12 months.
If you're serious about your 2019 resolutions, I hope these 10 tips help you in your journey. And really, what's the worst that can happen? Twelve months of intentional living never hurt anybody.
Maybe 2019 is the year your Sogang Korean textbook finally stays on the shelf.
Consider this my defense of New Year's resolutions.
Yes, I understand it's easy to brush them off. Perhaps the tradition seems outdated, or it stresses unrealistic perfection, or you're convinced you'll have thrown your Sogang Korean textbook in the trash by February. And I get it. The numbers are grim. The University of Scranton estimates that only 8 percent of people actually achieve their New Year's resolutions.
But in 2019, there's nothing stopping you from joining that tiny, hyper-determined group. Here are 10 tips for achieving your New Year's resolutions, from someone who has completed theirs consistently since 2013. (And trust me, sloth is my deadly sin of choice. If this lazy, YouTube-binging English teacher did it, you can do it.)
1.) Buy a 2019 daily planner in one of Korea's many stationery stores.
Say what you like, but Korea's paper products are in demand worldwide for a reason. Alpha, ArtBox, Dream Depot, Morning Glory, Penpia … the country's stationery stores are overflowing with durable 2019 planners. The selection ranges from simple leather to cotton candy-colored diaries depicting whales floating lazily past the Eiffel Tower.
Take advantage of the country's domestic manufacturing strengths. If you're serious about embarking on a year-long journey of self-improvement, 30,000 won spent on a journal and pens is a worthy investment.
 |
| Inside Penpia's Shinchon location |
2.) Write your resolutions in the back of your 2019 planner.
Most domestically made journals have a chunk of blank pages in the back. You can use these for pretty much anything ― a list of countries you've visited, how much debt you've paid off, how many times you've said "I'll leave Korea next year" but didn't …
The most important thing is to physically write your resolutions on those blank pages. Every day, they'll remind you of the promises you made to yourself when 2019 was new. Breaking a promise never feels good, but that discomfort can spur us to action.
3.) Watch this YouTube video by Dave Ramsey.
Yes, the money man with the Southern drawl. You don't have to agree with his conservative political views, but there's no denying Ramsey is a New Year's resolutions champ. According to his theory, your goals must be specific, measurable, written down, your own desires and be bound by a time limit. If you craft resolutions within these parameters, your success rate will be unambiguous next December.
4.) Aim for a 70% completion rate, not 100%.
I couldn't tell you what I learned in eighth grade pre-algebra. All I remember is a laminated poster my teacher had on the wall that read: "Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." For whatever reason, that stuck in my 12-year-old brain. It's also the framing device that has proven invaluable while working on my New Year's resolutions as an adult.
Even if you don't study Korean for 365 hours like you planned, 250 hours is still pretty good. That's a 68.4 percent completion rate. And now, when you go shopping at Daiso, you'll know how to ask for a plastic bag.
As next winter approaches, calculate each resolution's completion rate as a percentage. If your average success rate is 70 percent or more, you've passed … much like a middle school quiz.
5.) Create or join an online New Year's resolutions group.
You know what's embarrassing? Completing the first four steps in this article and then giving up by April. But you know what's infinitely worse? Your friends watching you fail.
Like it or not, other people's expectations hold us accountable. Online support groups can remind you of the vows you made in January, even as the winter enthusiasm wears off.
Weekly updates are highly recommended. If you've stopped posting to the Facebook group by June, it won't function effectively as a motivational tool. Admins can post all sorts of discussion-generating content, but videos about the science of self-improvement have been the most popular in my own group. ASAP Science, DNews and Wellcast are all YouTube channels you can mine for relevant content.
6.) Realize that most of your resolutions will be accomplished in the fall or winter of 2019.
In five years of doing resolutions, I've seen several friends fail because they give up prematurely. Many resolutions are cumulative. That means you probably won't be able to mark them as complete until the final quarter of 2019.
A good way to illustrate this is with the goal: "I will pay off $8,000 in student loan debt." Imagine that you remain enthusiastic throughout spring, making $800 payments and chipping away at your balance. Unfortunately, however, you haven't quite calculated the interest rate correctly. Progress slows down and by summer you aren't as far along as you'd initially hoped. You give up early.
What you don't anticipate is that in October, a friend will introduce you to a temporary job that complies with your visa. You'll make an extra 7 million won and, once again, completing the goal will be a possibility.
This is why it's so critical to stay dedicated to the 12-month campaign. You simply don't know what opportunities will arise later on and working through discouraging setbacks is key to success.
7.) If you struggle with focus, research about productivity techniques.
Ever seen a blog about the Pomodoro technique? What about John Zeratsky's "daily highlight," in which you spend 50 minutes each day focused on an important task? You won't find all of the productivity strategies helpful, and finding the right one may take months of experimentation. But if a habit resonates with you, it will become incorporated into your daily life. Focus becomes less agonizing. If you feel intimidated wading through the research by yourself, you can always …
8.) Download an app that will gameify productivity.
Time management "hacks" are popular in Silicon Valley, which is probably why they've inspired so many smartphone applications. My favorite is Forest. This virtual gardening game is essentially a timer, allowing you to collect coins for bursts of focused attention. The more coins you earn, the more trees you can plant in your virtual forest. Save up enough points and an NGO will plant a tree in the real world.
A video game framework manipulates our brain's reward system. The desire to complete in-game objectives is powerful and that compulsion can get you through days when motivation is low.
9.) Establish a physical space that is only for working on your New Year's resolutions.
I can never get real work done in my apartment, because it's a den of distraction. Whenever it's time to review Korean grammar flashcards, I notice all the dirty laundry piling up and focus on that instead. Or the dishes. Or anything that doesn't involve complex verb conjugations.
Instead, I've found that sitting at a certain table in the local cafe helps me rewire my routine. The act of walking there says: "This is a working environment. When we come here, we only focus on New Year's resolutions." If you're constantly falling prey to distraction, you may want to choose a small library corner, restaurant or bench in the park where you feel ready to work. Your brain will start to associate that physical space with getting things done.
10.) When you succeed, reward yourself.
It's easier to begin your resolutions when a massive reward awaits you on their completion. As 2019 progresses, and more gains are made, start thinking about something you'd like to do to celebrate your victory. That can be a big-ticket purchase, like plane tickets to Southeast Asia, or even a small, yet relaxing visit to the neighborhood spa. Some prefer to implement a tiered reward system so that motivation remains high throughout the 12 months.
If you're serious about your 2019 resolutions, I hope these 10 tips help you in your journey. And really, what's the worst that can happen? Twelve months of intentional living never hurt anybody.
Maybe 2019 is the year your Sogang Korean textbook finally stays on the shelf.
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