Cooglife Resolutions 2019 by The Cougar

Issue 29 // January 2019

COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

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It’s 2019, and I’ve got to come clean and tell you guys — I don’t believe in New Year Resolutions. Emphasis on New Year. What I mean by that bold statement, considering this month’s theme, is that I don’t believe in the notion of waiting for a brand new year to get started on setting goals for yourself. You can make big changes in your life whenever you decide the time is right — it can be today, it can be tomorrow, it can be in a month or even a year. My point is this, we’re already well into 2019, and halfway through January when this issue comes out. And chances are, you’ve probably lost some of your momentum you had starting things off if you made resolutions for this year. And if you haven’t made any resolutions by now, you probably think it’s too late. But it’s absolutely not! Think of this issue as a pickme-up, reminding you not to give up on your goals, and not to feel like there are any right ways to set them or go about them. Maybe you feel like you’re in over your head with some of your goals — we have a guide to help your goals feel less daunting so that you can actually stick to them.

Whenever you feel like you need to recharge, read through and follow my reset routine that always helps me when I feel the need to recalibrate. And if you haven’t made any resolutions, we have some resolutions that we think everyone could try to make for this year. We hope that you enjoy every page of this issue, and remember, we can’t create stuff like this unless awesome people like you (YES you, reading this very sentence right now) decide to step up to the plate and join our staff. Our doors are always open, and we are always looking to grow our little family over at the CSM. Apply now on GetInvolved. If you ever have any questions about the things that we write, or you have any suggestions about what we should be writing, feel free to send me an email at cooglife@thedailycougar.com. I hope you guys enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed making it. ☺

EDITORIAL Julie Araica, Executive Editor cooglife@thedailycougar.com Diamond Braxton, Assistant Editor cooglifeassist@thedailycougar.com

COVER Fiona Legesse, Creative Director ame@thedailycougar.com

WRITING

Kevin Dikdan Miranda Miller

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COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

january 2019

6 Houston Events Calendar 7

Coogradioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artists To Watch In 2019

8-10

How to Reset For The New Year

12-13

How I Lost 20 Pounds In Six Weeks

15-19 20-21

A New Year, A New Look

22, 30

Sticking To Your Resolutions

23-25

Breaking Down The KonMari Method

26-29

Ways To Be Productive

Budgeting As A Student

31 Resolutions For Everyone

COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

coogradio’s artists to watch in 2019

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2019

It’s time to hit reset

— A brand new year means you are well overdue for a ~spiritual~ detox, here is a reset routine to do whenever you’re in a funk and you want to start fresh Writing and layout by Julie Araica | Art by Erin Davis

COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

cleared everything out. And finally, reflect. Just take the time to allow yourself to think. Think about your goals for the new year. Think about your daily habits and how they help or hinder you in achieving your goals. Create new routines for yourself to follow. Be mindful. Just really take a moment to think about all of this, write these things down and then meditate, allowing your mind to shut off completely while you focus on your breathing. We live in a world where everything and everyone is moving at rapid speed, and sometimes we have to remind ourselves to take things slow and just focus on these little things, enjoying silence and stillness. During your mental cleanse, you should rid yourself of any external distractions. Turn your phone off, and don’t turn it back on until you really feel like you are in a calm headspace. If you follow a certain religion, this is the perfect time to get in touch with your spiritual side as well. continued on page 10

back on last year. Be completely raw and vulnerable with yourself, writing out things you would never say out loud or passing thoughts that you have subconsciously buried. Once you have cleared your mind of all that, it’s time to renourish it with something Mind that will inspire Let’s start with the mental cleanse. This you. Read a book is usually the first thing that I like to to gain new insight focus on. During your mental cleanse, and perspective, you’re going to want to release anything or create a vision within you that you haven’t let out yet. board. Look at Get a notebook, and just write everythe things you are thing that you’re feeling out, allowing drawn to and let your thoughts to flow into a stream of yourself be drawn consciousness. Releasing these thoughts to them. Create from your mind and putting them on a visual reprepaper will help you feel a lot lighter. sentation of your Talk about your fears for the new year, current headspace your hopes for the new year and reflect now that you’ve We’re midway through January, and if you haven’t done so already, you owe it to yourself to do a reset routine for the new year. This can also be done at any other time of the year when you find yourself in a funk, to get you motivated again and help you recenter. But what does a full blown reset even look like? On one day when I’m not busy, I dedicate the entire day to recalibrating myself. I do this by focusing on four different spheres. Mind, body, digital and space. I will go into each of these spheres and what a reset for these entails for me.

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continued from page 9

Space

Your physical space can have a profound impact on your mental space. Once you’ve cleared your mind, look around at your surroundings and start to clear things out. Burn a candle or put some essential oil in a humidifier, then go through and get rid of things you no longer want/ need. Go through old clothes, go through your pantry and go through your makeup or beauty products. Just go through your things and figure out what needs to go. After you’ve cleared out these things, do any chores you’ve been putting off. Vacuum, dust, do your laundry, etc. Now that everything is clean and you have gotten rid of some things, find and designate a space for all of the things that you do have. Where you place things now should be a standard for how to always keep them. Every item should have a home. Now that your space is clean, feel free to freshen things up. Maybe buy fresh flowers or a new plant, bringing in new life to your new space.

Body

This one is a little bit more personal, and all depends on your preferences. Now is the time to put on that face mask, take that long bath, do your nails, etc. Do whatever makes you feel good. And don’t forget to move your body too. You can do yoga if that’s what you’re into, but personally, I just like to dance. I don’t think there’s a single day in my life without dancing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even during your reset routine, let yourself loose and let your body move on its own. Put on music that uplifts you, and let the music flow through you. Drink water, tea or coffee. Just whatever your body is craving. Don’t be afraid to get outside either. Go on a walk, or go on a hike. Allow yourself to be alone with nature, and remember that your body is connected to the world around you. Breathe in fresh air. Ride your bike. Just be outside and enjoy being outside. Enjoy being. 10

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Digital

The steps in which you do the other things in this routine aren’t as important and can definitely overlap, but when it comes to digital, save this one for last. You don’t want to approach your digital space until you have made the effort to ground the physical elements of your being. But once you have, it’s time to sit back and start going through your digital space. Start off with your email. Go through and delete old emails, respond to all of the emails you have been meaning to get to and unenroll from any subscriptions that you no longer need. I would suggest using this website called unroll.me. It shows you all the email subscriptions are currently enrolled in and you can unsubscribe from whatever you don’t want with just one click. They also have this feature that lets you roll some of your subscriptions together to be delivered once a week as one, digestible newsletter. This is great for any type of promotions you might still want to receive, but don’t want to be constantly filling up your inbox. After you’ve cleared your email, go through your computer, clear your recycle bin and delete your downloads. Then, start off with a clean slate and move everything on your phone and computer onto an external hard drive and let yourself start completely fresh for the new year. Go through your phone and delete any apps you no longer use, go through your social media and unfollow people that you don’t care about/make you feel bad, etc. Once you’ve gone through all those steps, create a new workflow for your computer, creating a more organized and efficient document setup that helps you reduce as much time behind the screen as possible. And that’s it for the reset routine. If you follow all these steps, you will surely feel a lot more motivated to tackle the new year and you will do so with peace of mind. And don’t forget that this routine can also be done whenever you feel like you need it, it doesn’t have to just be for the new year.

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How I lost 20 pounds in six weeks — and what I learned Writing and photos by Diamond Braxton | Layout by Julie Araica

Before Losing weight is no joke especially when you’re in college. But when you’ve been overweight all your life and then become a victim to the “freshman 40,” you start to realize that no matter how much you try to do made-up workouts at the REC center, you just can’t shake the weight off. But I was able to go from 200 lbs to 180 lbs in six weeks because I joined an amazing gym that also helped me change my diet. While I wasn’t eating junk food every single day, it was obvious that whatever I was eating wasn’t 12

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After doing it for my body.

I also had to attend five weekly onehour classes where we did a majority of Join A Gym Program strength-focused workouts that ended I had the luxury to join a 6 week weight with an intense HIIT workout. loss challenge at an amazing gym, Probodies Elite Washington. Not only did it A Better You Most people want to lose weight so they have a majority of women at the gym, can look better; however, I wanted to do but it focused a lot on weight training it so I could feel better. For me, one of and introduced a completely new diet the worst part of being overweight was plan to help kickstart my weight loss constantly feeling heavy while having journey. In the program, I was introduced to no energy to do anything about it. After joining my gym, I started feelall kinds of supplements that I should ing better within the first week of the be taking from fish oil to fat burners.

challenge. Even though I decided to do it at the worst time (during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays) once I got all of the wasteful toxins out of my body, my desires for alcohol and bad foods was no more.

Surround Yourself With A Good Community

At Probodies, I fell in love with a lot of things aside from the effective workouts. The people that went to the gym were people I could relate to — people that wanted to feel better in their skin and do it the right way. We encouraged each other to push our maximums and never back down. Every time I wanted to fall down in an exasperated sweat, there was always someone behind me telling me that I could do it. And I always did. I tried to lose weight on my own for years but it never worked. I would have never realized that the answer was in having good people around me who could help me push my limits and hold me accountable in becoming a better, stronger version of myself.

Have Accountability

One thing Probodies taught me was that I couldn’t change my life if I wasn’t accountable for myself. Before Probodies, I was working out on my own and designed my workout plans on a day-today basis without knowing how effective these workouts actually were. After seeing no results and not being able to get myself to go the REC, I knew I had to do something different. Once I made the decision to join a gym and put money into my weight loss, I knew I was serious about turning my life around. College kids usually have no money and when they do it comes from the three jobs they have to work to pay their bills. So putting money into losing weight at a gym was almost terrifying to me. What if it didn’t work and I would have wasted money that could have gone to food or gas? But then, I lost 20 lbs. And after losing this weight, I realized how serious I was about my health and fitness journey. I wanted muscles, I wanted to be strong — it wasn’t even about losing weight anymore. I wanted to become

healthier and stronger.

Maintain Your Weight Loss

One of the hardest things to do is maintain weight loss after committing yourself to short term challenges. Once the challenge ends, the first thing you want to do is go out and eat a fat bowl of hot and spicy wings. And that’s fine —in moderation. With maintaining weight loss, it’s all about making small, daily adjustments and compromises. Things like only drinking on the weekends and only having one cheat meal a week will keep you from putting on more weight. After deciding to lose weight the right way, I felt better and was happy I decided to make that decision as a New Year’s Resolution. I’ll be starting my next challenge on Jan. 14 and I’m so ready to lose another 20 lbs because I’ll feel better in my skin. If you’re choosing to get fit for your New Year’s Resolution just remember why you made that decision and use it to fuel you through all the really hard times up ahead. The journey does get tough but it’s worth it at the end.

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COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

A new year, a new look Writing by Kevin Dikdan | Photos by Miranda Miller | Layout by Julie Araica

As we make our way through 2019, it becomes clear that the turbulent times of 2018 have been replaced by something softer, underscored by a quiet confidence. Where last year’s fashion was dominated by tones of burgundy, mustard and deep blue, playing off of the contrastive nature of the three primary colors, 2019 is the year of beige-on-beige, accompanied by muted earth tones and coral accents. It’s well-known that fashion trends tend to re-emerge in 20-year cycles, following the timeline by which established designers are able to draw upon their own nostalgia. While past years have seen the return of mid-’90s staples like Doc Martens, flannels and crop tops, we are quickly approaching the 40-year anniversary of the ‘80s, and the proof is in the pantsuits. ‘80s business wear is finally coming back into vogue, with traditionally masculine silhouettes being re-imagined into something evocative of confidence, strength and unwavering solidarity. Layered tones of beige are grounded and understated, countering beautifully against simple, flowing whites. Colors of earth answer our collective

yearning for soft comfort after a year marked by universal uncertainty, while statement pieces and the embrace of androgynous energy sway us away from complacency. The ‘80s saw an explosion of youth culture, with films like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club” and Twisted Sister’s 1984 hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” promoting youth rebellion, and a shift from the status-quo. It’s fitting then, that these same social trends have been echoed through our generation’s participation within movements like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and the Women’s March. 2019’s trends evoke the same youth accord embodied by the social rebellion of the ‘80s, translated in the context of modern day action. Fashion is a reflection of the culture in which it is found. The emergence of subdued hues of tan and brown are representative of cohesion and clarity, rather than a muted message or restrained revolution. With workwear comes work, and with big hair and bigger dreams, there is plenty of work to be done. continued on page 16 COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

Model: Reem Al Bishah | Photo and styling by Miranda Miller

continued from page 15

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Model: Reem Al Bishah | Photo and styling by Miranda Miller

continued on page 18 COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

Model: Reem Al Bishah | Photo and styling by Miranda Miller

continued from page 17

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Model: Reem Al Bishah | Photo and styling by Miranda Miller

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Budgeting tips for students

Writing and layout by Julie Araica | Photo courtesy of Pexels Cheers to student debt! With the brand new year here to remind all of us how much more our debt is growing, now is a great time to finally get your personal finances sorted out. So, let’s talk about budgeting. Here’s something you might not want to hear: everyone needs a budget. But those budgets usually have us confronting a lot of financial truths we just don’t want to face, and that’s OK. If you want to truly be in control of your money (and if you’re currently a student who isn’t on a free ride, you absolutely should) you need to know where it needs to be going. So let me break down how to go about creating a budget.

Step 1: Fix your mindset

Maybe you think budgeting is too restrictive, and you don’t like the idea of worrying about where every little microtransaction of yours is going, and you think that budgeting will just add an unnecessary layer of stress. Well, the opposite of this is true. Budgeting is meant to make you stop worrying about your money. You’re not playing a guessing game when you budget, you know exactly where you stand. And knowing where you stand gives you freedom and control over your finances. Your finances do not control you, you control them. With this mindset, let’s talk about the golden rule: spend less than what you earn. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, break free from this cycle and build up your finances.

Step 2: Create goals

The most obvious financial goal for any student is to pay off our student debt as soon as possible. It’s easy to think that you will just worry about this once you’re out of school and in the working world, but if you start building your money now, you’re only giving it time to grow. But maybe you 20 COOGLIFE

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are budgeting for different reasons entirely. Maybe you’ve decided that this is the year you finally want to backpack across Europe, or stop living paycheck to paycheck and constantly ending up with $6 in your checking account. Creating goals will keep you motivated, but also serve as a great measure for determining your success.

Step 3: Be honest

Take a look at your bank statements for the last few months and do the math. Figure out where you’ve been spending the most money, and identity any bad habits you have. This is super important to look at before you get started, and once you know your own habits you need constantly keep them in the back of your mind if you find yourself spending money on them again.

Step 4: Calculate your income

If you only have one steady source of income, this is easy. But if you take on a lot of smaller jobs here and there that add up, this can be a little bit trickier. Calculate what you make on a typical month. On the months you earn more, act as though you made as much as you did on a typical month, and save that money for the months that you’re struggling.

Step 5: Categorize your expenses

After looking through your bank statements, create categories for where your money is spent. Separate these categories into essentials and non-essentials. Some typical essential categories include: rent/utilities, transportation, bills (credit cards, phone bills, car payments, insurance, etc.) and groceries. These are all recurring things that should be set at a fixed amount. For non-essentials, think: entertainment, shopping and dining. You can go two ways when

deciding how to budget for your nonessentials. Either decide how much you get to spend for each category, or just lump it all together and give yourself a set amount of money for your nonessentials.

Step 6: Try different approaches

One of the most common methods in budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule. This is really easy to follow and more flexible. Use 50 percent of income on living expenses (your essentials), 20 percent should be put away to save and 30 percent of that income is flexible. For 50 percent and 30 percent, these are maximums. If you go under those maximums, then the rest should be put away into savings. Another method is the envelope rule. Basically, this involves playing the parent to yourself and setting aside a certain allowance for different categories in your spending habits. If you have tried and failed the 50/30/20 rule due to lack of self-discipline, this might be a better starting place. This method involves using cash as opposed to a credit card, as it’s easier to remove yourself from a transaction with a card. You create different envelopes for the different categories and you can only spend that set amount for the rest of the month. Any money left over is saved. You could also automate your savings and bills, which is a great way to get things done with no effort on your end. But you still might want to budget yourself in the other areas you’re spending in. This just makes it so that you don’t have to think about the other stuff.

Step 7: Use Apps

Using apps helps streamline the process. Apps like Mint and Empower connect directly to your bank and give you spending reports for each month.

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How to actually stick to your New Year’s Resolutions Writing and layout by Julie Araica | Art courtesy of Pexels

2019 is the year that you’re finally going to lose the weight you put on freshman year, learn mandarin and pay off your credit card debt! Or is it? Be honest with yourself, did you achieve any resolutions you made for last year? Do you even remember what they were? Well, there’s a decent chance you did. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, about 46 percent of people who made New Year’s Resolutions were successful. As for the other 54 percent, well, 2019 is your year. It’s time for you to actually follow through on your resolutions and here’s how to do it. continued on page 30

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A comprehensive breakdown of the KonMari Method

Writing and layout by Julie Araica | Art by Erin Davis

In the sphere of wellness and lifestyle, Marie Kondo is a household name. Known for revolutionizing the way we look at organization through her “Konmari” method, Kondo first rose to fame after authoring “The Life-Changing Magic it Tidying Up,” a #1 New York Times best-seller. Kondo now has her own Netflix original called “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” which premiered on New Year’s Day. So in honor of the new year, let’s take a look at what this method entails, and why it’s such a hit. continued on page 28 COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

Does this spark joy? Photo courtesy of Pexels

continued from page 23

When I had my first encounter with Marie Kondo via a YouTube algorithm suggestion about two years ago, it was love at first sight. There was this undeniably endearing charm Kondo and her approach to getting organized that made it feel less like a chore, and more like a philosophical approach to life and the material possessions that occupy our lives. The magic of her approach wasn’t rooted in tidying, but rather regarding the “stuff” we have in an entirely new way. After the launching of her Netflix series at the beginning of this year, Kondo has been met with a lot of criticism. Some finding her approach dogmatic and intense, but I can’t help but disagree. Kondo isn’t judgmental about how you go about tidying up, the process is very much a personal one. Kondo isn’t telling you to get rid of all your books after reading them once either, like some tweets might otherwise make you believe. There has also been some criticism over her Netflix series not capturing the true essence of her magic in the way that her best-selling novel “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” 24

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does. I have yet to watch the series, but I do own the book and have read through it. Here is what I have taken away from it, hoping to shed light on anything the series might not have been able to accurately convey. The premise of KonMari is simple: only keep things that spark joy. In my pursuit of living a more minimalistic life, but also taking great joy in my “things” and seeing them as more than just unnecessary clutter, I found her approach a breath of fresh air. Her approach to minimalism wasn’t about adopting a monochromatic palette with sparse decor, but rather looking at each individual item you own, and asking yourself how it makes you feel. It isn’t so much about eliminating items as much as it is about confirming how you feel about the items you possess. Kondo believes that when items in your possession go unused, they are stripped of their dignity, and that it is best to let these items go. That things are more than things, that they carry their own spirit and energy, and can affect your energy too. Things are literally baggage, and ridding yourself

of them does wonders for your emotional baggage. For some, letting these things go can be therapeutic. The first step in letting go of an old life is getting your physical things in order, and soon the rest of your life will follow. But Kondo said focusing on the things you are keeping as opposed to discarding is what is most important. Don’t focus on what you’re leaving behind, focus on the future you are creating for yourself. Some of her method includes unusual steps — like thanking the items for the ways they have served you before letting them go. Kondo explains that doing so shifts your approach to gratitude, and it prevents you from trying to hold on. Looking at your possessions should spark a sense of thrill. Every object should have its own home, and be happiest when it is there. Don’t think of it as organizing, think of it as carefully choosing the things you surround yourself with. On that note, here is a checklist to help you declutter using the KonMari Method:

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Little ways to be more productive Writing and layout by Julie Araica | Photos courtesy of Pexels

Find the Planner for you

Finding the right planner is a process, and if you haven’t found the one yet, much like dating, it’s easy to believe that maybe that planner just isn’t out there for you. That you are inherently doomed when it comes to staying organized and you’ll never have a planner that you will actually stick to. But that’s just not true. Everyone needs a planner, even if that planner consists of a bunch of sticky note reminders on your nightstand or digital iterations of that on your phone’s notes app. The point is, find out what works for you and what helps you stay organized. There are bullet journals, there’s Google calendar, apps like Wunderlist, there’s monthly planners, weekly planners and even daily ones, make it a point to find out what works best for you, because finding the right planner is extremely rewarding, I promise.

Be reasonable

Speaking of that dream planner that you devoted time and money and went through countless other planners to finally get to, yeah, don’t overuse it. 26

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Understand that your time is limited, and that it can’t be stretched too thin. Limit the amount of to-dos you give yourself on a daily basis, and be realistic about how much is too much. And most importantly of all, do not be afraid to say no. Set boundaries for yourself!

Create routines

Morning routines, night routines and the ilk are not just reserved for grade school children and lifestyle influencers. Making a routine is very important if you want to feel a sense of inner calm when you begin and end your day and not be scrambling all over the place. Try to wake up and go to sleep at around the same time each day and know exactly what needs to be done before/after then and get to it. Create a groundwork for how your day should go as much as you can.

Embrace the Spreadsheet

I know, Excel is intimidating. But trust me, spreadsheets are game changers. I’m not telling you to go completely Type A and compartmentalize

every little aspect of your life, that’s counterproductive. But if you are making a budget or trying to stay organized while looking for a job or an internship, do yourself a favor and start spreadsheet making. And for those of you who want a more userfriendly interface than Excel, there’s always Google sheets, which are great for when you want to access your spreadsheets on multiple devices.

Open that App Store

A smartphone is a double-edged sword when it comes to productivity. While you can easily waste countless hours scrolling through your Twitter timeline or watching all your friend’s instagram stories, you can also use it to learn a new language, track your finances and organize your life. An app that I’d recommend to any smartphone user trying to get more productive is Forest. It’s a self-timer app, but unlike the self-timer built into your phone, this app is designed to keep you off your phone while the timer is on. This is great for when you’re studying continued on page 28

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continued from page 27 or doing anything else that requires your full attention when it’s easy to be tempted by your phone.

Multitask on the Commute

UH is a commuter school, and whether that commute takes you an hour or 12 minutes, don’t let this time go to waste! Even if your commute consists of getting out of your bed and walking straight to class, instead of listening to music, try to mix things up every now and then with a podcast or an audiobook. Podcasts are a great way to stay updated on the news, get your much needed daily dose of inspiration or even learn more about a really niche topic that interests you. With audiobooks, you can get to enjoy all the books that you’ve wanted to read, but don’t have the time to get to.

Jam out

Whether that’s jamming out to “lofi hip hop radio - beats to study/relax to” or the ambient sounds of a burning fire or pouring rain. If you need silence to get work done, that’s fine too. But if you find yourself squirming in it, try to find out what alternatives work best for you. 28

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Listen to your body

You know when you’re the most productive, so make that time your sacred time. Whether that time is 6 a.m. or 3 a.m., use it wisely.

Journal it out/meditate

Emotional wellness is an important part of being productive too. If you’ve got a lot of things weighing in on your mind, bust open your phone or a notebook and just write it out. Write about exactly how you feel, and once you have it out of your system, you’ll be able to focus a lot better on the other tasks you have at hand. If writing isn’t your thing, try meditating as a way to release all your stress and free yourself from the burden of your mind. Try guided meditations on apps or on YouTube if you find that it’s difficult to get to that place on your own, and incorporate this whenever you find yourself feeling overwhelmed.

Stay inspired

I mentioned podcasts earlier, and when you’re in a productivity rut, they’re a great starting point to get you out of it. But go beyond that 30-minute podcast you listen to while you’re on

your way to school or work. Create a vision board, and look at it when you need to remind yourself what you’re being productive for, and the life that you are slowly creating for yourself, one day at a time. These can be physical vision boards, or even digital ones you make on Pinterest. Fill your life with things that inspire you, and you will actually want to be productive.

Plan your time off

If you’re constantly busy and staying productive, that’s great! But at a certain point, it can be easy to forget to give yourself the time you need to shut off, and if you want to avoid burnout, this is vital. This extends to planning bigger breaks, but even setting daily boundaries. Know when to shut off, and don’t think that you constantly need to be on. Don’t respond to emails past a certain time, and don’t be afraid to put little things you want to do in your planner and set time aside for them, like catching up on a show, going on a weekend getaway or applying that face mask that’s been sitting in your medicine cabinet for two months now, carve that time out for you.

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Get ready for some big changes

There’s this quote I remember seeing on a wooden plank at my aunt’s house. It was one of those really cliche ones that said something along the lines of “your actions become your habits, habits become character, and character becomes your destiny.” While this did make me cringe when I read it, there is definitely some truth to its sentiment. If you want to be successful in achieving your resolutions this year, you’re going to need to change a lot of your habits to center them around this goal you have in mind. Think back to last year, and think about what things you wanted to accomplish and what you actually did manage to accomplish. Think about what led you to accomplishing some of the things you wanted as opposed to others, and think about all of the sacrifices you had to make along the way.

Make sure your goal motivates you

Don’t create a resolution for the sake of being festive, it won’t last longer than two weeks. Really spend the time to create a very personal goal that is important and special to you and only you. Some things to consider when setting a resolution: your goals (what you hope to achieve from setting this), your priorities, your dreams and your aspirations. Don’t be afraid to create a big, lofty resolution that might take a few years to develop into something huge, but also set priorities when it comes to your resolutions. If you really want to visit Paris that’s great, but maybe you need to wait to get there because you also need to pay off some 30 COOGLIFE

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debt. Make it a resolution to at least save up half the money you’ll need, but also prioritize the other resolution that you know you can achieve now.

Limit your resolutions

Like I said before, you might be able to lose the weight you put on freshman year, learn mandarin and pay off your credit card debt in one year. But you need to approach these goals in a realistic way, and you probably shouldn’t be trying to add anything else to your plate. Think about how much time you can realistically devote to each resolution you make, and remember that it’s better to accomplish one resolution well than multiple ones poorly.

Be specific

It’s acronym time. The acronym you need to achieve your goals is SMART. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time sensitive. Instead of saying that you want to lose a lot of weight, say, I want to lose 15 pounds by April and another 10 by November.

Break your goals up

I said before, feel free to create a big, lofty resolution. But tackle that beast in pieces. Don’t just go for the whole body, go for its arms, legs, etc. For your very big goals, I would suggest breaking things down and creating a 12-month plan. Figure out where you want to be in achieving this goal by the end of February, March, April, etc. Even setting a goal each week that will help you in achieving you resolution helps.

Share with others

While you shouldn’t create a goal for

anyone else but you, you should still be willing to share your goal with others. This holds you more accountable, but also gives you an added incentive to keep pushing. You want others to feel happy when you achieve your goals, and you don’t want to let them down by not. Sometimes guilt is the motivator that you need. It also helps to find people with similar goals to your own, and keep up with each other as you make progress in achieving them.

Review regularly

If you don’t remember your resolutions from last year or the year before, then I wouldn’t blame you. It’s easy to forget that we have resolutions in mind, but you should constantly be looking back and thinking about your goal each month. Try to schedule a monthly “big picture” meeting with yourself at the beginning of each month to see your progress and to break things down throughout the month. Visual cues also help! Try to keep post-it notes or anything else around that can help to constantly remind you of your goals.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Sometimes, life gets in the way of things, and that’s just something we can’t control. If you don’t make any progress for one month or even two or three when it comes to achieving your goal, don’t see that as a failure. Even accomplishing only 20 percent of what you wanted to achieve is not a failure, so if you slip up, don’t let that stop you remember that in the grand scheme of things, tiny slip ups here and there are not going to hold you back unless you let them.

COOGLIFE // JANUARY 2019

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