But please stay positive! Actually, you may even get a little inspiration from some of the comments of your fellow readers to help you get through these tricky January weeks and ready to take on all twelve months of 2013.

You might remember that in our New Year’s Resolutions Survey, the final question was simply, “Tell us why 2013 is going to be your best year ever!” Let’s take a look now at what some readers shared in the comments in response to that particular survey question and see why they think this year will be the most awesome!

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

Source: Shutterstock.com

What are you most excited about in 2013? Do you think it might be the best year ever? If so, why? Tell us in the comments. 

The January Struggle To Stick With New Year’s Resolutions (In GIFs!)

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

You can have your best year ever, girl! | Source: Shutterstock

Read on for tips on having your best year ever!

Source: ShutterStock

Well, 2012 is about to be over and 2013 is about to begin. You know what that means, right? It’s time to start the tradition of creating resolutions we’ll never keep. JK, a lot of people in the world have a lot more willpower than I do.

But let’s be real: resolutions are really fun to make… but really hard to keep. It’s easy to talk about the things you want to change about yourself, and it’s easy to think about the dreams you want to achieve. So let’s talk about it! Fill us in on all of your New Year’s resolutions… even the ones you haven’t thought about yet. Copy and paste the questions into the comments and let’s go!

1. First things first: how old are you?

2. Okay, what’s your number one resolution for this year?

3. If you’re not making a resolution, tell us why.

4. Do you follow your resolutions every year?

5. What has been your biggest resolution fail?

6. Do you think you’ll really go through with your resolution this year?

7. Think about the resolution you’re going to make. Why did you choose this one?

8. If you’re making other resolutions, tell us about them.

9. Have you ever made the same resolution twice?

10. What was last year’s resolution?

11. If you could make one resolution about your body, what would it be?

12. What about when it comes to school or work?

13. What about in terms of relationships?

14. And what about a resolution concerning your friends?

15. Have you ever made a secret resolution?

16. If you could make a resolution to never do one thing ever again, what would it be?

17. If you could make a resolution to move anywhere in the world, where would it be?

18. Do you know of any of the resolutions your friends are making?

19. What’s one resolution you wish you could follow but know you never will?

20. Tell us why 2013 is going to be your best year ever!

Take more fun surveys here!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

I said I’d run it, and I did! | Source: ShutterStock

Last year, I was laying on my couch when I saw an ad for a half-marathon that was going to be in New York City in the spring. I played field hockey in college, but after multiple knee injuries, running was one of the things I could still do.

The problem was that I’d never really done distance running. However, I think there was something about the new year just around the corner where I decided, “THIS. This is what I am going to do for my new year resolution.”

There was a study that came out back in 2007 that followed a group of individuals as they tried to stick with their resolutions. One of the findings in the study was that apparently different strategies were particularly beneficial for men and others particularly effective for women when it came to successfully achieving resolutions. I actually hadn’t seen this study until recently, so it was cool when I realized that I had actually used the two strategies that the study noted worked well for women when working toward my goal earlier this year.

The first strategy was that it helped women to share what their resolution was with others. I told EVERYONE about mine. I started talking about running this half marathon from the day I read about it (before I even signed up), and then I never stopped. I told my parents, my brothers, my cousins, my aunts, my boyfriend, my boyfriend’s family, my co-workers — honestly, everyone. You’d think I was going to run in the Olympics by how much I talked about it. I even put it up on the work calendar in my office for everyone to see. It kept me accountable to know they all knew I was trying to do this.

The second strategy that seemed to work effectively for women was being supported through any little setbacks along the way. I can be pretty hard on myself, but last spring I was working really long hours, and some days I just didn’t feel like running when I came home late. Instead of throwing my hands up and feeling like I had ruined everything by not sticking with my original schedule (which believe me, I have done on other things many times), my mom or my boyfriend would tell me not to sweat it and just maybe try to fit in a run on the weekend. With them helping to keep me in check, I was able to adjust and keep moving forward rather than get stuck.

The day of my race, I was super nervous, but my mom and my boyfriend were both there to cheer me on. My goal was just to finish it, but I actually ended up with a time that really impressed me. Even though my main resolution to run this race was completed, I kept running as a part of my regular schedule. My resolution hadn’t just been met, but was actually growing!

I’m thinking it would probably be a good idea for me to apply these strategies again this year. As far as my creative writing resolution, that tends to be something I never talk about with other people. I wonder if maybe I set some goals around that this year and tried to share it with more people to help me stick with it (and get their feedback that could help improve it!) then maybe I can have that same feeling of success again in 2013.

Have you ever succeeded in sticking with one of your resolutions? What was it? Do you have any tips for others about how to stick with resolutions? Tell us in the comments!

Check out one girl’s funny attempt for a kiss on New Year’s Eve (in GIFs)!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

Consider these quotes your push. If you’re trying to improve yourself come 2013 and you need some motivation, we’ve got your back. We’ve picked 10 quotes that should totally inspire you to change your ways and go through with your resolutions, no matter what they are. Looking for a little help? Check out these resolution quotes right now. Share them on your social media pages, that way you can see them all the time:

Skip this Ad

Next

ADVERTISEMENT

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Which of these quotes is your favorite? What did we miss? What are your New Year’s resolutions? Tell us in the comments!

10 quotes about your best friend

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

I resolve to stop hanging out with the Hilton sisters. Oh wait, I never have!

2012 is officially underway. All the “Best of” and “Top 10” of 2011 lists have made the rounds, the hyped up parties were a total let down and and sound bites of celebs New Year’s resolutions are being broadcast for everyone to hear. “Work out more,” “Eat healthy,” “Give to charity,” blah, blah, blah… Ugh, the dreaded resolution; a tradition that probably started out as a fun party game in someone’s basement has now turned into a humiliating list of personal inadequacies we share with the world. Gotta be honest with ya, I think I’m gonna have to pass!

The truth is, sometimes I think we put more pressure on ourselves to come up with resolutions for everyone else’s sake than for our own. No one wants to be left speechless when they’re asked that inevitable question, “What are your New Year’s resolutions?”  (Which is kind of nosey if you ask me!) So we come up with a generic answer and hope there isn’t a test on what we’ve pledged come next year.

True. Dat.

This year I’m taking a stand! I don’t want to make resolutions, real or fake, and I don’t think we have to. We get so caught up thinking of ways to change ourselves we don’t remember all the things we actually really love about our lives. Come to think of it, maybe that’s what we should make a list of, all the things that went right this past year. All the things we’ve accomplished. All the new friends we’ve made. All the things we’re proud of.  We are so fast to put ourselves down, think about the things we need to improve on, make note of the stuff we suck at, why not take a moment as the ball drops to remember all the things we’re happy with and hope they continue?

Having goals is a good thing; after all, we’re all a work in progress, so there are always gonna be things we want to change about ourselves. But wouldn’t it be nice to start fresh on January 1^st by appreciating the people we’ve already become? Let the new tradition begin!

What are you most proud of from 2011? Shout it out in the comments. We wanna hear!

Now, check out to our supah cute New Year’s resolution comic! You’re gonna love it!

funny new years resolution

If you’re anything like me, your New Year’s resolutions don’t deviate that much from year to year. From the same old fitness goals to the one random, wildly ambitious idea to learn German/knitting/tap, maybe it’s time we get real about what we’re saying…and what we actually mean!

Love

She said: Sign up for Match.com! Or at least start letting my friends set me up.

She meant: If I’m single on Valentine’s Day someone is getting kicked in the crotch.

School:

She said: Tackle those four piles of papers I keep pushing around my desk and get organized!

She meant: Sweep all of them into the trash can and then act shocked and angry when I realize the notes for my Chem final went with them.

Fitness

She said: Get fit! Gym 3x a week!

She meant: Buy Spanx.

Diet

She said: No sugar, no processed foods!

She meant: Buy diet pills.

Style

She said: Stop going to class in a hoodie and yoga pants. Blow out my hair and put on makeup every day!

She meant: Switch from medicated chapstick to tinted Softlips.

Family

She said: Call Grandma more!

She meant: Once a week, respond to one of her trillion email forwards of animated angels, cousin Carly’s new baby or anything titled “Critters!”

 
new years resolutions
 

Social Media:

She said: Stop stalking ex on Facebook.

She meant: Switch to Twitter.

Finance:

She said: Pay off credit card!!!!?!!!

She meant: I mean, is dying in debt really so bad if you die wearing that amazing  Balmain mini??

What do you think about New Year’s resolutions? Silly or totally serious? Tell us in the comments!

Now, find out if you Make A Good First Impression with this Quiz!
new year’s resolutions