Hello, Hello EVERYBODY!!!!!!
The Top 10, is back and last night was the first show of second semester!! Who is excited for a brand new semester of copious amounts of work, essays, late nights etc? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone? Bueller? Okay, maybe most of us aren’t enthused at all… but let’s not fret quite yet because we have a little while for all that chaos to REALLY begin as it is only January!
Oh January! What a beautiful month! New beginnings, a new year, a clean slate and lots of New Years Resolutions being made, fulfilled and, inevitably–broken.
So, last night, as the first night back, I decided to do a show dedicated to New Years Resolution. I typed in my Google bar “New Years Resolutions.” BAM! Tons of stuff came up. One of the things that came up on www.huffingtonpost.com, was the real, hard facts about New Years Resolution. It provided the stats on the top 10 New Years Resolutions made in 2013.
PS THESE STATS ARE AMERICAN BECAUSE CANADA HAD NONE!
Introduction Song: Death Cab For Cutie-The New Year
10) Spend More Time With Family
The Wire-Haim
Why? Because Este, Danielle and Alana Haim truly practice this idea of family bonding. Being in a band with your siblings (a scary reality for most) is done flawlessly by these girls. Hopefully their sibling bonding can inspire you to fulfill this goal of spending more time with your family.
What can you do? Take up group acting classes, start a band or do something else to really maximize your family bonding!
9) Fall in Love
Let My Love Open The Door-Pete Townshend
“The odds an adult believes in love at first sight are 1 in 1.9, over half of us! The odds an adult believes there is any number of people with whom she or he could fall in love are 1 in 4.2” (Huffington Post)
Hmmm falling in love….well I don’t think you should make this a goal. Why? Because I feel sometimes, if you are searching, you may end up with the wrong person and 5 months later when you finally come out of your love trance you realize that this resolution was a HUGE mistake as you regretfully look at the unpleasant specimen who is sitting on your couch, eating all your Cheetos and watching what seems like the 20th hour of football. However, who am I to jude right? So if this is your resolution, join a dating website? Be cliche and stake out at a coffee shop? I am not a dating adviser so I say do what you gotta do and hopefully Cupid will work his magic.
8) Help Others In Their Dreams
With a Little Help From My Friends-The Beatles
“Americans are remarkably generous with their time. Over 64 million people volunteered in the last year, which is more than the population of the U.K. That’s a lot of dream help! The odds a man volunteered in 2012 were 1 in 4.3, and the odds a woman volunteered in 2013 were 1 in 3.4.” (Huffington Post)
This is a lovely resolution! ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS YOUR RESOLUTION ARE BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL SOULS! Anyways, How to achieve this? Start small. Help out a neighbour by babysitting their seemingly demonic child, volunteer at a soup kitchen for a day and hopefully the goodness in you will be so strong that you will be inspired to quit your job and dedicate your life to a nonprofit living off the land in your fully hemp wardrobe while preaching the hippie gospel. Okay, maybe you don’t have to go THAT far…but find something that you feel passionate about and find a way to help out. I guarantee it will make you feel good while also benefitting a greater cause.
7) Quit Smoking
Cigarettes-Hey Marseilles
“In 2011, 19% of people 18 and over (1 in 5.3) smoke. In 2013, most people who smoked wanted to quit smoking all together (1 in 1.4 or 70%) but 1 in 2.5 (40%) will try to quit this year. However, a small minority, 1 in 14 or 7%, will succeed in quitting on their first attempt.” (Huffington Post)
K guys…this is a disgusting habit. 1) you smell bad 2) you look bad 3) your insides feel bad 4) your outsides probably do too. Unfortunately, however, once you start it feels almost impossible to stop. HOWEVER DON’T FEEL DEFEATED. You guys can do it! This saying is overdone, but bare with me, it is ALL MIND OVER MATTER.
A strategy? Maybe post a picture all over your house of what your lungs will potentially look like if you continue this habit. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Your kitchen, bathroom, living room car absolutely everywhere and hopefully this may gross you out enough to want to stop.
6) Learn Something Exciting
Brand New Day-Joshua Radin
The odds an employed person is engaged in:
- • In career- or job-related courses: 1 in 2.6
• In apprenticeship programs: 1 in 71.4
• In personal interest courses: 1 in 4.6
• In informal learning activities for personal interest: 1 in 1.4
Don’t settle in your routine…learn something new and exciting. I get it, most of us HATE most of our responsibilities but don’t let your job or school ruin all facets of your life. That doesn’t make much sense if you really think about it, does it? Do something new that you have always wanted to do! I will guarantee that this will make your hatred of your manager a lot more bearable if you know right after work you will be learning to skydive, kick box or paint!
5) Staying Fit and Healthy
Goodbye, Goodbye Tegan And Sara
“Staying fit and healthy is an aspiration but less than half of us are willing to do much to achieve it, especially as they get older. In the US, 1 in 1.7 adults 18-24 get the recommended amount of exercise a week and the odds drop as people get older, to 1 in 1.9 of those 25 to 34, 1 in 2 for those 35 to 64 and 1 in 2.5 for those 65 and older.” (Huffington Post)
I don’t mean to burst any bubbles here, but just because you HAVE a gym membership, does not mean your daily extra-large pizzas are justified. I know, it is sad for me too. What is even sadder? A relationship may have to change or end. One of the most beloved relationships you have ever had. The one that was there for you through your breakups, failed exams and awkward situations. Food. The best friend and worst enemy. As Shakespeare said “parting is such sweet sorrow,” but in the case of the daily extra large pizzas, maybe it is time for such a parting. Though Tegan and Sara, are talking about a relationship with another person in ‘Goodbye, Goodbye,” for many of you binge eaters, and chocolate lovers trying to go cold turkey on your eating addiction, may find the lyrical content of this song to be very relatable. It’s sad, I know, but sometimes you do just have to say “goodbye.”
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
I Need Fun in my Life-The Drums
“We work way too hard. The odds an American doesn’t plan on taking all his or her vacation are 1 in 4, and half of those who vacation work or think about it during their time off. Play is as important to us as it is to cats. The odds an hour of a man’s day will be spent at leisure or play are 1 in 4.1. The odds an hour of a woman’s day will be spent at leisure or play are 1 in 4.8” (Huffington Post)
I’m sorry that I am bring all of the inspirational clichés out, but hey, this is an inspirational post right? So, guys, we work too hard!!! Work hard, play hard, right?? WRONGO. Most of us are completely on the grind. But, life is too short for that!!! You need fun and enjoyment to make all the bad parts of life worth it!! Come on, we need to give ourselves a break or we may completely lose it!!
We each have something that we love so do it! Don’t be afraid to be spontaneous! Let’s say, you are super excited for the premier of Robocop, but damn, you work that day. Skip work, be a rebel and go see those robots kick ass! I swear, it sounds stupid, but you may just feel like you can take on the world after that. Seriously, sometimes faking sick is just what you need to feel invincible. Don’t let yourself be dragged down by all the bad in life, do little things for yourself that remind you of the good things!
3) Save More
Sixteen Tons-Johnny Cash
“During 2013, the personal savings rate or savings as a percent of disposable personal income, was about 4.5%. Thus the odds a dollar of personal income was saved in 2013 was 1 in 22.2. Current levels of saving are an improvement over the 2007 rate of 2.6% (1 in 38.7) but still a far cry from the 1971 height of 13.3% (1 in 7.5). What are the odds an adult has no savings at all? 1 in 3.2 or 31% of American adults.”
K, ya I know you ‘needed’ that toy helicopter…but did you really? I know, I know… saving is boring. I know because I am just about the worst person at doing this ever. However, sometimes you need to because who wants to be paying off their student debt for the rest of their lives? NOOOOOOBODYYYY. So, sometimes, in order to save, you need to look at the bigger picture, weigh your options and you may just realize that all this ‘stuff’ is not worth it. Maybe, if you have a big purchase you are trying to save for, constantly remind yourself before your impulsive purchases that this big thing is way more worth it. I need to work on this too but I think that saving will make you and your pocket feel a lot more at ease.
2) Getting Organized
Don’t You (Forget About Me)-Simple Minds
“The average office employee spends 1.5 hours a day (6 weeks per year) looking for things. Americans spend 9 million hours looking for things. The top five items men look for in their homes were clean socks, remote control, wedding album, car keys and their driver’s license. For women, the top five items were a favorite pair of shoes, child’s toy, wallet, lipstick and the remote control.” (Huffington Post)
K HOLY SH%@#! That is completely mindblowing, but sadly believable. GUYS THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIME WE ARE WASTING LOOKING FOR THAT STUPID STAPLER!! This is crazy! Being organized, may seem like it is wasting time, but I guarantee that being unorganized is wasting a hell of a lot more. Find a system that works for you and stick to it. Soon, you wont be able to function without your system and you will never lose your car keys and stapler ever again. You will think about yourself before you were Captain Organized and be flabbergasted at how you functioned prior to this system. Colleagues will come to you as if you are the Messiah asking for guidance on how to be more like you. I can see it now, it will be a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it will take some work. Take a weekend, go to Staples, get folders and organize your hundreds of loose papers. I have a feeling that if you do this, you will begin to feel a lot calmer knowing that you have a spot for absolutely everything.
1) Lose Weight
Don’t Stop Believing-Journey
“Since 1 in 2.8 (35.6%) of adults in the US is obese and 1 in 2.6 (38.5%) of adults believe he/she is overweight, it’s not surprising that losing weight is the top resolution for 2014. Barbie and Ken haven’t gained a pound since 1959, but alas most of us have.” (Huffington Post)
Sacrifices will have to be made. A sad sad reality. But don’t dread on this fact. Think about how good you will feel about yourself when you start seeing results. This will make all the pain and withdrawal of fast food SO WORTH IT. The biggest piece of advice is that you just can’t give up. Push through it. It may take work, you may be unable to move after your bootcamp like Body Pump class. But no matter what do not give up. Journey believes in you. I believe in you. All that’s left if for you to believe in you (honestly, I should be a coach on The Biggest Loser *If anyone working for The Biggest Loser is reading, I am ready for hire whenever you want me). YOU GO GUYS!!!!!
Thanks for reading and tune in next week for another fabulous show!!!
Much love grasshoppers,
TheTop10 (Robin)