Sticking to New Year's Resolutions

We are officially 3 days into the new year. That spurt of enthusiasm you had on New Year's Eve to change yourself for the better is by now probably waning. 

"Most people are not going to keep their resolutions all year long. They’ll start out with the best of intentions but the worst of strategies, expecting that they’ll somehow find the willpower to resist temptation after temptation. By the end of January, a third will have broken their resolutions, and by July more than half will have lapsed.

They’ll fail because they’ll eventually run out of willpower, which social scientists no longer regard as simply a metaphor. They’ve recently reported that willpower is a real form of mental energy, powered by glucose in the bloodstream, which is used up as you exert self-control.

The result is “ego depletion,” as this state of mental fatigue was named by Roy F. Baumeister, a social psychologist at Florida State University (and my co-author of a book on willpower). He and many of his colleagues have concluded that the way to keep a New Year’s resolution is to anticipate the limits of your willpower."

-NY times (read the rest of the article here) 

So far, I've found it helpful to write down short daily updates on an online journal. This keeps me on track and inspires me to stick to my plans. 

How about you? What are some ways you all try to stick to your resolutions? (If you made any at all.)

2013 New Year's Resolutions!

I swear 2012 went by in a flash! For me, some years seem much longer than others. 2011 felt like it took FOREVER. I'm totally psyched about going into 2013. I am the queen of fresh starts, and having a brand-new year to enjoy myself is a step closer to achieving my  dreams.

2013 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

1.) Put aside at least $10-20 every month to buy myself a treat in the summer!

2.) Practice at least two hours of piano every day that the situation allows

3.) Check my calendar more often and stop missing social engagements

I tried to keep my resolutions smaller and more specific, so that they are more doable. It's easy to start the new year off with great intentions but give up the first day because you don't know where to start. 

Hopefully this year I will at least take steps towards achieving my goals!

Happy last day of 2012 y'all!!!

Work dat body

I recently got hired as my father's personal trainer, which is officially my first (kinda unofficial, since I'm not old enough to get my personal trainer's license) part-time job! It's $8 per half hour and $15 for one hour. Which really isn't bad, since I'm making more than double minimum wage. Suh-weet.
However, I'm hoping that the relationship between my father and I doesn't suffer too much considering the amount of sheer pain I put him through four times a week. I have the feeling that his opinion of me has gone from this...



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To this...

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Really psyched about the pay though. I'm going shoe shopping with one of my fave guy peeps this saturday; he has great taste. Am currently salivating over these ankle boots... but will have to make do with something cheaper. :(
Maybe next Christmas??

Senioritis

I've mentioned being stricken with Senioritis quite a number of times here on TTD, and I'd just like to clarify.

Senioritis
noun. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.
In other cases, senioritis may show signs early on in birth, then progressing in elementary school, middle school, and the beginning of 9th grade. This usually means that the student goes to a bad school where he or she (usually he) has to take stupid, nonsensical courses, and question the validacy of the system.
Senioritis usually can be diagnosed by the student himself or by colleagues of the student such as a teacher.
Treatment for senioritis: Continue to slack off for the rest of the senior year

This is the absolute correct definition, people. I got it off urbandictionary.com, which we all know to be the epitome of truthfulness. I dare you to look up "strawberry shortcake" on there. It's a concept I honestly do not know how to grasp.

BT dubs, my mom purchased a dangerous substance yesterday.

Yes, I know that it contains palm oil and sugar and all that healthy stuff. And no, it's not even exceptionally good, definitely not as good as the original because it tastes kinda greasy thanks to the greater oil/lower sugar content. But we all already know those technicalities will not deter me from melting chocolate into it and consuming vast quantities...
Lately I've been on such a nut butter kick. This "natural" Skippy peanut butter tastes absolutely amazing with chocolate melted in, though is barely tolerable on it's own.

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Down the Mississippi

Last night I went with my parents on a boat trip down the Mississippi river. It was for a conference of amazingly dedicated intellectuals...??? or something like that. I just know my dad's the host of the event/chain of conferences and everyone thought he did a great job.

...I hope my dad doesn't read that last sentence; I harbor a genuine fear that if his head gets any bigger, it'll cause some sort of mythbuster-style combustion sequence.
Not really feeling like typing words today so here are a bunch of pictures I took on the ride. I know the river scenery is bit monotonous and not the most exciting, but I feel the need to justify at least a few of the 91 pics I snapped away in boredom on board (so punny I know) yesterday.

We didn't get home until around one o' clock in the morning, thanks to some "interesting" driving... (the car door made friends with the wall and my unintoxicated mother was pulled over. Nothing serious though; just the cost of a pair of Louboutins.)