New Years Resolution: Week One In Review

The first full week of January is always a reality check for New Year’s resolutions. Did I set myself up for success—or overwhelm? This year, I’m trying something new: weekly tracking. With a healthy dose of positivity.

Inspired by the Hawthorne Effect—the idea that simply paying attention to something can improve it—I’m rating myself on each resolution using a simple 1–10 scale. By keeping the process manageable, I hope to stay consistent all year long.

Here’s my honest review of Week One, plus tips for anyone on the same journey.

My 2024 New Year’s Resolutions

1. Read for Pleasure
   I want to read more for fun—not counting books or posting reading lists for approval. This goal is about rediscovering my love of reading beyond social media, which rarely feels satisfying.
   

2. Increase My Fitness Post-Surgery
   Exercise has been a near-daily habit since I was 18, and it’s my go-to for both physical and emotional health. Post-surgery, I’m focusing on regaining strength.
   

3. Improve My VO2 Max
   After hearing from my brother (and Peter Attia’s Outlive) that VO2 max correlates strongly with longevity, I’m determined to improve mine. VO2 max essentially measures how much oxygen your body can use during exercise and reflects cardio fitness.
   

4. Eat Low Carb, Moderate Protein, High Fat
   This goal means cutting out sugar and flour and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods.
   

5. Practice Intermittent Fasting
   I used to fast regularly before my last pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. Now that I’m done breastfeeding, I want to get back to 16–20 hours of fasting daily.
   

6. Start Jogging Again
   After 13 years away from jogging, I wanted to give it another try—but this one’s been a challenge.
   

7. Prioritize Sleep and Rest
   Beyond just getting more sleep, I want to carve out moments of true rest during my busy days.
   

8. Floss every day.
   

9. Blog Daily
   This resolution took me by surprise! Since late December, I’ve been overflowing with ideas and enjoying sharing them. My goal is to blog five days a week and see where it takes me.
   

10. Ask for What I Need
    This resolution is the heart of why I started blogging: learning to identify and advocate for my own needs.
    

Week One: New Year’s Resolutions Progress

Here’s my honest self-assessment for Week One:

1. Reading for Pleasure: 6/10

I started late in the week but quickly fell back in love with reading. I finished Hunger by Roxane Gay and began her short stories collection. Highly recommend both—5 stars!

2. Increasing Fitness: 10/10

I’m on fire here! Last week, I did three short strength workouts and already started Week Two strong. My workouts include squats, dumbbell curls, modified push-ups, bird dogs, and hypopressives (to strengthen my pelvic floor and reduce sneeze-related leaks—yes, that’s a thing). Three other days I did cardio and then yesterday, my rest day, I went for a walk with the kids and ended up completing 5000 steps (1.8 miles) and getting a good sweat going by pushing the stroller over cobblestone streets on our way to the playground without even meaning to.

3. VO2 Max Improvement: 10/10

I’m counting this as a win because I ordered my first FitBit and have been increasing workout intensity. Tracking my heart rate will give me a clearer picture, but for now, I’m confident my fitness efforts are boosting my VO2 max.

4. Low Carb, High Fat Eating: 9/10

I stuck to my plan for five days before consciously indulging in a slice of challah and a granola bar over the weekend. My body’s still adjusting to the transition, but I’m proud of my progress.

5. Intermittent Fasting: 10/10

So far, I’ve been fasting 15–16 hours daily without major discomfort. I’m easing into it and trusting it will get easier as my body adapts to fewer carbs. I’d like to be able to fast 18-20 hours most days and up to 30 hours occasionally but I am not in a rush.

6. Start Jogging Again: 2/10

I jogged once and enjoyed it, but the effort to get to a track feels inefficient. Since jogging was tied to improving my VO2 max, I’m letting this go in favor of other cardio options.

7. More Sleep and Rest: 7/10

I’ve been making an effort to rest more by taking short reading breaks during busy workdays, which ties into #1. Small steps feel significant.

8. Floss every single day: 5/10
I’ve been averaging about every other day. There’s room for improvement here but it’s an improvement from pre-New Years so I’m happy with that.

9. Blog Daily: 10/10

No missed days yet! I swapped Thursday for Saturday to maintain my five-days-a-week goal. Feeling proud of this streak!

PS You may have seen some less than perfectly edited blog posts… I am consciously not focusing on them being perfect versus being daily. Mistakes are embarrassing but hopefully I’ll catch them more frequently! That reminds me to use spell check one more time right now!

10. Ask for What I Need: 8/10

I’m making progress, but I’m not always as composed or “low-key” as I’d like when
asking for help. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.

Reflections and Lessons Learned

I realized this week that writing my resolutions down—not just keeping them in my head—makes them feel more real. I’m already seeing how small, consistent efforts add up. I hope you guys can see that I am being intentionally generous with my grading because being self-critical only sets us up for failure.

Tracking my progress weekly helps me stay mindful, even when I fall short. It’s a reminder that resolutions don’t need to be perfect—they just need to keep moving forward. I have not always been so good about handling imperfection and it definitely slowed me down. Funny how perfectionism actually makes things worse that way.

Also, I am proud of myself for allowing myself to drop goal #6, start jogging, because I realized that it didn’t serve my greatest good.

How Are Your New Year’s Resolutions Going?

Do you have resolutions this year, spoken or unspoken? How are you staying on track? Are you being kind and generous with your self assessments? Share your story or tips—I’d love to be inspired by your journey!