Keep up those New Year’s resolutions with some inspirational music!

In my opinion, January tends to be a pretty dull month. (And I saw that with enough believable conviction, considering it is also my birth month). The shiny sparkle and holiday indulgences of November and December are over, and we’re left with January and ambitious New Year’s resolutions. About this time three or four weeks into the year, I slack on my resolutions and pretend I never made them. But maybe with the right music, I can motivate myself better. Here’s a playlist to go along with each resolution I made.

Resolution: Spend more time outdoors and do what my ten-year-old self would have done. “Young Blood” – The Naked and Famous

Listening to this song always makes me think of doing cool things like jump into lakes, goof off with friends on some field, run across bridges at twilight, or go on a spontaneous road trip. I spend too much time cooped up indoors in front of a computer screen, only speculating what it would be like to do just stop studying and enjoy being young.

Resolution: Keeping in touch with friends and family. “Rivers and Roads” – The Head and the Heart

I’m usually pretty awful with keeping contact, unless my parents threaten to disown me unless I Skype with them. Kidding. But seriously, my closest friends and I will be moving around lot this year, and if I want to remember our shared roots no matter how much geography separates us, keeping in touch can be as simple as texting or sending an email.

Resolution: Keep my dental hygiene up, and also go past the superficial in relationships. “Crooked Teeth” – Death Cab for Cutie

This is a good song to motivate me to keep flossing daily (and wearing that retainer!). And if we dive into the real meaning of this song, sometimes superficial relationships are just that: superficial and we shouldn’t invest too much time in them. As Ben Gibbard sings it, “You can’t find nothing at all, if there was nothing there all along.”

Resolution: Be more financially responsible “Buy U A Drank” – T-Pain ft. Yung Joc

Now I know that pretty much all crunk promotes spending lots of money on partying and being cool, but I’m going to the take the line “got money in the bank” to heart and start saving for my retirement. Hey, can never start planning ahead for important grown-up stuff like that. And making it rain isn’t entirely a bad thing…if I spend cash I can feel money leaving my hands and therefore be more conservative. Thanks, T-Pain.

Resolution: Stop vegging out at home. “Freeze” – T-Pain ft. Chris Brown

I could probably count the times I went out at night with friends. Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of happy hours and movies, but very little going out and acting my age. You may think this contradicts the previous resolution, but there are definite ways of doing that in a smart way, like pre-funking with friends in a car in the parking lot because I’m classy like that.

Resolution: Exercise! “Midnight City” – M83

This song was featured in the Victoria’s Secret “Angel” Collection and Fragrance commercial. Each time I see it on TV, I think, “I should work out.” Although chasing after buses I need to catch has served me pretty well for the past four or so years, I would like to live longer and stay healthy.

Resolution: Go on a vacation. “The Girl From Ipanema” – Astrud Gilberto

The vacation spot doesn’t need to necessarily be in Brazil. (But how awesome would going to Rio be?) I do need to venture to a place outside of the city though and maybe hang out in a canyon or chill out by a waterfall. Anything to change the pace

What motivates you to keep your resolutions? If you don’t make resolutions, what music do you listen to get pumped about making yourself feel more fulfilled?