5 Resolutions, One Way To Keep Them All
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5 Resolutions, One Way To Keep Them All

2016 is here! Were you one of the millions of people who made a New Year’s resolution? Well, according to Statistic Brain, only 8% of people who make a resolution are successful in reaching their goals. People go strong for the first few weeks but then slowly lose focus, with only half of them still working on their resolutions 6 months later. Defy the odds and make your resolution a success by taking action now. By committing to travel this summer, you’re a step ahead of the masses, and you will reach your 2016 goals. Sign up for a summer program now, and you can make sure one or more of these common New Year’s resolutions will be checked off before 2017 arrives.  

Learn a Language
Is this the year you want to dominate Spanish 3, or better yet, actually speak Spanish? While studying a language in school is great, being immersed in a culture where you are forced to speak it is the key to success. Spend a few weeks in Costa Rica, studying the language with native speakers, and you might find that you learned more in two weeks than you did all last semester.

Volunteer
Spending more time helping others is a popular resolution, but sports, homework, and family commitments quickly get in the way. Dedicating one or two weeks of your summer to community service, either at home or abroad, is a great way to make sure you stay committed to what is important to you.

Spend More Time Outside
If this wasn’t one of your resolutions, it should be. No one plays outside anymore. Instead, we are all indoors glued to our computers or phones, and this is incredibly sad. There’s a great big world outside of our fluorescently-lit rooms and it needs to be explored! If our Off the Map programs don’t spark a need to be in the great outdoors, nothing will.

 

Learn a New Skill
Self-improvement is a common theme in resolutions, but the sheer number of possibilities can be overwhelming. Set a small goal for yourself this year, like becoming scuba certified, honing your photography skills, or earning your Wilderness First Aid certificate, and make it a priority in 2016.

Travel
Whether it’s to go on that road trip you’ve always dreamed about, or to leave the country for the first time, travel opens you up to a world of possibility. Through travel, you will learn about yourself, experience different customs and cultures, meet incredible human beings, and discover all that this planet has to offer. If you have only one resolution this year, it should be to travel more. You will not regret it.

 

Research says that making your resolutions public is a great way to hold yourself accountable and make those goals a reality. Let us know what your 2016 resolutions are in the comments below!

About the Author

Kelly Moynihan

Peru Country Director

More than a decade of program leader experience, fluency in Spanish, and commitment to community service make Kelly a natural fit to direct our Peru operations. Previously, Kelly worked in Costa Rica with indigenous communities and turtle conservation efforts after joining Rustic in 2008. Originally from New Jersey, Kelly earned a degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C.