Are you the type of person who makes New Year’s resolutions?

Resolutions are easy to make but hard to keep. I read one study that said just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. Most people pie out after a few months or even weeks. A recent survey of more than 5,000 Americans found the following New Year’s resolutions for 2016:

 Enjoy life to the fullest (45.7%)

 Live a healthier lifestyle (41.1%)

 Lose weight (39.6%)

 Spend more time with family and friends (33.2%)

 Save more, spend less (30.1%)

 Pay down debt (27.5%)

I thought it might be fun to apply these top six resolutions with a stylish twist. Let’s see how these goals might work from a fashionable perspective:

Enjoy life to the fullest

One rule I always apply before I buy anything is the “love” rule. I always ask myself, “Do I LOVE this?” If I’m meh about it, or unsure, or the least bit iffy, I put it back. I want to love everything I have in my closet. I want to feel happy with how I’m dressed. Feeling good about my clothes and outfits gives me confidence. That’s one small way to enjoy life to the fullest.

Live a healthier lifestyle

How about keeping a healthier perspective on our appearance? As I’ve said before, beauty is more than skin deep. What determines our beauty is not our clothing, hair or makeup – it’s our intrinsic value as God’s children. Having the latest anything will not raise your status or make you feel better about yourself. Jesus loves you just as you are. Meditate on that and bury it deep in your heart, and let that resonate in everything you do for a healthier lifestyle.

Lose weight

This is a common resolution, and one of the hardest! While God definitely values beauty, He certainly doesn’t base it on your BMI. But He does say that your body is a temple, and you’re in charge of taking good care of it. Throw your scale away and forget about size labels in clothing. Stay active and reach for a standard that’s healthy for YOU. Spend more time with family and friends This is one resolution that will never go out of style. My friends in fashion get to go to a lot of cool events and get free swag, but nothing can replace the joy of hanging out with their loved ones. Each and every one of them would choose family over the latest It bag. Fashion is fun, but let’s keep it real here.

Save more, spend less / Pay down debt

The last two go together and speak to financial responsibility. I had a friend in college who, although broke, decided it would be a good idea to buy an $800 Gucci wallet on her credit card. Without a job, that debt took a long time to pay off! And all for a wallet that went out of style within months. We’re called to be good stewards, and that means making wise choices about how we manage our money. It’s not wrong to save up for something special and treat yourself once in a while, but we should live within our means and make sure we don’t get behind in our responsibilities.

Whether you make a New Year’s resolution or not, I hope you seek the Lord to help you make wise choices every day. Wishing you a very chic 2016!

~ Silva

If you have questions or topics you’d like to see addressed in this blog, please email me at [email protected]. You can read more from me at onmyshoebox.

To read more Style Session, check out Style Session No. 11 – Christmas Fashion Personalities.