Like most humans with a pulse, I’m not always great at sticking to my resolutions or achieving every goal I attempt.
And it’s not always for lack of trying! Sometimes I literally just forget about them.
I get mired in the day-to-day (We’re out of cat food! I hate all my clothes! WHY IS MY COMPUTER SO SLOW) and my grand ambitions are forgotten.
Until I started following Facebook and Instagram accounts that remind me of my goals and resolutions.
We can use social media to remind us of what we want to do + the people we want to be. Share on X
So ridiculously easy, right? I’ve been meaning to try aerial yoga so I follow Open Minds Fusion Studio. I want to take an adult ballet class so I follow St Paul Ballet on Instagram. I’ve been instructed to “dramatically reduce” my gluten and dairy intake, so I fill my Instagram feed with accounts like Oh She Glows and Alyson Kramer.
And when those accounts post something, I ‘like’ it so the algorithm keeps showing me those updates.
I don’t know about you, but the moments when I’m mindlessly scrolling through social media are usually the moments I’m at my least awesome and least motivated. They’re a rest stop between Working Too Much and Eating Popcorn For Dinner In Front Of Transparent.
But when that photo of adults in leotards pops up I’m more likely to shake myself out of a stupor and remember “Hey! I’ve been meaning to do that!”
The added bonus of following businesses/restaurants/travel companies/educational organizations on social media? You’ll be the first to know when they have openings or they’re running promotions! Look at us! Doing awesome stuff and saving money!
If you want to travel more, follow
The American Roadtripper // 12 hour guide // Gadling // Her Packing List
If you want to stick to your budget, follow
Our Freaking Budget // You need a budget // Five dollar dinners // Clever Girl Finance
If you want to be a bit more active, follow
Jessamyn // Krystal Cantu // Kris Clever // Kara Goucher
Of course, following these accounts will just remind us of the goals we set for ourselves. They won’t, ya know, do the work. (Here are the methods I’ve used to do, well, just about everything.) No matter how many times I watch Sugary Sixpack’s Instagram videos, I’m not going to get that butt unless I do more lunges. But remembering what we said we wanted can be the first step in actually getting it!
P.S. How to do just about anything + You can be inspiring just by being yourself
I LOVE this post! I already do this for sure but had never thought directly about it. Also, I followed more than half of the accounts you suggested. :]
Yay! They’re great! ESPECIALLY because I’m always scrolling through IG when I’m doing things I specifically wanted to do LESS of (aka laying on the sofa, mindlessly eating)
this is why i keep coming back to yes and yes – fresh, useful content!
Yes! This is what I do too! It means I have liked entirely too many things in FB, but that’s ok.
Something else I’ve started this year is a list on the fridge. It’s for some of the smaller parts of my resolutions/care plan but helps with some if the things I mean to do on a daily basis. Eg, eat vegies with at least two meals, workout properly for at least 15 mins, pick up litter, gratitude diary… When you tick off an item you see the other stuff and it reminds you that yes, you do need to plank today. It’s awesome!
I totally do that! My goals for this year were to start doing triathlons, eat more healthfully, and be a more positive person. I definitely follow IG & Twitter accounts of folks who do those things, and it is very helpful! The internet is a great way to find motivation. I sometimes even take screenshots of the “inspirational quote” instagrams and put them on my cellphone backgrounds.
Also, as someone who’s interested in activities populated by thin folk, it’s a great way to find people succeeding in all body types. I love following pros & normal people alike!
The other thing that has helped me keep those goals in mind has been to take a swim class (for credit, so no sleeping in!) and join a fun Couch-to-5k group in my area. I’ve slacked off a bit on the individual workouts, but I’m doing the 5k this weekend!
Yes! It can be so disheartening to just follow 22-year-olds with six packs!
I totally was debating skipping my yoga class yesterday until I saw a yoga gram and that motivated me to go!
Crazy how motivating it is, right?!
This is such a great idea. I’m always motivated by the accounts I follow, but I never thought to target learning this way.
I just found this post with a list at the bottom of foreign language learning accounts to follow, and I’m going to look for some more to help my Portuguese. http://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/using-instagram-for-language-learning/
I love that!
Such an important post! I love the thought behind it. I have a few accounts that really motivate me but I can’t say I followed them for that purpose. I’ll have to add some to my list!
With this tip, I follow women who weightlift, women who do yoga, along with friends and family members. (because I want better friendships and fitness).
I sign up for newsletters! I find I’m in my email a lot at work, and spend a lot more time on it than social media (social media tends to give me anxiety, so I limit it). By signing up for newsletters, I typically get practical steps, and great reminders, as people tend to put more effort into their newsletters than social media posts.