1. Travel to a new place.
We seem to think of traveling as a huge, expensive trip. But it doesn’t always have to be! And when it comes to traveling to somewhere new, a local trip can be a lot more fun and less expensive way to do some exploring.
2. Read a new book.
According to Forbes Magazine, millennials – contrary to popular belief- are actually out-reading older generations. Whether you prefer the classic page-turning of real, physical books or the multiple convenient digital apps, read a new book for some food for thought!
3. Learn a new skill.
Whether it’s knitting your mom a scarf, braving the dance floor, or picking up a camera, the new year is a perfect opportunity to learn something new. And with Google and Youtube, there’s almost a 99% chance that a tutorial is online.
4. Don't procrastinate.
This is probably one of the most popular new year’s resolutions – and for good reason! Procrastination kills, and we know it. We particularly feel this is an important goal to have during midterms and finals weeks; but, let’s skip the pain altogether! Don’t procrastinate not procrastinating, and get your work done!
5. Practice money management.
I have many fears – one of them being the cashier that tells me “uh it declined..” while a huge line of people is currently behind me. Keeping track of how much you spend and how much you have left to spend is a great way to practice money management (and not suffer from my particular cashier fear). It doesn’t have to be with every purchase you make, but schedule a day in which you can look back at the past couple days and write down how much you have spent.
6. Buy a planner (and use it!).
After coming to college, I’ve realized how important it is to plan out your day and keep track of your daily activities. Not only does it help for time management, but I genuinely felt less stress when I see I’ve written everything down. Invest in a sturdy notebook and actually make use of it!
7. Do a social media detox.
Take a break from your Facebook page or your tweets for a week, weekend, day, or maybe even an hour. Use that time to learn something new or read a book (look above). It’s actually not as hard as it sounds, and given all the time we spend on our phones, we could all use a little break.
8. Laugh more.
According to the Huffington Post, there are six great benefits of laughter: relieves stress, relieves pain, boosts immune system, reduces blood pressure, stimulates mind, provides a good workout. For a better quality of life, laugh a lot more in 2018. (It also gives us an excuse at all the memes and Youtube videos we watch.)
9. Be unapologetically you.
In 2018, LOVE YOURSELF. Don’t hesitate to pursue your interests, whether it be watching an anime or playing a sport. What you wear, what you eat, what you choose to do with your time ultimately boils down to this: when the only person you’re guaranteed to be with forever is you, the only opinion that should matter is yours.
10. Be thankful.
Take some time to really appreciate every aspect of your life. Rather than allocating all the thanksgiving on one day in November, practice being thankful every day, even (especially) on the bad days.
