1. Love Yourself
It amazes me how easily humans rely on others for their happiness. You don’t need compliments to verify how good you look, you don’t need someone holding your hand to know you’re loved, and you don’t need your mom telling you you’re great to be successful. Odds are you’re all those things and so much more; take a moment to remind yourself that.
2. Be Kind to Strangers
Even your best friends were strangers once. People are amazing, and going through a lot, be nice to people. Maybe they’ll be your new best friend or your boss one day, or maybe they’ll be someone whose day just got a little brighter.
3. Listen to Your Own Advice
Sometimes you know exactly what to do, you just need to have the courage to do it.
4. Get Plenty of Sleep
Here’s a take my own advice moment. It’s crazy how much more sleep you give your body on the days when you feel like you have time to sleep in, but it’s time to start making time for rest.
5. Try Something New
Whether it’s someone’s homemade lasagna, a ceramics class, or riding horses-try it.
6. Go Somewhere New
And don’t be afraid to go there alone, unless it’s unsafe.
7. Drink More Water
This isn’t an excuse to go buy a 2-liter jug that you’ll probably only use for a week.
8. Have a Cheat Day
For the avid gym goer this may mean half a meat lovers but it can also mean so much more than that. Give yourself a day to do what you want to do. You have a lot you want to accomplish and a lot that has to get done before you can get to it. Give yourself a day to breathe. Maybe this means on Mondays you take your favorite book and park your butt in a comfy chair at a local coffee shop. Or maybe Fridays are your day to get out and explore. Whatever it may be, give yourself a day off, and do whatever you want with it.
9. Let People Know How Much They Mean to You
I’m pretty well known for being a bad texter, but sometimes that’s all it really takes. Brownie points for hand written letters.
10. Unfollow People Who Make You Unhappy
If someone is bringing you down or making you feel bad about yourself they aren’t worth it. Social media can be pretty impersonal so don’t think you’re being a mean person by choosing to unclick a button, you’re just doing what’s best for you.
11. Have a Goal
Maybe it’s a goal for your future, your job, or just for the day. Regardless, goals are good. Do the little things that help you get there. Meet it and make a new one. Or don’t meet it because that’s ok too.
12. Invest in Something Special
You don’t have to buy a new car or the swankiest heels at the department store. Maybe you just want to put a little of your paycheck away so you can buy your mom those earrings she’s been eyeing for her birthday or take your best friend out to a dinner that wasn’t made by your dining hall chef.
13. Do Something the Old Fashioned Way
We take a lot of shortcuts in life. We pick up a coffee to go instead of brewing it, we turn on notifications instead of writing down important events, and we save photos on our phones rather than putting together a hardcover photo album. Doing things “our way” isn’t the only way and maybe isn’t always the best way. Do things the original way every now and then.
14. Watch Your Favorite Children’s Movie
Trust me, spending some time back on the field with Scotty Smalls is good for your soul.
15. Make 2016 Better Than 2015:
Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you need to be a new you. What it does mean is you’re starting a new chapter that will be filled with growth, learning, failure, success, curiosity, embarrassment, fun memories and so much more. Embrace 2016 so that when 2017 rolls around rather than saying “I’ll try again this year” you’ll be saying “It was a good year.”
