Nothing is going to change with the new year unless you work to make it change. If you want 2017 to be a great year then you have to make it a great year. Start with these 17 things..
1. Travel more.
Find the time to travel, even if it's just to a nearby city or town but also don't let a long drive and gas money scare you away from adventuring somewhere farther. If there's somewhere you wanna visit then go visit!
2. Be kinder both to yourself and others.
Nobody's perfect so be gentle to both yourself and others.If you wouldn't want it said about you try not to say it about someone else. Focus this year on really being a better person.
3. Volunteer.
Use this year to volunteer more, there are so many people that could benefit from your help. Even if it's just a couple hours each month spend this year giving back.
4. Stop being lazy.
Get up and just do it. That workout you don't feel like doing, do it. That homework or paper you're thinking of pushing off until later, don't; just get it over with. Feeling productive is a great feeling and you know it so aim to not be as lazy and to use every day to it's fullest extent.
5. Take better care of this planet!!
Don't think you're above caring for this planet. Recycle, don't litter, and use less water! While you may not be alive for it to have a significant effect on you, it's going to affect someone and that should be more than enough.
6. Eat healthy and drink more water.
The best thing you can do for your body is to eat right and to constantly stay hydrated. Make a promise to yourself that this year you'll try harder to eat more healthy foods and minimize eating sugary drinks. Your body will thank you.
7. Don't judge others and don't feel the need to change in fear of others judging you.
Just stop being so critical. Don't judge someone based on their hair or what their wearing or something they post, and this year don't hold back just because you're scared of what others will think. If you wanna post something then post it, if you wanna wear something then wear it. Let's try to make this year a year of less judgment.
8. Go on more late night adventures.
Forget the saying "nothing good happens after midnight." Some of the nights you remember the ones where you went out late at night. Go to a diner at 2 am just because, go drive somewhere at 1 am just to look at the city or stars. If all it's gonna cost you is a couple more hours of sleep I promise it's worth it.
9. Say I love you more.
When you're hanging up the phone with family or friends, start saying I love you. When you're getting dropped off by a friend say a quick Love you as you say goodbye. The people in your life deserve to hear it more often.
10.But also, don't just say, show.
You could text a novel every day to all the people in your life about how much you appreciate them but it means nothing if you don't show it. Show people that you appreciate them, show people that they're important to you, it means so much more.
11. Stop letting your pride get in the way.
Stop expecting everyone to make the effort to talk to you, sometimes you have to forget your pride and make the effort to talk and hang out with them. Don't lose touch with people this year just because you don't wanna "text first". And don't not forgive someone just because you don't want to be the one to say sorry.
12. Stop abusing social media.
Stop using social media to compare yourself to others and stop doing things just for social media. While recording your days on snap chat and Instagram are fine, don't do things solely for the tweet, Instagram picture or snap chat.
13. Let things go.
Whether it's an ex, bad friendship, or a grudge, let it go. If something isn't gonna matter in 5 years it isn't worth worrying about now. If something is out of your control then move on and let it go. The grudges you hold have more of a negative effect on you than anyone else so do yourself a favor and leave them in 2016.
14. Stop saying "I want to do this" and actually do it.
With how much our society merely says "I wanna do this" but never ends up actually doing it, I'm sure you have a whole list of things to cross off so make this the year that you actually do those things. When you catch yourself saying to your friends that you wanna do something actually follow through! Find a day to do it, you'll be happy you did.
15. Spend more money on experiences instead of materialistic things.
Money worth spending is money spent on experiences. Experiences are what you remember later, not that new watch you bought. Spend the money you would spend on new sneakers or a makeup palette you know you don't need on something worth spending money on something that'll give you a good memory.
16. Don't depend on anyone else for happiness.
The day you stop depending on others for happiness is the day you will truly be happy. Take this year to focus more on how to be happy on your own and less on how others can make you happy.
17. Accept yourself!
Even if you're not where you want to be, accept where you're currently at entering this year and understand that it is not where you will be at the end of this year. You can always change what you don't like but beating yourself up over things that you're working on, or features you were born with is just unnecessary abuse. Learn to accept yourself, no you might not look like all of the people you compare yourself to but they also don't look like you so try to flaunt being unique more often.
