Well, folks, here we are, about a month and a half into the glorious year of a "new" you — 2016. Take a quick second to assess yourself. How are you feeling? How many days have you been to the gym so far? What time did you go to bed last night or wake up this morning? How many classes did you attend last week?
If you aren't seeing the results your Jan. 1 determined self was expecting, don't be too hard on yourself. The truth is that out of the 45 percent of people that make resolutions, only 8 percent of them are successful in achieving them. We clearly are setting goals in January that become impossible or irrelevant in February-December. This means we should start looking at more attainable and realistic goals that are just as beneficial as never eating fast food again or deleting all of your social media apps. It also means that just because it's a New Year's resolution does not mean it is any more likely to be achieved than any other goal.
That being said, here's a look at some possible, helpful, and simple goals that you can set for yourself. Not for a year, but for a lifetime.
1. As soon as you wake up, smile as big as you can.
Wouldn't you love to feel better about your day the second you open your eyes to it? Something as easy as a quick smile can release the same neurotransmitters that an anti-depressant would. Think of it as waking up and taking your happy vitamins, except it's way less work than getting out of bed and walking over to the medicine cabinet. We all know that if we wake up in a happy mood we tend to have a better day, so why don't we just wake up in a happy mood every day? Not to mention all the nice things you do for other people while you're happy. P.S, a smile is also beneficial to your immune system! Who knew?
2. Tell someone that you love them every day.
How hard can it be to make one phone call every day on your walk or drive home? As much of a downer as it may be, the truth is someone could leave this earth at any moment. Take a quick look at everyone in your life. When asked the top 5 people that loved them in their lives, would they respond with you among them? Reminding others that we love them also brings us love in return, so it's really a win-win situation. Imagine a world where everyone had someone who loved them and compare it to our world today. We can do something about that contrast by literally taking five minutes to substitute a phone call for a check on our Twitter feed.
3. The above rule applies to God, too.
So you've decided you could maybe try to smile when you wake up every day. You know exactly who you're going to use your extra five minutes to call tomorrow. Here's where you need a reminder that you have a loving father that wakes you up every morning and allows you to experience this world with all of these people you love. He is the creator of you, and loved you so much that he sent his son to cover your mess with love, so maybe you could take some time during your day to pray and thank him for his grace. There's a whole book that he's given you to learn from, and he delights in your devotion to him, so maybe you could grab a journal next time you're out and spend time studying the word and reflecting on it. I promise that if you give him your time, he will cover you with unfathomable blessings.
4. Drink more water.
This is a goal for almost anyone you meet, but can we just get real about it? Name one other thing that benefits your skin, muscles, brain, mood and helps you lose weight. If you can't, that's because literally only water benefits everything about your body every single time you drink it. We can be healthier, smarter and happier with the use of one really cool substance that just so happens to be completely free! Save some money and save your body. Water seriously rocks. (Saying "water" is less syllables than "diet coke" when you're ordering a drink anyway).
5. Go to bed.
Trust me, I totally get that the FOMO is real and if you don't lay in bed checking all of your social media, the world might end and you would never know. But the reality is that you will be good at nothing without resting your brain and your body. You won't lose that weight, you won't ace that test, and you won't be kind to others. Sleeping is one of the best things you can do for both your physical and mental health. Nothing, not homework, not twitter, not your ex's Instagram (OK, especially not your ex's Instagram), is more important for your well-being than sleeping. So close your books and turn your phone on "do not disturb," because when you wake up after a good night's sleep you can change the world. (Especially if you smile first).
This list doesn't contain any numbers on scales or any "I will never 'blank' again." Only a few simple, free and easy things that you can do to better yourself and the world you live in. I dare you to introduce these little habits into your life and see how much it rocks your world. Happy rest of your life!
