As we near the end of 2015, and 2016 comes crashing in, it's good to stop and think about all of the New Year's Resolutions we're going to make this year. Whether you already know what yours will be or not, here are 7 New Year's Resolutions we should all make this year.
1. Be healthier.
Eat your fruits and veggies, drink lots of water, exercise on a regular basis, and get the right amount of sleep. We all say we're going to do be healthier in the new year, but never end up following through with it. I think it's because we say it for all the wrong reasons. When you do this with the intentions of losing weight, it can be discouraging when you're doing all the right things but the scale doesn't show it. This resolution is a great one, but don't do it with the intentions of getting that summer bod, do it because it's good for you not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, too. Do this for all the right reasons, and your hot summer bod will come in due time.
2. Be kinder.
In a world with so much hate, a little kindness can seriously go a long way. Holding the door open for someone or thanking someone who holds the door open for you, smiling at strangers on the street or making small talk with someone on line at the supermarket, complimenting someone on a job well done or how nice they look that day...it's the little things that sometimes have the biggest meaning. You never know what someone is going through or how their day is going, so be kind to others. Not only could you be making someone's day that much better, but it makes you feel good, too.
3. Let the past go.
(Are you really that surprised by the picture?) Whether it happened yesterday or years ago, let it go. There is no use on dwelling on the past because you cannot change it. Whatever it was, it's over now, and there's nothing you can do about it now. Take a deep breath, think about it one last time, and then move on. You have better things to concern yourself with today than yesterday's things that you no longer have control over. It is okay to move forward. I promise.
4. Set goals.
Be ambitious this upcoming new year. What do you want to achieve within the next year? Whatever it is, write it down, stick it somewhere you can see it, and don't stop until you reach that goal. Start that very day that you decide to set your goal. There is no better feeling than being able to check something off of your list. Set it. Strive for it. Work hard for it. You will be thanking and rewarding yourself for it later. You can do it.
5. Study.
I don't want you to drop everything and spend your every waking minute learning something new. I know you have family and friends and a life to tend to. But, no matter how old you are, there is always room to learn something new. Make educating yourself, or receiving a good education, one of your main priorities this new year. There is a whole world of things that you can learn about, and there is never-ending capacity in your brain to hold it all. Learn things, study hard, do well in school, and you will not only feel much more accomplished and knowledgeable, you will be more accomplished and knowledgeable. (Plus, if you're still in school, that future degree is gonna be the key to the rest of your life. Don't slack on it.)
6. Be more positive.
There's a belief that you receive back what you put into the world. With that in mind, why should we put out negative energy into the world, if we'll only get negativity back? Not only that, but being more positive is a healthy habit to have. It's not in any way a bad thing to go through life with a glass-half-full perspective. Promise.
7. Love yourself.
There is no one perfect in this world (okay, maybe Nick Jonas, but that's for another time), and since there is not a single perfect person on this planet, why do we insist on striving so hard to be? Not to be cliché, but we are all incredible in our own ways, and we all should start learning how to accept and love ourselves as we are. The hardest thing to do in life is love yourself, but doing so will open you up to so many new people and opportunities. The confidence you gain from loving yourself is beyond any other feeling in the world. So, this new year, let's all strive to love ourselves for who we are, because let's face it, we're all amazing.
