Bravery isn’t reserved only for soldiers and action heroes. You can put your strength to the test every day in a variety of ways. In your efforts to follow your “New Year, New You” mantra, consider crossing these things off of your to-do list if they apply to you. I dare you to:

1. Ask. Them. Out.

You’ve admired your crush from a distance for too long! The worst that can happen is that they’ll say no, and I promise you, it won’t be the end of the world if they do.

2. Face one of your fears

Don’t call your friend down the hall the next time there’s a spider in your room. Try to stop by the zoo’s reptile exhibit and see how long you can look at the snakes without wanting to scream. Challenge yourself in class by taking on a public-speaking presentation. Do whatever you have to do to make your fear less intimidating!

3. Put yourself first

It’s okay to say ‘no’ to the people you care about from time to time. Don’t be afraid to speak up on your own behalf if you feel like it’s appropriate.

4. Be more optimistic

Your instinct might be to respond to a problem with a negative attitude, but I challenge you to fight that temptation. Use your stress or your fears to empower you, not imprison you, as you move forward. Choosing happiness is easier said than done, but that doesn't make it impossible.

5. Cut the toxic people out of your life

It’s never pleasant to tell someone that you no longer wish to have them in your life…but if they are impeding your happiness in any way, there’s no reason why you should let them stay. Of course, you can try to work things out before giving them the boot, but if that doesn’t change the situation, you might want to let them go.

6. Confront a bad habit

Everyone's got at least one bad habit they've not yet gotten around to kicking. Maybe you've been going to bed too late, eating too many snacks, doing your homework at the last minute…the options are endless. Think about facing these annoyances head-on; it will feel amazing to conquer a behavior you thought you'd never get rid of. Day by day, you can make a lot of progress.

7. Go out of your way to compliment someone

The idea of approaching someone out of the blue, even just to share some kind words with them, can be daunting for some us. But all it takes is a few seconds of courage to tell that classmate you hardly know that her hair looks great today, or to tell a stranger that you like their sweater. Seeing them smile in response makes the minimal awkwardness so worth it.

8. Admit that you don't know something

Nobody loves to hear that their insight is wrong or misinformed, especially if it concerns something they're very passionate and knowledgeable about. But there is absolutely no shame in admitting that you don't know everything about a subject. All that means is that there's even more opportunities for you to learn and grow as a person. You're doing great, I promise.

9. Ask for help when you need it

Sometimes, we're too set in our ways to seek advice from other people. But it's very admirable to enlist others' help when you need it because you're admitting that you don't have as much control over the situation as you'd wished. That takes guts, kid.

10. Share your thoughts and opinions

It's all too easy to stay quiet in conversations driven by people's personal beliefs; we don't want to offend anyone with our individuality, so we don't participate. However, your ideas are just as valuable as anyone else's, and I dare you to let your voice be heard and to be open to how it's received.

11. Look kindly on the face you see in the mirror

If your body image isn't the greatest, you can work on that little by little; every morning, stand right in front of the mirror and look at yourself without harshly judging what you see. You are beautiful because of your imperfections; they are uniquely yours and that deserves to be appreciated.

12. Cut down on the self-deprecating jokes

"I hate myself", "I look like a potato", "this outfit makes me look like a whale"…a lot of our generation's humor stems from jokes that magnify the flaws we see within ourselves. I challenge you to stop yourself the next time you're tempted to poke fun at your nose or your singleness. In the long run, you'll start to see a lot of improvements in your self-esteem if you keep these jokes out of your repertoire.

13. Turn down a temptation

Put away that chocolate bar you've been eyeing if you already had your allowance of sweets for the day. Say no to a night out with your friends if you need to prepare for that huge exam you have the next morning. The immediate result might be disappointing, but you'll be sure to thank yourself when you realize you dodged self-sabotage.

14. Accept your feelings as they are

Every single one of your feelings are valid. You aren't obligated to always act on your emotions, so live and let live anything that's buzzing around in your head. As long as the more problematic feelings are kept from hurting yourself or others, they are not something you should be stressing about!

15. Do something even if you might fail

You don't need to be the next American Idol to raise your voice and sing in public for anyone to hear. You can play a sport and enjoy the game without being a superstar athlete. If you've ever strived to succeed, then you know that failure is inevitable; we are all human and we can't possibly excel at everything. So get out there and mess up!

…

U.S. General Patton once said, "fear is courage holding on a minute longer". You can turn any doubts and insecurities you have into some of your greatest accomplishments if you just give yourself a chance. I believe in you, and you should believe in you, too. The whole world is waiting for you; there's no better time to act than now.

Sub-headline quote credit: Stephen King