We all have a long list of new year's resolutions that we want to achieve. To help you become more productive, or at least, become more satisfactory with the amount of good things you do each day, here is a list of five new years resolutions that you can stick to.
1. Wake up earlier, but just a little.
I know, I know. It may seem unrealistic to wake up any earlier than usual, but hear me out. I am not asking you to wake up two or so hours before your usual wake up time, but just buy a couple of minutes. You'll soon realize that this practice will soon help you regulate sleep patterns that you might have thought you didn't have any control over. For example, if you wake up at 9:30, you can set your alarm to 9:20 and gradually tick back minutes until you achieve an earlier time to wake up at. Mornings tend to be more productive than late nights, giving you more time to get more goals finished, allowing you to live longer and achieve faster.
2. Read a (real) book
The practice that once brought joy to many is slowly being taken over by technological musings, and print books will sooner or later become a thing of the past. However, while print books are still around, a good practice for the new year is to go to the local bookstore or library and pick up any book of your interest or something that you have always wanted to know more about. The title you choose doesn't necessarily have to be something lengthy, but something that just sounds interesting. Read it all the way through and enjoy it. It may seem insignificant, but in the long run, reading helps develop your brain in ways technology cannot. Also, reading a book takes you on a very inspirational journey that you might not get anywhere else. You'll feel very satisfied knowing that you have read a good book from cover to cover.
3. Collect your spare change
If you have a piggy bank, or an old shoe, or a jar, or a box, start to collect all of your spare change. Sometimes we take the coins we don't spend for granted, and over the course of a long time (ideally a year) chump change found in the dryer turns into real cash. Put it towards something, like a new pair of sneakers, or those sunglasses you really know will look good on you. The presence of the money and the note will motivate you to collect more until your goal is reached. And once you have all the funds needed for that new thing you want, you can go ahead and treat yourself.
4. Keep a "souvenir jar"
On that same note, obtain a shoebox or a pickle jar that will specifically keep your memories of the year. These can be anything, ranging from movie tickets and gum wrappers with small messages written on the back to polaroid pictures, clam shells, keys, or just a bunch of post-it notes with funny quotes inside. Any memento that brings you to a good (or not so good) point in time. At the end of the year, open up the container and begin a trip down memory lane. It will be a good reflection about the different things that occurred throughout the year and make you look forward to the good things in the future.
5. Explore
Many of us forget about the vast and uncharted world we inhabit. Resolve to get outside of the bubble we live in and go out and see what the world has to offer. If you aren't the adventurous type, then explore something else, like music, coffee shops, or ideas other than your own that make you interested in making more and learning more. Set no path but never lose your way. Go out there and make new memories, find love, and be free.
Happy New Year Readers. Cheers to a happy 2016.
