Wave goodbye to those harmful habits.

If you haven't listened to "Hey Girl," by Lady Gaga feat. Florence Welch from Lady Gaga's latest album, Joanne, you should get to it.

Why do we make New Year's resolutions? We want to see a change in the way we live our lives. Realistically, a multitude of resolutions fall by the wayside over the first months of the year from lack of motivation due to limited positive results.

However, there are five small lifestyle changes that can leave a lasting impact on the world at large, and those positive results can spread like wildfire throughout your personal life. Here are four things to leave behind as we jump into the new year:

1. End "Slut Shaming"

It's 2018. It is time to let go of calling sexually active women sluts. Whether or not you agree that sexual promiscuity is wrong, this is their choice. "Slut shaming" has been a basis of double standards between men and women for hundreds of years, as seen in literature throughout the world. If we want to see change in the way sexually active women are viewed and abolish that nasty double standard, it starts with you.

2. End using the term "Basic" as a negative label

What started out as a negative label has turned into... well nothing different. When you read or hear "basic" you think of a list of features including leggings as pants, Uggs, Starbucks, messy topknot, etc. Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy. People have turned away from things they've genuinely liked, that don't have any effect on anyone else's life except for a barista's tip jar, for fear of being called "basic." If you think certain things are unfit to be worn, then don't wear it, but don't tear someone else down because of your own opinions.

3. End self-comparison for the sake of comparing

Now, more than ever, it is SO easy to log on to Insta, Snapchat, Twitter or any other social media site and see the highlight of everyone's days. While you're sitting there with a clay mask over your face to try to combat that recent breakout, scrolling through the filtered pictures of friends, remember that this is a look into the best moments. No one posts the truly raw and realistic parts of life. While you may be a recent grad struggling to find a job, or someone who is lost in your love life, instead of comparing yourself and bringing your self-esteem down, look into new hobbies and new ways to tweak your lifestyle. If things aren't quite going to plan, that is a-ok. I can assure you that behind the perfect posts are less than perfect lives, just like yours. Reach out and support your friends that you're comparing yourself to, who knows, you may just help improve each other's problems.

4. End self-hate

It all begins with you. I've often found that the grudges I hold are based on insecurities within myself from looking at others and seeing what I could be and comparing it to what I'm not. Actions like calling other women "sluts" or calling them "basic" may be a way to make yourself feel better as you see them truly living the way they want to in their own way. Open up a new chapter this year by loving the one person who has total control over their own life: You. Control doesn't necessarily mean you can absolutely determine whether or not you'll get that job or into that school you're dreaming of, but you CAN control what happens in the instances that you don't. We are often our greatest critics and turn that on others in our community to point out flaws of theirs as though to say, "thank goodness I'm not like them."

Lady Gaga and Florence Welch's new song says it well: "We can make it easy if we lift each other/ We don't need to keep on one-upin' one another/ If you lose your way/ Just know that I got you."

Let's ring in 2018 by waving these harmful habits goodbye. Happy New Year!