2016 was one of the absolute worst and best years of my life. I’ve seen many people reflecting on this past year, most of them were eager to put it behind them. I can’t say I disagree. To be honest, I’m just glad I didn’t drop before the ball did.
It was a year of change for me. I moved out of my parent’s house, worked at three different jobs, changed majors, and decided that purple would be my new favorite color. My “to do” list seemed to be ever-growing and ironically, so was the monstrous pile of dishes in my sink. I was drowning. Drowning in due dates, late nights, and unobtainable expectations, most of which were coming from myself.
Basically, things were really bad.
It has always been mysterious to me how nothing feels like it changes day to day, but the shift from December 31st to January 1st always seems monumental. Suddenly everything feels a little bit fresher. I’m not saying I suddenly arose from my bed, threw back my curtains, and sang along with the birds. But overall, I felt a little better.
It probably sounds like the year was all bad. Which don’t get me wrong, it was really tough. But I learned valuable lessons that helped me prepare for a better 2017. Though I would never go back and relive it, it was one of the best years because it showed me what I needed to change in my life.
If your year was as rough as mine, here are a few tips on how to make some changes.
1. Stop trying to change things out of your control.
It’s much easier said than done, but once you realize that you are only in control of your own actions, life gets a little bit simpler.
2. Learn to say no.
If you’re not free to be somewhere Friday at 3 p.m., don’t drive yourself insane trying to make yourself available. Or if you simply just don’t want to go out for the night, don’t.
3. Take time to take care of yourself.
Self-care is extremely important. Make some time for yourself. Take a bath, watch a movie or my personal favorite, take a nap.
4. Find what makes you happy.
You only get one life to live. Find the things you enjoy and pursue those things. Happiness can be found through yourself.
5. Adopt 8 dogs.
This is just a suggestion, but I firmly believe it would improve the quality of your 2017 by 300%.
