Haven't decided on any resolutions for the new year yet?
Here are a few goals that anyone and everyone can and should strive for in the coming year.
1. Count your blessings.
Take note of all the good things in your life. Write them down. Look at this list when you are feeling down. When your circumstances are at their worst, challenge yourself to add to this list. When things are the best they've ever been, add to this list. Count everything. Leave nothing out. Even the smallest of blessings are important. When you think you've run out, go into detail. Don't just list "my dog," but note "the way my dog looks at me when I come home from a long day of work." Don't just list "coffee," but instead "the way a cup of warm coffee feels in your hand when you're walking outside in the cold, and how it warms your whole body after you take a sip." Find all the good that exists in your life. Every little ounce of it. Acknowledge it. The more you look for it, the more you will begin to see it everywhere without having to think about it. The bad will seem far less important, and much more manageable when you realize that you are surrounded by good.
2. Say “Thank you.”
Give more thanks. Tell that really cool barista, "I really appreciate how you always make sure to get my order just right." Tell your friends, "It really means a lot to me how you are always there when I need you." Tell the cashier that is always chipper, "Thank you for always spreading positive energy and making me smile.” Thank your waiters, cashiers, friends, parents, baristas, doormen, sales associates, people that stop for a moment to hold the door open as you walk through it. It feels really good to be appreciated. Take a moment out of each day to make sure that people know you don’t take the things they do for granted.
3. Say at least one nice thing to someone every day.
Remember in elementary school when they taught us, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all?” Sometimes it seems that we all only heard, “Don’t say anything at all.” If you have something nice to say, there is nothing to lose in just saying it. Give compliments. Give them to people you love. Give them to people that you run into for a moment and may never see again. Tell the person waiting in line behind you, “That lipstick color looks really great on you.” Tell your coworkers, “Your energy always makes my day better.” Send messages to bloggers and online artists whose work you really enjoy. Send fan mail to local musicians after having a great time at their concerts. When you start to make a habit of looking for at least one nice thing to acknowledge each day, soon you won’t have to really look. You will start to see the best in each person you meet, and you will stop holding back when you could say something nice. When it is so easy to make a person’s day just a little brighter, why wouldn’t you?
4. Create more.
Do things that require you to use your imagination. Draw, write, knit, paint, sew, sing, dance. Get in touch with your creative side. Pick up a hobby that allows you to use your hands. It is really satisfying to use something that you have made yourself rather than purchased in a store, and it’s a major self-esteem booster to finish something into which you have invested time and work. Also, creating is a great stress-reliever. Even just taking some crayons to a coloring book can be really cathartic. Give yourself projects. Buy some crafting kits. Search the internet for writing prompts. You will have fun, learn about yourself, and maybe even make something useful. Get back in touch with that imaginative sense that you had as a child and create something.
5. Do things because they make you feel good.
When you are making goals for yourself, don’t motivate yourself by saying you have to do those things. Don’t go to the gym because you feel like you need to gain muscle. Go to the gym because the endorphins that you get from exercising make you feel like your'e on top of the world. Don’t change your diet because you need to lose weight. Eat healthy foods because they give you the nutrition and energy that you need to do more good, fun things with your day. Don’t give yourself chores because your home has to look nice to impress your guests. Do your chores because having a clean, organized home makes you feel at peace. Instead of attempting to motivate yourself with outside expectations that you feel you must meet, remind yourself of how great you will feel when you accomplish your goals. When you start to set goals for yourself, it will be much easier to make them habit. If you are pushing yourself to reach some goal like it is a chore, you are much more likely to quit because being under that pressure just isn’t enjoyable. When you realize how good you feel each time you get a step closer, you will want to keep going. This year, do it for yourself.
