Everyone usually has the same resolutions, if not the same type of resolution: eat healthy, work out more, work harder at work, or not as hard at work, learn to play an instrument, learn a new language, or finally ask that lucky guy or gal you’ve been borderline stocking out on a date. Never the less, these resolutions all tend to be rather selfish and self-centered.

“But Emma, how can I better myself with my resolutions and not be self-centered?”

Well you inquisitive reader you, let me give you some ideas.

1. Read 5 news articles a day. This may sound like a boring resolution, but if you make yourself more aware of what is going on in the world around you, you can start seeing the wrong and the right in the world and start seeing ways to change or help. You can start piping up in conversations about current news instead of standing there, nodding your head, and thinking about what’s for lunch.
2. Read one book a month, or one book every two months if you have a busy schedule. Reading broadens the mind, ignites the imagination, and shapes the reader’s perceptions of reality. That was a good sentence I just spewed out. Everyone, write that down. Good writing like that doesn’t come out of my mind every day, you know. Reading is something so fundamental to our brain’s health, yet everyone always overlooks it.
3. Find an organization or non-profit to volunteer or donate to. When you feel like you are helping the community, you feel like you’re helping yourself in a way. It makes you feel as though you are serving a purpose and helping those in need. Keep up to date with news about the organization/non-profit, volunteer your time with them, and get the word out about them. I know one non-profit I talk about constantly is City Year. (I put it in the article so everyone reading this has to check it out. GO CHECK THEM OUT.)
4. Buy a homeless person a meal. Might take some courage and some communication skills, but it will be worth it. Just helping one individual can help you feel better about yourself and your impact on society or the community around you. Go up to someone homeless, they’re usually the ones on the street with a sign saying they are homeless, making them pretty easy to pick out, and ask them if they would like a meal. If they say yes, go and buy them a meal, or bring them with you to buy the meal. It’s something small that can help out someone having a hard time tremendously.
5. Write thank-you notes. I can’t tell you how many times I have had this drilled into my head when talking about professionalism. Mailing someone a hand written thank you card for anything they have done for you, given you, or has involved them in any way, shape, or form, is something so underdone. Say you have a job interview, write the interviewer a thank you letter for taking up their time. This will give you an upper hand in the interview (I know that may be selfish, but it’s just an added perk) and also lets another human know that you are thankful for what they did. There isn’t enough thankfulness in the world today; this is a way to put some out there.
6. Consider the idea of good and bad karma. Whether you believe in karma or not, it’s a good concept to trick yourself into believing. If you are good or do good to others, good will happen to you. Same goes for bad. Help that old lady cross the street, let the cashier know they undercharged you, turn in the money you found lying on the ground by the vending machine. The worst that can happen is nothing, but still knowing you did the right thing.
7. Ask people how they are, but be genuine about it. What I’m about to say is so cliché which makes every fiber of my future English teacher being want to vomit, but stick with me. People are like icebergs; you only see about ten percent of them. The other ninety percent is hidden in the water that is the comforting, emotion hiding mask we all wear. People are always going through something difficult in their lives no matter what front they put up to hide it. When you genuinely ask someone how they are or what is going on in their life, they can sense that and they will more than likely open up to you. You will be providing that comfort someone feels for just talking about their problems.
8. Listen to people, don’t just hear them. This stems off the last point, but when asking someone how they are with genuine curiosity isn’t always enough. Sincerely listening and providing helpful or even relevant feedback is the help some people really need but are too scared or embarrassed to ask for. Don’t be like JD and tilt your head to the side and start having a wild fantasy (Sorry. Since school let out for the holidays and to compensate for my lack of business and school work, I’ve been on a Scrubs kick.)
9. Surprise someone once or twice a month. It can be something small like bringing one or all of your coworkers some coffee, pay for the person’s drink or meal in the line behind you, or remember a small fact about someone and bring it up to them in conversation. Or it can be something big like taking your friend going through a hard time out to a surprise dinner or on a surprise trip or unexpectedly coming home for a weekend to see your parents (remember that college kids.) Letting someone know you’re thinking about them or letting them know you want to do something good for them is a huge boost to someone’s self-image and image of you in their mind. I guess this can tie into karma by putting good into the world and it can also tie into the previous two points relating to letting people know you care and are there for them.
10. Smile. I know, y’all. That’s a very anticlimactic last point, but it’s honestly worth pointing out. Smiling is such a simple action that means a million things. It can say “I’m here for you,” “I understand what you’re going through,” “have a great day,” “we’ve all been there,” and simply “hello.” A smile can help someone, even a stranger, get through the day just a little bit easier.

So there are my ten resolutions for everyone. I couldn’t help feeling hypocritical while writing this because I know some of these I’ll never do. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t make it one of my resolutions.

So gang, let’s all light that fire under our rear ends to get to all these resolutions before 2017 rolls around and make society slightly better.