With the new year approaching, people begin crafting their list of resolutions to accomplish in 2016. It is often the case that we stick to these goals for a few weeks and then slowly let the year pass us by without finishing what we started. Here are a few easy and simple resolutions to stick to in 2016.

1. Become healthy

This is a popular one. We are all guilty of promising ourselves that in the new year we will all of a sudden start eating kale and working out every day. Being healthy is a gradual process and a lifestyle change. It's unrealistic to expect that once January first rolls around we will magically stop craving those leftover Christmas cookies. Instead, this year, try making a few changes to your diet and workouts. Set small, achievable goals that will keep you feeling motivated, not discouraged.

2. Cut out negative people

Whether it's friends or past relationships, it's important to keep people in your life who only make it better. You shouldn't feel complied to keep in touch with people just because you used to be close. If the complications they bring outweigh the positivity, cut the cord. There is nothing wrong with simply growing apart.

3. Put yourself first

We often find ourselves doing things for others before ourselves. We focus on our friends and/or family in helping them through whatever they might be going through. Something I have learned recently is that you should never forget about what you need and want. Putting yourself before others doesn't make you selfish or self-absorbed. It just makes you self-aware.

4. Travel more

There is nothing better than getting away from reality for a little while. You don't need to go far, but planning small getaway trips with friends or family is the perfect way to see more in 2016.

5. Stop living in the past

New Year's is when we look back and reflect on the year behind us. We inevitably only see the things we did not accomplish, the people we lost touch with, and the things we fell short of. It's easy to get upset when we end up in a different place than where we expected we would be, and when we end up with different people around us than what we had hoped for when the year began. But as cliché as it may be, everything happens for a reason. There is no point in living through our memories. Instead, try leaving what has passed in the past. Use 2016 to live in the now and look ahead. Trust me, it's much healthier.

6. Stop wasting your time

This one can apply to a lot of different scenarios. The most important being: don't waste your time on people who won't give you theirs. Save yourself the heartache in letting yourself become invested in someone who just isn't in the same place as you. They might not deserve, or be ready for what you can offer, but someone else is. Don't waste your time trying to change someone who can't be changed.

7. Stop living on social media

Everyone doesn't need to know what you are doing 24/7, 365 days a year. It's easy to want to snapchat every funny thing you see, or instagram that great picture from Saturday night, but it's important to remember that real friendship doesn't equate to being best friends on Snapchat. It's better to leave a little mystery around your life in a time when it's so easy to get caught up on what everyone is posting online. In 2016, try to remind yourself that actual communication is always better than anything you can filter.

8. Don't be too critical of yourself

We are all our biggest critics. We put an incredible amount of pressure on ourselves. In 2016, go easy on yourself. Order that cheeseburger, get the extra fries—stay out late with your friends, drink a little too much—it will help keep you sane (plus it's much more fun).