Last year was quite an interesting one. It was great for some and miserable for others; depending on who you ask. It was really bad on a national news level as we gained a new President who is not so popular to many people and Hollywood scandal let us down in many ways that we don’t care to mention. As I was reading through the social media feeds yesterday, I noticed many people promising to do everything for themselves from the disposal of bad friendships, quit their jobs, lose weight, be a better person and so on. I’ve found through my experience that the best way to break a new year’s resolution is to make one. The better option is setting goals. Realistic short-term goals that match your current life situation. Below are several helpful tips I’ve compiled that I think will help you to make your New Year better than yester-year. I figure after the mayhem that was 2017 – many may need it.
- Look Forward to Mondays – The only thing that gives you the Monday blues is the fact that you see Fridays and weekends as the highlight of your week. This is why it’s so important to love what you do and to get plenty of rest. Mondays are actually great. It’s a great day to prep and plan a brand new week filled with endless possibilities.
- Drink Water – Hydration is tremendously important for overall health not just physical. The reason many of us find ourselves so sluggish and lethargic is largely due to not drinking enough water. Even at times when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just dehydrated. Drink up!
- Read Books – Read lots of them. Add more books to your reading list for the coming year. Read books that normally wouldn’t appeal to you at first glance. Reading something new and different can help you refine what it is you value, whether it’s a style, your work, worldview or an argument.
- Get Back to Love – The Mean Girl culture aka internet dragging has become quite popular. It’s unclear why but it sucks that bullying of any kind is an in thing. The worst bullying behavior have come from adults. We’ve watched Donald Trump’s twitter account for so long and have complained about him only to turn around and project how he makes us feel about ourselves onto others. We seemingly have no problem dragging people online, exposing private text conversations and online messages, we rally friends to antagonize and harass other online personalities. But, then we turn around days later and say #prayfor [insert here] and ask for support for our GoFundMe campaigns only days later. This has to stop. It’s not entertaining at all and it invites the wrong kind of energy. Disengage and unfollow others who engage in it. Make it a point to get back to love and respecting other people this year. Do it intentionally.
- Steer Clear of Distractions – This includes drinking, drugs, drama, foolishness, silly trends, the lazy and apathetic, the loud and obnoxious, things that incite fear and negativity, etc. If after 30-40 days into the year, you find yourself wondering why it seems like everything has slowed. It’s likely because you are distracted with one of the above. Make it a point to look up from your phone more often or put it down altogether to make better connections with people.
- Make the Journey fun – Focus on the excitement of discovery, improving, exploring and experimenting. There is so much to do. If you do this your motivation will always be fueled year-round.
- Smile more – Smiling encourages happy thoughts and reinforces feelings of joy. Perfect daily exercise for start of a New Year.
Starting a new year can be both exciting and frightening. Many opportunities present themselves, but the shadow of uncertainty may still linger. Focus on the goal. Never take your eyes off of it. When you are captivated with your purpose it’s hard to become distracted with anything else. Stay the course.
