Alright let’s be real here – it’s late January, almost February. Have you kept up with your resolutions? Personally, I honestly have only stuck to about half of them. I know a lot of people use February 1st as a reset button on their resolutions, so I wanted to share these eight realistic resolutions you can hopefully actually stick with for the rest of the year!
People think the new year is the time to make drastic lifestyle changes. However, I think committing to changing just a few small things in your everyday life is much more reasonable and will have a greater long-term impact. Once you start making little changes, those bigger goals won’t seem so out of reach.
Be kind to yourself
Make an effort this year to be kind to yourself. Whenever you have a negative thought like “I’m a failure” or “My hair looks terrible today,” take a moment to stop and change that thought. Even if you really are having a bad hair day, try to think of three things you like about your appearance for every one thing you don’t like.
Allow yourself to make mistakes this year and use them an an opportunity to learn something. Take each blunder and assess the lesson in that experience. Got rejected from a job? Instead of beating yourself up about it, take the experience and learn from it. How can you better prepare for the next job application?
Being kind to yourself is critical to your success – both in your career, relationships, and health. When you cultivate positive thoughts, your life will be so much more positive.
Be present
Make an effort to be more present in your everyday interactions. Attached to our devices, many of us struggle with truly being in the moment. There are some really simple things you can do to change this.
For example, put your phone away when you’re walking places and actually look people in the eye when you pass by them. Smile! Wouldn’t that make your day if a stranger passed by and smiled at you?
Don’t listen to music while walking to class or waiting for the bus – instead, listen to the wind, your breathing, or maybe chat with a stranger. Put your phone away in class, on dates, and at work – you’ll be much more focused on what’s right in front of you.
You’ll be amazed at what you’ll notice when you actually look up and are free from distractions and notifications.
Ask more questions
I recently read A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer. The book talks all about Brian Grazer’s professional and personal success – all of which he attributes to “curiosity conversations” he has with people. His theory is that by asking questions and being curious about people and the world, our life becomes far bigger than one without expressing our curiosity.
I challenged myself to ask more questions this year because I want to learn more and be more open to new people coming into my life. If I don’t understand something, I ask about it too. I never want my pride to interfere with my learning.
Asking people questions lets them know that you’re interested and engaged with what they are saying. It’s a great technique to use if you want to develop deeper relationships. Curiosity is such a great opportunity to growth that we can all easily embrace.
Say thank you more often
There’s something incredible that happens to your brain when you express gratitude more frequently. I know so many people who go through their everyday lives doing amazing things without ever hearing a simple “thank you.” Expressing your gratitude more will not only help you feel better, but will greatly benefit everyone around you.
Read
Pick one book you’ve been meaning to read for a while and make a deadline for yourself. Maybe it’s a month from now, or maybe it’s five months from now – but make an effort to actively work towards completing that book by that deadline. Personally, I’ve been trying to read one chapter of my book a night which – I’ve found – is very realistic and doable.
My book suggestions: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso, The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer, and Bossypants by Tina Fey.
Be informed
Watch/read/listen to the news every day. Turn on NBC news when you’re making dinner instead of watching Netflix. Subscribe to The Skimm and take ten minutes in the morning while you’re still in bed to read it through. Listen to news radio or a podcast during your morning commute. Download news apps on your phone so you get breaking news notifications. Your worldview will broaden dramatically and you will be able to be a more active member of society when you’re informed about what’s happening in the world.
Eat breakfast
Starting your morning on the right foot can completely change the course of your day. When you start the day focused and energized, you will be more productive and positive. Taking care of your body is key, and eating breakfast is such an easy way to do it.
If you hate breakfast or never have time to eat in the morning, invest in some healthy breakfast bars or prepare something super easy you don’t have to think about and can grab on the go.
Clean up your social media
Delete those photos from high school. Stop posting about drinking/going out. Log out of your Facebook and view your profile so you can see what other people actually can see when they look at you. Ask yourself “What would my grandma think if she saw this” before you post anything. Delete/unfollow friends you haven’t talked to in the past two years.
Your life will feel so much less cluttered and hectic when you clean everything up! And you won’t be worrying if an employer will see something back or if that ugly picture of you from sixth grade is about to pop up on your timeline.
