This new year, I will ________________.
Fill in the blank. What will you do differently?
Here are 16 New Year’s Resolutions for 2016 to get you started.
1: Be More Positive
Be more positive not just with our words and actions, but also with our own thoughts. Focus on surrounding yourself with positive people, things and experiences. Do what makes you smile and get rid of the things that don’t. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
2: Practice Random Acts of Kindness
“It’s the little things that count.” Instead of saying you will stop doing certain bad habits, focus on the good things you want to do more.
3: Do Something Out of the Ordinary
Step out of your comfort zone, it could give you a thrill of a lifetime! Trying new things can help you not only discover different sides of yourself, but it will help you know what you don’t like. So if you’ve always wanted to try, say, a cooking class and you end up hating it, you can cross that off and move onto the next thing.
4: Read More Books
Because knowledge is power and with great power comes great responsibility. Reading is a great past time, can help you relax and if you read before bed may even help you fall sleep.
5: Eat Healthier
Trying to tell yourself what you can and can not eat is a difficult task. Rather than attempting to stop yourself from eating all the “bad” foods, try focusing on eating the “good” ones. You could also eat several small meals a day instead of a few large ones. For Example: Instead of eating a bowl of ice cream swap it for a bowl or (frozen) yogurt.
6: Get Fit
Many of us say “I want to loose weight in the new year,” but not all of us follow through with it. Instead of forcing ourselves to go to gym, we could just wake up a few minutes earlier and exercise. That way, it doesn’t seem like a chore.
7: Learn Something New
Have a friend teach you something new and in return help them learn something new. Follow your passions because learning something new should be challenging, fun and exciting.
8: Get More Sleep
There’s the famous “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” quote, but it sneaks up on you if you’re only getting 2-4 hours of sleep. Think of it this way: the more sleep you get, the more energy you have to do the things you want to do!
9: Save More, Spend Less
If your goal in 2016 is the save more and spend less, then the 52-week money challenge is perfect for you. The concept is easy: you start with $1 in the first week, and then every week, you’ll put away an extra dollar (week 1: $1, Week 2: $2…. Week 52: $52). Before you know it, you’ll have an extra $1,378 saved up.
10: Less Text, More Talk
Put your phone down and look up. Sometimes, it’s difficult to disconnect from the digital world, but is it worth missing out on those special moments? Learning to be truly present in the moment, not only improves our relationships but also makes us more appreciative to what we do have.
11: Travel
Traveling has a special magic touch. Whether it’s taking a mini getaway or a that big vacation you’ve been saving up for go somewhere you’ve never gone before!
12: Be More Open-Minded
Everyone gets scared, nervous and doubtful at times. Accept it and challenge yourself to be more open-minded to new things, people and experiences that life throws at you. People usually only fear the things that they don’t fully understand? If you’re not sure, don’t be afraid to ask!
13: Volunteer and Give Back to your Community
The beautiful thing about people is how much of a difference one person can make, let alone a group of people all working for the same cause. Once people gather together for something that they believe in, the outcome is incredible.
14: Be More Organized
Whether you want to cut back on clutter, organize your room, recycle and reuse some of your things, everyone needs their own system to get organized. That way if you ever need something, you’re not scrambling trying to look for it.
15: Saying no when you need to & saying yes when you really should
You don’t have to say yes to everything. If you don’t feel like going to a party, listen to yourself and take a pass. If someone tries to dish out something that isn’t your job at work, tell them no. Just embrace the word “no.”
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Maybe your friend impulsively suggests a concert, or someone’s had a bad day and needs to go for a drink — whatever the reason, if you feel it would make your or their night, you should do it. In the best case scenario, you’ll get a memory to keep forever; at worst, at least you tried something new!
16: Enjoy the Little Things.
Living life to the fullest doesn’t just mean setting big goals like going bungee jumping or learning to scuba dive. It also includes learning to enjoy the little things. That is, learning to appreciate life’s simple pleasures, such as the following:
- Going outside at night to look at the stars.
- Seeing a genuine smile on the face of a person you love.
- Walking barefoot in the grass.