For my first article of 2017, I decided to take the common theme of New Year's Resolutions and give it a bit of a twist. Instead of things you want to accomplish, I made a list of 17 things you need to do in order to "cleanse the soul" and get ready for a fresh start and a new year! Here they are:

1. Unfollow Negative Accounts

There's no reason for you to follow accounts that are posting vulgar or aggressive posts. And you sure as heck don't need to be following those fitness accounts that just make you feel bad about yourself! Some of the best accounts to follow are ones with inspirational and motivational quotes that add a little spark to each day!

2. Delete Old Numbers

Not only is this good to clear up space in your phone, but you don't need your ex-boyfriend's (from when you were in high-school) number jumping in your face every time you scroll through your contacts. It can cause unnecessary emotions and stress.

3. Delete Those Old Text Threads

Remember those texts from November 17th, 2015? Yeah, probably not. And you don't need to! Delete all old text threads, they probably just contain information that will bring up old memories that don't need to be brought back up!

4. Clean Your Room

Clutter is always stressful, but a clean room or house can make all the difference in your life! Knowing where everything is can make getting ready in the morning so much easier, which makes a better start to the day.

5. Join a Gym

Here's the cliche, "I'm going to get fit this year" post. Yeah, yeah, I know you've heard it before but really! Normally when I spend my money on something I feel obligated to use it, so if you just start by getting a membership, you won't want to waste your money.

6. Find a Hobby

Whether it's bullet journaling or blogging, find your niche! Once you find something you love, it can take your mind off of stress from work or school and make you feel so much more productive.

7. Clear Out Your Pictures

Do you have old pictures of you and an old friend that did you dirty or an ex-boyfriend where things ended badly? Delete them. Right now, go on your phone and delete them all. Ever heard Taylor Swift's song, Picture to Burn? Well this is 2017, so now we just delete them off iCloud.

8. Start a Journal

Something I've always loved and enjoyed was writing, so this wasn't a tough task for me. I've found that by keeping a journal, I get to recap my day every night and get all my emotions out so I don't carry them to the next day.

9. Start Cooking for Yourself

Ordered Chinese again? Nope. By cooking for yourself, you're most likely going to be eating healthier and making better choices. This could have so many positive impacts on your life! It's also a time to destress and just focus on what you're doing at the moment.

10. Buy a New Outfit

I'm sure most of us are at the age where we receive gift-cards or money as a Christmas present, right? Splurge on yourself and buy a new outfit that makes you feel beautiful or just downright hot! There's nothing wrong with spending money to make yourself feel good occasionally.

11. Make a Playlist

Music always makes me happy, especially some of my favorite songs. Compose them all into one playlist easily on Apple Music and name it 2017 Vibes. It'll be nothing but good vibes to carry you throughout your day!

12. Get a Morning Routine

Something I've found has made my life just a little bit better is my consistent morning routine. I always feel like I know what I need to do right out of bed and it just makes life so much easier and I've been so much more consistent with my skin care now that it's a part of my everyday routine!

13. Make Lists

These can be of anything! Grocery lists, goals for 2017, qualities you want in your future husband, or literally anything else you can think of! Post them around your room. It's amazing what God can do, and you'll realize they'll either get checked off or something better will be put into your life.

14. Start a Prayer Journal

Write down all of your prayers! You can look back on them throughout your life and see all the things God has blessed you with.

15. Be Optimistic

Being pessimistic about 2017 will only make it worse! If you're optimistic, you have a better chance of dealing with problems that do arise in a better manner which will make things go smoother in the long run.

16. Tell Your Family You Love Them

There's no bigger blessing than having another year with your family. It's important that they know just how important they are to you, so telling them you love them is a great start to showing that!

17. Open Your Bible

God has blessed you enough to make it into another year. It's important for us to learn God's word to be able to share it among others that may not have him in their hearts. Reading the Bible can be a tough task, but it's an important one for every Christian. There's other books that can help you get through the Bible and understand it more clearly. Pray for God to speak to you before you start. Whatever it takes, just dive in!

I'm amazed at the work God has done in my life throughout 2016 and I can't see what's in store for 2017! I can only hope I get to share more of God's word and story in my writings and that I continue to get better with each and every piece. I love what I do and I'm blessed to be able to do it. I wish you all the happiest of New Years! :)