Every year, around this time, everyone is talking about how excited they are for the fresh start of the coming year. Time and time again, you’ll hear people say, “New Year, New Me” or “This is going to be my year!” Usually, we just think “yeah, yeah. You say this every year.” But I’m going to actually make this my year. These are my five resolutions for 2017:

1. Put Down My Phone
   Nowadays, it is so hard for people to put down their phone and just live in the moment. I constantly find myself refreshing Facebook, then reading all of my friends tweets, turning to Instagram to catch up on what everyone is doing and then starting the cycle over again. It’s endless. There is always going to be new content. But you’ll never be truly living if you are just living through others.
   My resolution is to put down my phone when I’m with my friends and family, and just live in that moment. When I’m out at a restaurant, instead of picking up my phone when the conversation lags, I’ll switch the topic until we find something interesting, and encourage others to do the same. When I’m watching a movie, I’ll actually watch it, instead of just listening to it while playing around with my phone. I honestly think that this will better my relationships with those around me and make me realize how much time I've wasted with social media over the years.
   
2. Save Money
   Anyone that knows me, knows that I can’t save money if my life depended on it. I’ve got rent and a phone bill to pay, sorority dues, and groceries to buy… but for some reason, even though I try to work as much as I can, I never have any money. Even though I know that I could do without, I love to spend crazy amounts of money on coffee and eating out at restaurants. I never think about how much money I’m wasting until I realize that I have $2 in my bank account the day before a bill is due. (Bless my parents for bailing me out on more than one occasion).
   
   My resolution is to start cooking more at home and brewing my own coffee every morning. Not only will I be saving tons of money, but I’ll be eating healthier and knowing exactly what I’m putting into my body. I’m going to limit myself to one Starbucks drink and one meal out per week. Eventually I know that all of the money I’m saving will add up and I won’t have to worry about how I’m going to afford all of the fun things that I like to do.
   
3. Work On My Health
   This is kind of a big one, and sort of ties in with the previous resolution. Bettering myself health-wise is something that I try to do each year. It usually lasts a few weeks, and then I’m back to my old habits. However, this is the year I am going to really try to push myself. This includes more than eating healthy and working out, although those are two big components.
   
   My resolutions are to work out at least three times a week, eat a more balanced diet, drink a lot more water, (stop telling myself that coffee and wine are basically water and that they count… they don’t count), and making sure I hit at least 10,000 steps a day on my Fitbit.
   
4. Stress Less
   I love being busy all of the time. However, over the last year, I realized how much my busy life was just making me a stressed out mess.
   
   My resolution is to realize when I can feel myself becoming stressed, to take a step back and breathe. I plan to stop procrastinating every single assignment and start being more proactive and turning papers in early. I plan to start saying ‘no’ when I’d usually say ‘yes’, to things that I just do not have the time for. I also plan to get more sleep and stop going to bed at 4 am just to wake up four hours later for work or class. These will all contribute to less stress and more happiness.
   
5. Compliment More
   Everyone loves being complimented, but many people are too nervous to give out compliments. I am constantly walking past people in the hallways and notice their cute shoes or the way they’ve done their hair, but I never say a word.
   
   My resolution is to start speaking up and compliment at least one person per day. You never know how someone is feeling or what they are going through, and by just one compliment, you may make their entire day.
   

I am so ready for 2017. Are you?