Ah, New Year's Resolutions. The time of year that we all say we'll start that new diet and start going to the gym. Sure, we may do that for a month, but a year, well, we're just far too busy for that! I can honestly say that I cannot think of one person that has actually made a resolution that they have kept all year long. They seem to easy to make, but when it comes to the execution of it, they don't last long. Instead of making some absurd resolution and being down on yourself, try to pick one from this list and really try your best to achieve it throughout 2016.
1. Be a Better Friend: Everyone loves having friends. However, it takes work to keep a good relationship with your friends. If we don't work on those relationships, we will slowly lose those friends and the memories that come along with them. As the new year begins, try reaching out to a friend you haven't talked to in a while, listen a little bit better, and give them some more of your time.
2. Talk to Your Family More: Family is something that can never be replaced. As our lives get busy, it's easy to forget to make time for our family. When you get older, you're going to move away and have a family of your own, but sometimes you just want to talk to your parents or siblings. They've been there from the beginning and they always will. Make some time to call them and keep in touch more often.
3. Do Something That You Love: Focusing on school and a career can cause us to forget about our passions. Make time for something that brings you happiness. It will take away some of the stress of daily life and will increase your enjoyment of life. Life is far too short for you to never do anything that you love.
4. Work a Little Bit Harder: It can be easy to take the easy way out. Whether it's school, something your parents ask of you, or even work, it has become so normal for us to take the easy route and not do anything other than what is absolutely needed. Work harder on an assignment, actually clean instead of picking up, do everything 100 percent of the way. Doing this in small areas of your life will slowly begin to take effect in those around you.
5. Do Something Nice for Someone Else Every Day: Everyone has bad days, and that's okay. However, instead of letting people have bad days, do something to try to turn their day around. Go get coffee with a friend, offer to help them with something, give a stranger a compliment, even a simple smile and "Hello!" can make someone's day. We need each other too much for us to just go through life making ourselves happy.
6. Let Go of The Past: This one is hard, I get that. It's easy to be mad at someone for something they did three years ago, but really, that's only hurting you, not them. They probably got over in long ago and it still has power over you. Learn from your mistakes and go on with your future. You will only grow by moving on and making new mistakes to learn from.
7. Love Yourself: Most of all, take time for you. In a world like ours, that focuses on body image, money, and status, it's becoming normal to find your faults and focus on fixing those. We are always our harshest critics and it's beyond time that we start finding the things we love about ourselves. Take some time to identify what it is that you love about yourself and whenever you want to focus on a negative, make yourself think about the traits you love.
Well, there you have it, seven resolutions that you can pick from and utilize in 2016. Take some time to really think about the parts of your life that could use some work, and then really put in the time and effort to make them better. Enjoy the fresh start that the new year brings and make all the wondrous plans that your heart desires!
