It’s a brand new year! New opportunities, new experiences, new people, and new places are yet to be discovered this upcoming year! It’s also time we make our New Year resolutions, which will probably be broken within a month or not even made because we know how they work. We mainly break our resolutions because when we make them, we resolute that we will or will not do something anymore. We hold this high expectation that there is no room for error or mistake or really just being human. We force ourselves to do things and eventually we just get tired of it. So, this year I am giving you five New Year’s challenges. NOT resolutions, but challenges for you to work on. When we challenge ourselves we give ourselves a choice whether we want to do something or not, thus strengthening us to want to make the right decision while also not making us feel forced to.

Here are my Five New Year’s Challenges to you for this upcoming year:

1. Cut the negativity

Stop. Giving. In. To. All. The. Negativity.

It’s one thing to be sad or angry every once in a while but anymore all I see is people downright complaining, whining, and being straight up pessimistic about EVERYTHING. Whether it’s through word of mouth or social media, I feel our generation is obsessed with pulling out the negative in our world and doing whatever they can to showcase it. And sadly, even when people disagree with something harmful someone may have said, they are too afraid to speak up and say they don’t agree and just go along with whatever destructive thing the person said. Last year, I literally deleted my twitter account because I couldn’t take all the menial droning that filled my feed. I lost both my grandfathers within six months of each other and that really put my life in perspective. I couldn’t stand reading someone’s subtext about how their “oomph” is ungrateful, or that their mom is psycho because she yelled at them, or someone ambiguously tweeting about a situation in their life because they want attention. That’s really what it’s all about; attention. If you really have a problem or issue with someone, then YOU TALK TO THEM, not post about them when they or others can clearly see it. That does nothing to solve the problem. It simply spreads the negativity. Even resharing things that are petty are equally as effective.Social media sites were used for sharing ideas, learning new things, and being able to communicate more effectively. They were not made to bash people, spread negativity, or give permission to always be a part of a pity party.

My advice is to invest more in the people you consider quality in your life. Stop giving in to social media and friends who you know don’t really care about you. If you do post, make sure it’s something positive or informative, not destructive or demeaning. I, personally, have stopped using my cell phone so frequently and it has already done wonders for me. When you find the right people, along with the right positive mindset, you will instantaneously feel a weight lifted. You won’t want to be a part of any negativity because you will see how truly disgusting and damaging it is to your attitude and daily life.

2. Make Things To Look Forward To

Life can be draining and stressful. In order to get through, you MUST make time for yourself. Find hobbies or things you really enjoy doing. Make sure to schedule hangout days or events with your friends. Even if it’s something menial, make it a big deal! We are only this age for so long. Don’t be someone who looks back and feels they didn’t get to spend enough time just being young and enjoying this life. So buy tickets to that concert, schedule sleepovers, go to the movies, and spend time with your family and friends. Going back to point number one, if you are with the right people, there is no reason to not be excited about hanging out with the people you love. Don’t ever take yours, or their time for granted.

3. Create Lists of EVERYTHING

This has been a major change in my life. I have always been someone who loved making lists but now, I live by them. Last year, I would write little notes on my phone about what things I needed to do, schedule, or accomplish. This year, I have two planners and I am keeping logs of the progress I make on each of my goals. One of my planners is strictly for school and the other one is for my life in general, to keep track of school, work, going to the gym, events, and my social life. One of my goals is to lose weight and get more in shape. I came in this year more motivated to achieve this than ever, but keeping logs of my progress has given me more motivation. I recorded my initial weight AND measured parts of my body that I wanted to improve. That way, I can see more progress than just my weight. Already this year, I feel so much more organized than ever before and I feel like I am getting a lot more done and not procrastinating things as much. So start writing and go ahead and make a list of all the lists you need to make!

4. Find the Beauty

I learned this lesson at the very end of 2016 and I am so ready to bring it into this year. Bad things happen. It’s just the truth of life. You’re going to meet ugly people and you’re going to go through really ugly experiences. But, instead of marking someone as ugly or letting a difficult situation define you, try and find the beauty in them. There are so many people I have dealt with that have done ugly things to me or just have ugly personalities but I always try to remember that there is a little bit of beauty in everyone. I may not even be able to see the beauty in them, but someone out there does. Someone out there benefits from that person’s beauty. I have also been through some really dreadful experiences, especially last year. But instead of asking, “Why me?” and pitying myself, I ask myself, “What can I learn from this?” There is ALWAYS something to learn, and I truly believe there is a reason everything happens. Some things I may never know why, but I know it’s not for nothing. Even through the most disastrous events, I can always learn and I can always grow.

So find the beauty. Don’t just wait for it to come to you, seek it. There are so many absolutely beautiful people, scenery, and things to do in this world. Don’t just see ordinary things or people as ordinary. No matter how ugly, awful, or seemingly appalling, try to find the beauty in everything.

5. Reflect

Don’t just do these things and not reflect on what they’re doing in your life! Whether it’s how you’re approaching something, who you spend time with, or whatever you’re doing, always reevaluate how it is affecting you. Is it a positive or negative influence? Do I like or dislike this? If it’s something you like, feel is positive in your life, and want to keep doing, then, by all means, keep doing it. If it’s something that you dislike, causes unnecessary negativity, and want to stop, then make a change. By doing this, you can easily figure out what is and isn’t working for you and be one step closer to reaching your goals.

Personally, I have never been more excited for a year simply because, for me, 2016 sucked… a lot. 2016 was filled with the most difficult hardships I’ve ever endured but because of that, I learned more about me and what I want in life than ever. Last year was the growing pains and this year I feel ready to tackle anything that comes my way. I already feel like I have changed into a new person and making these changes has motivated me more than ever.

So together, let’s go out there and KILL this year. Make this your year. Make each day a day of challenging yourself and seeing just how much you are capable of doing. I promise you will notice a difference. Most importantly, no matter what you do, learn and grow. Do not stay stagnant this year. Learn all that you can and grow from it. That way, 2018 will have the potential of being even better.