The New Year is coming up which means new year's eve parties and new year's resolutions. We will quickly find ourselves saying "I strive to do this..." but most of the time, it's February 1st and we still haven't done those daily ab workouts that we promised we would do. This article is about how to be a better you and follow through with your new year's resolutions.
1. Set goals, but start small.
If you want to become a runner, you aren't going to be able to train for a marathon overnight. It's better to start small when it comes to goals you have in mind. Let's say you want to run a 5k by the end of 2019, but you have never run that far before. Start with a few half mile repeats. If you walk some and then run some over and over again, you will eventually find that your body adjusts to the pain of running, and you can run farther each time. It may take time and effort to reach your goals, but be patient and keep working at it, and you will get there eventually.
2. Do and go after things that make you happy.
It can be easy to find yourself caught up what other people want you to do with your life. However, this is your life, not other people's life, so you need to focus on what makes you happy. Do you want to look back on your life and wonder "What if I had followed my dreams?" It doesn't matter if your dreams don't match up what others' expectations of your life are. It's your life, and you get to choose how you live your life.
3. Be easy on yourself.
You are not perfect, and you are not going to do things perfectly, no matter how hard you try. It's just how life is. There's no use in beating yourself up about things. You are uniquely you, and you are where you are supposed to be right now. Focus on the things you are doing right in your life, rather than focusing on what you are doing "wrong."
4. Take time for yourself.
No matter how clique it sounds the saying that "life is short" is timelessly true. We don't have an endless amount of years to live, so it's important to take advantage of the time that we do have. This means that we should do things that make us happy, as long as we aren't hurting others. Oftentimes, we get so caught up in school, work, friends, and family and all the expectations that others have for us and all the things we have to do for others that we forgot to stop. And breathe. It's important to focus on yourself. Life can be stressful, and if we don't ever have some "me time", we can get lost in the stress and laundry lists of things you have to do. Try to find a few minutes each day to take some time to relax.
5. Stick to commitments.
If you say you are going to do something, try your hardest to follow through with it. Don't be that person who flakes out on plans at the last minute. It's not fair to the person you made plans with, and it's not fair to you. People like those who they can trust, and if you always cancel on someone last minute, they are going to hesitate before they make plans with you next time.
6. Find a new hobby.
Explore your talents. You may find out that you have a real knack for poetry or crafts or playing the guitar. Or maybe you'll find out that you actually enjoy writing and reading. You never know until you try. Don't be afraid to try something new.
7. Chase adventures and go out of your comfort zones.
Julia Sanders
The world is full of so many cool places to see and people to meet, but if you stay in your little comfort bubble all the time, you miss out on making some amazing memories. In 2019, try to push yourself past your comfort zones. For example, if you are introverted, try to join a club at school to force you to meet others more, or make an effort to meet new people every week.
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