2018 is here! With every new year comes with new gym memberships being bought and junk food being thrown out. People are taking the start of a new year and attempting to make better choices and become a new version of themselves. I respect everyone that makes New Year's resolutions and stick to them. Everyone has something they want to work on, but I think there are a few things that a lot of people need to work on. Things that everyone should work on, actually.

1. Keep an open mind

It's 2018 after all, things are changing and will continue to change. I think we all need to keep working towards being accepting of other people's choices, especially those choices of the ones you love. You have a right to your opinion, and so does everyone else, but that doesn't mean you can insult others for disagreeing.

Everyone deserves to be happy and everyone should be able to live the life they want to live, and it isn't anyone else's say on what they choose to do with their life. Unless the actions of others physically or emotionally harm another, you have no right to tell them they can't be who they want to be. And if you can't keep an open mind, maybe just keep your mouth shut about it. For the benefit of everyone else.

2. Be kind to others, even if you don't like them.

I know this is a hard concept for some people, but it is possible. Sure, not everyone deserves respect, but everyone deserves to be treated like a human being. The first step to treating someone like a human being is to show kindness. You have no reason to treat someone poorly. If you want to measure someone's character, base it on how they treat those around them.

These days people are being praised for being petty and rude to others, and I think we should start praising people who are kind to others and treat those around them nicely. Even if others are rude and disrespectful to you, that doesn't mean you should dish it back. Just walk away. You'll sleep better at night. Just remember to know your limits and don't let people take advantage of your kindness.

3. Work on being a better version of the person you were yesterday.

People spend way too much time comparing themselves to others and not enough time looking at themselves. You are unique. You should not try to be better than those around you and you shouldn't look at others and think they are better either. If you want to be a better person, take it one step at a time.

Work on being a better version of the person you were yesterday. If you want to be healthier, start eating right, drink more water, and work out. If you want to be a better person, start by watching how you talk to others and do small things like holding open doors or giving back dropped money. No one changes overnight. It's a process, but that doesn't make it impossible.

4. Listen more, talk less.

We all have important things to say, but sometimes it's okay to let someone else have the floor. A lot of people have the problem of saying what they want to say and not actually listening to what others are saying. Don't just wait for the other person to finish speaking so you can talk, actually listen to what they have to say. You never know what someone is actually going through or maybe you'll hear something you never thought about. There's so much out there that you don't know, and there's an easy way to find out. Just listen.

5. Set goals and stick to them

You can moan and whine for hours upon hours about how life isn't going the way you want it but that's not going to change anything. With a little bit of effort and some perseverance, you can do anything. It may not be easy, but nothing worth having is easy. All you have to do is set a goal and work towards that. Give your self some encouragement or find someone who will help you out with it. Fall into the routine of your goal, and keep pushing. If you don't have a goal you aren't going to move anywhere. Give yourself a purpose. Start there.