By Kourtney David | Copy Editor
I know there’s nothing really new about New Year’s, but I’ve always loved the idea of a fresh start. Most people (myself included) use this rite of passage as an excuse to make resolutions, only to forget about them by March. Maybe our goals were too lofty or we just got lazy, but my plans never see December. This year, let’s make our resolutions work for us. Here’s how:
1. Appreciate others without comparing yourself to them
I often catch myself admiring what others have, but rather than learning from them or being happy for them, I start to feel like something is wrong with me. Change your perspective; it’s important to learn how to love others and yourself without comparing the two.
2. Set clear boundaries and standards for yourself
A new year is the perfect time to look back on what went wrong last year, what mistakes you made and what you’re willing to do again. Maybe you’ll find that something you’ve put up with can’t be acceptable anymore and that setting a hard boundary would greatly improve your life.
3. Try a planner
It’s common to start a planner at the beginning of the year, only to forget about it in a few months. There are many types of journals that can work for different types of people, such as bullet journals or pre-printed planners. Try a different style that maximizes what you need when organizing.
4. Complete those annoying tasks you’ve been avoiding
Sometimes we avoid something and make the mountain of work so high that the task seems impossible. What I’ve found is that buckling down and handling them first on my to-do list usually relieves my anxiety enough to get going with the rest of my day.
5. Let go of your grudges
You can either reconcile with the past or dwell on it every day. I don’t know about you, but I’ve let too many days go by worrying about the things I can’t change. You can remember the past and let it fuel your future, but don’t let yourself get stuck living in it.
6. Be grateful more often
In his TED Talk, author and monk David Steindl-Rast said each moment is a gift full of opportunity and that in itself is something to be grateful for. “You haven’t earned it,” Steindl-Rast said. “You haven’t brought it about in any way. You have no way of assuring that there will be another moment given to you, and yet, that’s the most valuable thing that can ever be given to us, this moment, with all the opportunity that it contains.”
7. Spend some time in the sun
Even if it means you crack the blinds for the first time in a week, a little bit of sunlight can go a long way. An article from Tri-City Medical Center explains the biological reasons why some sun can improve your health, including lowering your blood pressure and improving your sleep.
