6 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Actually Keep
2018 is just about here, which means we have yet another opportunity to create a list of New Year's resolutions that we probably won't keep.
We all know the struggle of creating these goals—we vow to follow them for the entire year, only to have our resolve slowly weaken and eventually disappear as the year gets busier and our lives get more hectic. However, we've found the secret to keeping them, and it involves committing to things that are easy to incorporate into your life and will actually make you a happier person in the long run.
Keep scrolling for six New Year's resolutions you can actually keep:
Don't Compare Yourself to Others
Unfortunately, comparing yourself to the people around you is a very natural tendency, so asking yourself to stop this habit is much easier said than done. However, comparing yourself to others puts you in constant competition with the people around you, which can rob you of the ability to be truly happy. In addition, it also makes your self-esteem dependent on your ability to be better than everyone else, which detracts from the unique and wonderful things that you have to offer the world. Instead, focus on your own successes, and only compete to be better than you were the day before.
Treat Yourself
This is one New Year's Resolution that we can all get on board with. Seriously, who doesn't want to treat themselves? Taking time to be kind to yourself is an important part of maintaining your happiness and ensuring you have the ability to deal with the challenges of the new year. It will improve your mood, allow you to effectively cope with stress, and help to maintain your mental and physical health. Whether it's taking a long soak in a bubble bath or going on a mini-shopping spree every few weeks, take more time to treat yourself in the new year—it's sure to make you a happier and healthier person.
Practice Positive Thinking
When things get difficult or life gets a little too challenging, it's easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset and convince yourself that the world is out to get you. This year, however, make a promise to yourself that you'll search for the positives in every situation. Positive thinking will reduce your stress levels and allow you to effectively deal with the things that are bothering you, while pessimism makes it easy to give up and wallow in self-pity. When you're faced with a difficult situation, take a moment to be upset, but also make an effort to look on the bright side of things and see the positives that can result from every troublesome circumstance.
Try Something New
This resolution is one of the easiest to keep because you have 365 days to try anything. Take your first yoga class, learn a new language, try out for a sports team, plan an out-of-town adventure—the list is endless! Trying something new can pull you out of your daily routine and help to expand your mind by exposing you to fresh ideas and activities. It's the perfect way to get you out of a rut, and you just might find your new favorite pastime in the process.
Do What You Love
Doing what you love should be a no-brainer. After all, it's what you love, and it shouldn't take a lot of effort to embrace it. However, when you get busy and other responsibilities start to cloud your calendar, it's easy to push the time for doing what you truly enjoy to the back burner, until you've hardly participated in your favorite activity at all. This year, make doing what you love a priority. Whether it's singing, reading, playing the piano, dancing, discovering new music, or any other enjoyable activity, it's important to make time for the things that are important to you. If you're doing what you love to do, you are guaranteed to be happier, and it will be a good way to step away from your daily responsibilities and take some time for yourself.
Practice Forgiveness
Getting upset or frustrated with people in your life is unavoidable, but the way you react to those frustrations sets the tone for the kind of person you want to be. Accepting someone's apology and truly forgiving them are two very different things. In order to practice true forgiveness, you must be willing to move on from the pain someone has caused you and not hold it over their head in the future. While practicing forgiveness is guaranteed to improve your relationships with others, it will also make you happier because you won't have the pressure of those wrongdoings constantly weighing you down. This year, practice truly forgiving people and moving past the pain they've caused you to build a stronger relationship in the future.
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