Let’s be honest — 2018 was a year of growth, realization, and questioning where I want to be in life – or forever panicking because the resolutions of 2018 on my list that were left unchecked. Something that I’ve had to come to terms with is that it’s important to realize that you can change anything about yourself, your habits, and anything in between at any time of the year – not just at New Year’s. I’ve spent so much of my life feeling so insecure and sometimes even unmotivated, and it’s time to stop.
I plan on making 2019 the year where I’m finally nice to me! (Happy twenty-nice-to-me — it has kind of a nice ring to it, huh?) I heard that phrase in a YouTube video and honestly, as silly as it sounds, it stuck with me. It may not be the most practical phrase, but it’s a fun way to remind myself to schedule in self-care throughout 2019.
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One thing that 2018 has taught me is to be more observant. I spend the majority of my time walking around campus looking at the ground or being too afraid to make eye contact with anyone. I attend Appalachian State University, which, to me, is one of the most beautiful college campuses, so why am I not appreciating it more?
During the last couple of months of 2018, I truly started noticing everything more. The world is full of examples, ideas, wisdom, mistakes and experiences. It just all depends on what you see whenever you put your phone down and pay attention to it. Just repeat this mantra to yourself: clear distractions; focus on each present moment.
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Another way I plan to self care my way through 2019 is by letting go of an attachment to doing and having more. I want to fall in love with less. Whether it’s decluttering the closet or unsubscribing from email lists, anything you do to clear your head helps.
Something else to take note of during 2019 is confidence. I have struggled with this for so long, but toward the end of 2018 I could finally say that I was making improvements in that department. I’m not saying you need to go out and be the loudest person in the room. All I’m saying is that changing little aspects of your daily routine can make a big difference in your life. For example, just smile more. Not only will smiling naturally brighten your day, it will make others around you smile too.
Once you have smiling down, learn to walk with purpose. Walk like you have somewhere to be at all times. Just by making small changes to your body language and expressions, you can start a domino effect which melds its way into your mindset for the entire day or week.
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Another way to improve confidence throughout the year is to love what you wear. When you look good, you feel good. Something as simple as waking up an extra 10 minutes before your alarm goes off to dedicate time to your morning routine or actually planning your outfit in advance, can really help. When you’re feel confident about how you look, dress, and act, it becomes easier to stop comparing yourself to others.
Spending more time focusing on my positive qualities, rather than dwelling on the negatives about myself is high on my list of things to work on in 2019. If you feel the most confident in a hoodie and leggings, then own it. Your personal style is reflective on who you are as a person. If you want to dress casual and comfy, that’s perfect! If you want to spend your extra time in the morning doing something special to your hair or putting makeup on, that’s perfect too! Once I started really figuring out how I wanted to dress, and what style I gravitated towards, I felt 10 times more confident.
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Start owning your “flaws” and insecurities! We all have something that makes us unique. You should take pride in your individuality, and all of your quirks because it’s what makes you so special.
With that being said, stop spending time dwelling on the things that won’t matter in the long run. Everyone deserves to dive into 2019 with any kind of resolutions they want to. Just because you didn’t immediately start changing your habits and mindset when the ball dropped in NYC doesn’t mean you can’t start now!
The biggest lifestyle changes start with small everyday changes that gradually build up to your final goal. And even if you think you’ve reached your goal, aim higher. That’s the beauty of it — you get to find new dreams and goals. You’re not limited to just one.
Use 2019 as a year to you put yourself first, and decide how big or how small the goals are that you want to achieve. Just remember that you’re allowed to be a little selfish and take time to become the best version of yourself that you can be.