According to USA.gov, the most popular New Year’s Resolutions for this year include losing weight and getting fit, traveling, getting out of debt and being less stressed. However, Time magazine recently included all of these in their list of the ‘Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year’s Resolutions’.
The reason for this is that these well-meant determinations don’t get to the heart of what matters most. What people really want is to feel loved, attractive and – above all – happy. But spending January refusing to eat chocolate and going cold-turkey on shopping for the month (only to fall back into old habits by the time Spring rolls around) is not a shortcut to long-term satisfaction. If you really want to make 2015 your most fulfilling year yet, forget the “New-year-new-me” drastic changes and focus on changing your outlook slightly to make positive changes in your life that actually mean something.
Appreciate what you have. While it’s great to think about how you can make changes now to improve your life in the future (such as saving rather than spending and giving more of your time to the people who really care about you), don’t forget to take a moment to think about how blessed you already are. Make it your resolution to keep in mind that if you have good family, friends, good health and a roof over your head, you’re already rich. In fact, it’s been said that if you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world, and if you have some money in the bank and a bit of spare change in your purse then you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. Don’t let ‘first world problems’ like being left out of a party or losing your new iPhone make you forget this! Real happiness comes from your outlook on life and is not found in anything you can buy.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Don’t idealise other people’s lives inside your head. Everybody has had their share of both good and bad experiences, and your journey is your own – it’s not supposed to be the same as anyone else’s. In short, comparing your life, your friends, your looks and your possessions to others’ will prevent you from ever feeling fulfilled. And remember – people’s lives on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are not reality. They’re a highlights reel, showing you the shallowest surface of people’s lives, so never ever take them too seriously. Having a large number of Instagram followers will not increase your worth in the slightest, and no amount of tagged photos can do justice to a beautiful character.
Be kind to your body. Forget all extreme diets (have you ever actually met anyone who has managed to maintain eating no carbs whatsoever for longer than a few months?!) and try and live a slightly healthier lifestyle instead. Going to the gym is great, but so is joining a new active society (like dance, tennis or zumba), and you might find these easier to motivate yourself to go to regularly. Drink lots of water and get enough sleep. Never underestimate the health benefits of laughing and allowing yourself time to do nothing but relax.
Remember that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Resolve to be comfortable with change and uncertainty. You don’t need to have Mr Perfect or your dream job or a ‘life plan’ right now. You’re young and don’t need to waste your precious time worrying! Don’t settle for less in the hope that you’ll achieve everything you’re ‘supposed’ to. Allow yourself time to figure out what you really want and don’t stress because your life isn’t as perfect as you’d like it to be. There will never be a moment in life where you sit back and say “I’m finished. I’ve done everything I can and now I can be happy”, because nothing in life is permanent, and every step you take is just a new beginning. Set goals for yourself, but be open to change, because life is full of surprises and even the most driven of people don’t really know where they’ll be in five years – or even one! Be excited, rather than stressed, by this, because it’s what life’s about.
Stop worrying about what other people think. Don’t dampen your own happiness by doing what you think you ‘should’ be doing, and don’t live in fear of what others will think or say. People will drift in and out of your life, and some will stick around for a very long time, but don’t waste your energy chasing others or trying too hard to impress them. Be kind to everyone and true to yourself and the right people will find you naturally. And if you don’t know exactly who you are yet, don’t worry, because life is about creating yourself. There’s no rigid formula to life and you’re free to be whoever you want to be. Never feel guilty about anything that makes you feel happy. If you resolve to accept your wonderful imperfect self and do your best to work, love and live with integrity, you can never go wrong.