It’s 2016. You might be sitting there thinking about losing weight after you’ve nursed several hangovers after the New Year’s celebrations, saying you’ll “reinvent yourself this year” as you throw out every article of clothing that was the “old you.” Or, maybe you’ll make a miserable attempt at eating better by throwing not only that half eaten bag of chips (Alright, you ate half of it in 2015. I’ll give you that one.) and your favorite cereal. Yeah, the one with all the marshmallows that you crave at night? That one. We’ve all had those resolutions that were just empty promises, later wondering why we were doing it to ourselves. Well, here’s a few resolutions every 20-something should have. (They’re easy, I promise. No pulling your hair out this time.) It’s a new year, time to do things a little differently and your way.
1. Make time for things you love.
I sat across someone, on a blind date, who asked me “what makes you happy?” I sat in silence for at least a minute wondering the same thing. As I sat there, unable to answer the question, “I don’t know” came out of my mouth. Then, after wracking my brain for what made me happy, I realized I’m at my happiest walking around the cities, discovering new hole-in-the-wall coffeehouses where no one knows you. The cities allowed me to forget my worries and realize the millions of possibilities right at my feet.
The hardest part was figuring out when you truly are at your happiest. Once you’ve done that, life gets a little bit sweeter.
2. Stop dieting.
Everyone has this resolution: “I’m going to lose 25 pounds this year starting New Year’s Day.” Who are you kidding? No you aren’t. You’re probably researched every “diet” or “cleanse” out there. Rather than just “dieting” cold turkey, maybe change things up a bit and cut out sugary beverages or even just eat more vegetables. That’s the healthy start you should be making. This isn’t a “new year, time to starve myself.”
3. Figure out what makes you tick.
After dating someone for nearly four years, I realized I didn’t know what I liked or found interesting. I only knew what WE had liked. TOGETHER. Suddenly, I didn’t know what to do with my free time. What did I find interesting? Then one day while cleaning out a bin of things, I came across things that were once interesting at a time when I was just on my own. I was artsy. I could write. I enjoyed my alone time. I loved reading. All things I didn’t realize I missed until figuring out who I was as an individual.
Once I found what that was, it was time to really get into it. I would find myself in Barnes & Noble for hours, sitting on the floor, reading the previews to books that struck my fancy. Or even locking myself in my bedroom with ripped up magazines littered across my floor, music blaring, as I taped each page up on my blank wall. Once you find what makes you tick, what’s interesting to you, and what you like doing in your free time, that’s when you start to figure out who you are.
4. Take a break from social media.
I don’t mean deactivate your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or anything in between. I mean, take a step back from who you are with your social platforms. Get away from wanting friends to know what you’re up to, stop letting everyone know you’re having a really good hair day from your snapchat story (I’m a huge offender of this), or even stop posting passive aggressive tweets under 140 characters about how one lady flipped you off this morning. 20-somethings are so interested in what other people are doing and wanting others to want to know what they’re up to where it becomes all-consuming. We start to take on the personality of our social platforms than being who we are as an individual. Take a breather from it.
5. Don’t forget your roots.
Now, as 20-somethings, we can get ahead of ourselves and think we can take on the world like purchasing our first apartment without the help from our parents, think we have our bills and various payments under our belt, and can still be able to live a lavish lifestyle without having to lift up a finger. Well, as much as we want to say we are thankful and appreciate the people around us, we don’t acknowledge that as much as we think we do. Without our parent’s advice and guidance, we are nothing. Without the motivation from our boss who forces you to screw your head on the right way, we are less likely to have to drive to get to where we want to be. Without the people in our lives to create experience and mistakes with, we wouldn’t have the wisdom we are supposed to pass on later in life. This year, take the time to remember where you’ve come from because we need all the love and support we can get.
6. Remember to treat yourself.
While we haven’t quite started “adulting” yet, being a 20-something is difficult. We’re figuring out who we are as individuals, sharing and experiencing things that make or break us, while working with our nose to the ground, and studying until crying is the only option. We’re allowed to have mental health days. Sleep the entire day, binge watch our favorite shows, not shower, and live in our favorite pair of sweatpants. Might redo our manicure, decide to chop all of our hair off (I didn’t say like Britney Spears), or even listen to the same song on repeat because it’s giving you all the feels. Regardless of what it is, remember to take care of yourself. Simple as that. We often forget to until we’ve run ourselves into the pavement.
7. Live in the moment.
This is something that constantly is being applied to your life, over and over again. It doesn’t mean “don’t plan things.” It means to take each moment and experience for what it is. Dare to try something new. Do the very thing you said you wouldn’t. Decide to take a trip the next day because, hey – the tickets were cheap. Whatever it is, you’re only in this world once and you are the youngest you will ever be today. Think about it.