Do you know the urge that girls get at 11pm on a weeknight to suddenly transform their entire life and become an entirely different person by morning?
Have you ever set a ridiculous goal, such as winning a weightlifting competition when you have never set foot in a gym before, or reading a new book every week when you only managed to finish three novels during all of last year?
Do you give up on these delusions within a few days, after realizing you tried to take on too much, too fast?
If so, congratulations! This guide is for you!
“New Year, New Me” Isn’t Always Realistic
Personally, the previous year was full of ups and downs that forced me to really think about my long-term goals and my current lifestyle. I felt unhappy with the way my life was going for a very long time, but I realized that I wasn’t doing anything to change it.
It’s normal to not be exactly where you want to be in life at every moment, but is the life that you are living right now ever going to lead you towards where you actually want to be?
As the new year rolls in and we start thinking about how to achieve our New Year’s resolutions, it’s tempting to want to make every change all at once. However, if you want to make truly lasting changes that make you a happier, more well-rounded person, you can’t rush these things.
While we all wish it weren’t, self-improvement is a constant, continuous, and ever-changing process that grows with you as you move through life. It requires frequent check-ins with yourself, and oh-so-much patience.
Creating Your Own Guide to “Glowing Up”
As I’ve slowly begun to implement positive changes in my life and work towards a happier me, I collected 5 key tips that could help you come up with your very own personalized guide to glowing up and becoming your best self during this new year and beyond.
Step 1: Compare and Contrast
One of the best exercises I learned in therapy recently, was to connect the dots between where you are versus where you want to be.
The way I did this was by folding a sheet of paper in half lengthwise to create two columns, and writing in the first column all of the things that I considered my current self to be, both positive and negative. In the second column, I listed out all of the characteristics that I would like my future self to have.
With both lists completed, reflect on what is similar and what is different. What are you doing well? What do you need to work on?
Step 2: Set Gradual Goals
Now that you have a clearer picture of what your “finish line” looks like, you can come up with smaller goals or “checkpoints” that can lead you down the right path.
One way you could do this is by dividing them into immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. You can also categorize your goals so they are easier to visualize, such as relating to physical health, mental well-being, academic progress, personal relationships, and more.
When writing out your plan, use the SMART method to come up with Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals for each category you choose to work on.
Step 3: Keep It Visible
A vision board is one of the best ways to keep yourself centered and focused on what you want your future to look like. While a physical board with photos and keywords that you can place on a mirror or desk might be the best option, you can also create one online using tools like Canva and place it as your phone’s wallpaper.
If photo collages aren’t your thing, write out your list of goals and keep it somewhere you can see it. The important part is to have a constant visual reminder that keeps you motivated and inspired.
Step 4: Rethink Your Media Consumption
The accounts you follow, the memes you share, the books you read, and the movies you watch all affect your mindset, whether you notice it or not. Curate your social media to make sure that the content you are exposed to contributes to your happiness and well-being (and yes, that includes unfollowing the accounts that you love to hate).
You are in charge of the content you choose to consume, so make sure it’s good!
Step 5: Check-In and Redirect
What you think you want to do today, might not be what you want to do tomorrow. Make sure to check in with yourself every once in a while and if anything you previously thought you wanted no longer makes you happy, you are allowed to redirect your energy towards something else.
Enjoy the “In-Between”
Change is never easy, and it can be a very slow process, but it can also be a fun and liberating experience if you allow it. While we spend a lot of time focusing on the end goals, most of life’s beautiful moments happen during the “in-between” stages, so don’t rush it!