Contrary to all of the doom and gloom you see over the media, the world is steadily improving. Poverty rates have declined by double digits over the past two decades, people are living longer, information is nearly ubiquitous, and 8 out of 10 people in the world can read. Sure, the world could be better, but don’t let that CNN binge watching or global conspiracy paranoia stress you out.
With the new year comes a time of reflection where we look inward for ways to improve our lives and thus the lives of others. For many, the new year provides an opportunity for a fresh start to tackle the passions and ideas we put off the previous year. Instead of creating unrealistic expectations for us to fail, I like to create general goals to follow throughout the year to improve my life.
I think of new year’s resolutions as a reminder to break bad habits and promote healthy ones that compound throughout the years and can be expounded upon the next year. Let’s explore five easy goals to set for yourself this year that you won’t abandon during the first week of January and may actually improve your life.
1. Improve your Health
The achilles heal of young people seems to be their apathy to their own health. As someone who forwent exercise and good dieting throughout my early twenties, I can say that it catches up to you fast. Beyond the six-packs and endless treys of pizza, I often ignored many other concerns to my health, which only worsened as I got older.
Many people chalk up physical pain to aging, which is actually a fallacy. Just because we get older does not mean our health needs to decline; it’s poor health and dieting that actually make aging feel worse. For example, while many seniors will end up with worse eyesight than their youth because of macular degeneration, this does not mean it couldn’t have been prevented by consuming antioxidants. In fact supplements, such as saffron 2020, can actually reverse the some of the effects of age-related macular degeneration, despite the damage that has been during the aging process.
Focus on better dieting and exercise to improve your health and reduce stress. As a cheat, consider other ways to improve your health, such as visiting your chiropractor or an acupuncturist. The wonders that a massage or physical therapist can provide for your health are innumerable. Don’t ignore any symptoms of pain and be sure to check in with your doctor this year to see how you can improve your health.
2. Get Better Sleep
One of the best ways to improve our physical and mental health remains a good night’s sleep. One poll found that 40% of Americans don’t even get the recommended amount of sleep per night.
Promoting healthy sleep begins with adjusting your circadian rhythm to go to bed early. Next, you must be also achieve reach a deep, restful sleep to enjoy any of the benefits. Some ways to accomplish this include, melatonin supplements, avoiding heavy meals before bed, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine consumption before bed. Some people even like listening to music to help them sleep and there are sleepphones available to listen to soothing music or delta wave therapy while you sleep. Keep practicing this habit daily and you’ll be thankful every morning that you wake up rested and ready to tackle the day. Someday soon, you won’t even require coffee to make it through your morning. Some day, just not today.
3. Get a Hobby
A new hobby can provide you with an opportunity to explore an unfounded skill within yourself or nurture a passion you’ve been wanting to explore. Whether it’s picking up the guitar or exploring your writing skills, hobbies can be more enriching than your day job. Some hobbies can even open up the door toward money and fame. My number one tip for people learning something new, don’t give up!
A new hobby could also be more mundane, such as reading more or researching a subject you’ve always been interested in. With all of the rage into cryptocurrency, it actually pays to get involved in this hobby. Who knows, maybe your research into biology or chemistry will actually lead you to pursue it as an education and a career someday.
4. Find Ways to Save and Make Money
How about this for a new year’s resolution? Find ways to save and make more money! This new year’s resolution will certainly provide you with most tangible benefits and is a skill you’ll be be thankful for in the future.
Now, this doesn’t mean opening up a business, refinancing your mortgage with a low-interest loan, or donating plasma on the weekend (all sound tips for making money). This could simply be practicing better budgeting and cutting down on excessive or unnecessary spending. No more getting drunk and shopping on Amazon!
This tip could be applied to more practical things as well, such as saving money on energy by tracking your energy usage or researching coupons or sites to save money on your grocery bill. You don’t need to be more frugal, butt practice financial responsibility. The key to getting rich is saving money and someday buying property and assets that will pay for themselves.
5. Meet New People
Perhaps my favorite new year’s resolution remains meeting new people. This could be applied to dating, getting to know your coworkers better, or even traveling to new places across the world. Consider taking a vacation to another country or a cross-country RV trip to meet new people and gather new perspectives on your own life. Use this year to develop your social skills and network.
Use this year to also grow your relationships with the people most important to you. Looking to make friends with your coworkers? Throw a party with live entertainment. Looking to reconnect with an old friend or a distant relative? Consider doing something nice for them, like giving them a gift or taking them to dinner.
Conclusion
Some people set up unrealistic goals for themselves, which can lead to stress and a sense of failure when they’re not met. Create new year’s resolutions aimed at improving yourself as a person through realistic goals. Instead of losing forty pounds, work on improving your diet and fitness that will eventually lead to weight loss. Best of all, meeting a new year’s resolution like these actually encourages you to meet other goals throughout your life.