5 New Year's Resolutions You Should Definitely Keep This Year

I don't usually make many (if any) New Year's resolutions. 

I think I've come to realize that in many ways, they are a waste of time. Historically, I haven't fully followed through--usually I get halfway and then got distracted. Why make a resolution if I'm not going to keep it? I also have come to the conclusion that I often make resolutions throughout the rest of the year. Whenever there's something I feel the need to work on, I do it then and there instead of waiting for the new year.

But I do recognize the value in setting aside specific time to make changes in your life and change the things about yourself that you don't like. And if the turn into a new year is what gives you the motivation to finally get it done, then that's great! Even if you aren't making any official New Year's resolutions, here are five things we could all do a little more in our lives.

Laugh more. It's scientifically proven to improve your life and make you live longer. They even say that faking your laughter eventually leads to real laughter. If you don't think you have a reason to laugh, force yourself to laugh at lame jokes or dumb cartoons, and you just might find yourself feeling happier and laughing for real.

Help others. It just takes so little effort, and it leaves you feeling better about yourself and the world and life. Of course there will be times when helping someone isn't within your financial or physical or emotional grasp. But often it is, and we should jump on those chances. Helping someone carry their groceries, make someone a casserole, assist in setting up for an event... the possibilities are endless.

Learn something new. This one is so EASY you might have already done it. Here's the secret: learning something new doesn't have to be a huge undertaking or a big consumer of your time! It can literally be ANYTHING. It can be as simple as looking up facts about your favorite historical vacation site or learning how your french press actually works. You might learn something about a coworker or friend that you never knew before. If you're feeling ambitious, you could learn a new skill at work or figure out a new hobby. Learning enriches your life, and it makes you feel good about yourself!

Make something. Again, so easy you probably have already accomplished it. But there's a huge sense of satisfaction in making something for yourself. Making yourself dinner once in a while instead of always going out to eat totally counts! If you're up for it, dive into the DIY world and pick a project that you can use in your house. There are endless ideas out there, and chances are good that if you can imagine it, someone has already tried it and written a tutorial for it. If not, experiment for yourself and then write your own!

Invest. Especially in things that make you happy. Take the time to truly invest in the things that are worth it. Spend a few extra moments with the kids in your life or work a little harder to complete your projects. Don't forget about the little things. Don't let your life pass by without putting in the time and reaping the benefits. Invest.


My one, actual resolution this year is to blog more. So hopefully we will all enjoy the fruits of my labor. :)

Thanksgiving

It's that time of year where suddenly people are expressing their gratitude all over Facebook ("One thing I'm thankful for every day until Thanksgiving!!") and various social media outlets. Don't get me wrong, I'm not strictly opposed to the idea. I think it's great when people are verbal about the things that they're thankful for, especially when we so often forget to tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us. But I have to admit, at times it gets a bit generic and boring and insincere when I scroll through my newsfeed and see that every person that day happens to be SO thankful for their amazing friendfamilymembersignificantother who is just so wonderful and means so much to them and they just couldn't live without them, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I think it made me realize that I don't want it to be that way. I want my friends and loved ones to know ANY time of the year how much I appreciate having them in my life. I don't want them to go one day without knowing that I care about them all SO MUCH and that I wouldn't want to do life without them. I want my family to know every time we see each other that I love them and cherish them, and that I always will.

So I'm starting a Thanksgiving resolution. This year, I will make sure my friends and family know how much I love them, and how blessed I am to know them. I will continue to do so throughout the year. I will not wait for Thanksgiving time to make sure they know that I'm brimming with gratitude. I will make this a part of my regular, day-to-day life! Every day will Thanksgiving... a day to give thanks.

And also, in the next few weeks I'll probably post a list of all the things I'm thankful for aside from my family and friends (things like my bunny slippers and dark chocolate). Because I just like lists.