With the new year just around the corner, what better way is there to celebrate than to start preparing for a new year. Start doing these 6 powerful things for a better you and a better year ahead. Let’s cut off our bad habits and introduce new practices into our lives as we welcome a brighter and better tomorrow.
Here are the 6 things you should start doing for yourself:
1. Start making yourself a priority
You matter. Read that again and let it sink in. Your health and well-being matters. It’s okay to say no to a party you don’t want to attend. It’s okay to turn down plans when you want some alone time to take care of yourself. It’s okay to put yourself first.
We spend so much of our wake time doing things for others that we forget to make ourselves a priority. Our health is our greatest asset. Be it physical, mental, or emotional. Before we forget how important good health is, we should take action now for our own sake and the sake of others and make ourselves a top priority.
2. Start creating your own happiness
Remember this, you are responsible for your happiness just as others are responsible for theirs. You shouldn’t have to make others happy at the expense of your happiness. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great practice to help others. But we shouldn’t have to sacrifice our well-being to lift others.
Instead of draining our energy to help someone, we should encourage others to create their happiness by being a radiating example of what self-made happiness looks like. When people notice the way you glow with joy, they will start to wonder how you’re doing it. By then, you can share with them your secret tip on how they can create their happiness.
Feel free to check out the Happiness Checklist for ideas.
3. Start working towards your dreams
Dreams, in other words, are just goals with good planning and some well-kept deadlines. They’re not as far-fetched as one may think they are. Put your imagination and creativity to work and light up the hidden passion inside of you. Don’t wait for someone else’s approval to chase after your dreams.
Write it down, stick it up, and remind yourself in the mirror every morning. What is your dream? When will you achieve it? How will you achieve it? Keep repeating it to yourself until that becomes the first thought in the morning and the last thought before bed.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to achieve any goal.
4. Start forgiving yourself and others
To forgive yourself means more than just moving on and leaving the past behind. It is facing and accepting what has already happened while extending compassion to yourself, especially during times of failure or suffering.
If you find it hard to be kind to yourself or forgive yourself, try to imagine what you would do for your close friend if they were in the same situation. You would show them how much you care about them and all the support you want to offer. Try giving the same amount of care and support you would give others to yourself.
Here are some steps to self-forgiveness and self-compassion exercises.
5. Start cutting off negative people
Whether it’s the ex from your longest yet unhealthy relationship or some “friends” who keep letting you down, it’s time to start cutting them off. Stop giving yourself any more excuses. Just because they’ve been in your life for a longer time than most others, it doesn’t mean you can’t leave them behind.
Remember, this is your life. You make the decisions. Don’t let those negative people take over your life and all the happiness you deserve.
An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship.
Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.
— Goi Nasu
6. Start believing what you do matters
There are times when we forget the purpose of what we do, the “why we even started”. We might lose track of what we’re chasing after because our actions seem so repetitive or meaningless. Maybe we were hoping someone would notice our hard work and appreciate us but that doesn’t always happen in reality. That’s why it’s important for us to believe in ourselves, that our voice and actions matter.
Let's take this blog as an example.
When I come across interesting ideas to write about, I just keep writing. But when those ideas run thin or when I’m too tired to open up my notepad, I start to wonder whether people even read my blog. That’s when I remind myself of why I started this blog.
I wanted to encourage people to improve their lives and help them with all the knowledge I’ve gathered during my journey. I believe that, as long as I keep putting in enough effort, it will eventually reach the people who needed to read it and help them change their lives.
To Sum Up
Stop waiting and start doing these 6 powerful practices for yourself. By next year, you would be much happier and healthier than you would’ve imagined simply by putting these 6 things into action. Don’t forget to share it with your close ones so they can be happier and healthier together.
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