TMA

Oh boy… here it comes. It’s time to make resolutions that we’ll give up on by the third week of January! Ok, I kid (sort of…), but today I wanted to share some ideas for resolutions you can make and actually keep. Not to mention none of them have anything to do with working out or losing weight. So give them a read and pick one! I know I’ll be trying quite a few myself!

1. Forgive someone

I love this idea. And I think it’s an important one. No matter how much we try not to, everyone holds grudges. And all those grudges do is bring yourself down. So whether it be reaching out to someone you used to be friends with, or just making amends with them in your own head, forgive someone. Forgive as many people as you can. I bet you’ll feel that much lighter after you do.

2. Say no more often

This is a huge one for me and something I’m always trying to work on. Saying no, especially as women, can be a daunting task. However, it’s an important word to learn and use often. There is no shame or embarrassment in just saying no to someone. In fact, there’s empowerment to it. So lets all practice saying no this year.

3. Wake up earlier

Oofff… one of the harder ones on my list in my opinion. I absolutely love to sleep. And I’m a total night owl. If I let myself, I could stay up until 3am every day and not wake up until noon. So try to get into the habit of waking up early and getting your day started. I know I’ll be trying this one this year.

4. Pay attention to the news more

I’m a big proponent of this one. There are few things more powerful than the power of being informed. Knowing what happening in your local community, your country, and in the world is incredibly important. It helps make you a more well rounded person and a more interesting person. You’re able to form your own opinions about things happening around you and learn how you can help to make change.

5. Bring your lunch to work everyday

Raise your hand if you spend way too much money on food. I know my hand is up high. It’s so easy to just say you’ll grab something quick and even when you pick up a fairly inexpensive lunch like chipotle, it can really add up. A tip for getting better is setting a monthly “eating out” budget for yourself and try sticking to it. I bet if you actually keep track of how much you’re spending on eating out you’ll start spending less.

6. Stop being late

If anyone knows me, they know I am always on time. I’m obsessive about it. I’ve even been known to say that 15 minutes early is actually on time. I’m lucky that this comes easily and without effort to me. However, I know for a lot of people being on time doesn’t come easily. I do think it’s an important skill though. It shows respect for your time as well as for the time of the person you’re meeting.

7. Read before bed instead of using your phone

I’m beyond guilty of this. I’m on my phone right before I go to bed and first thing when I wake up in the morning. However, it’s actually pretty bad for your eyes and makes it harder to fall asleep. So this year I want to make an effort towards reading before bed rather than being on my phone. If you’re not into reading you could try journaling or drawing… just something to slow your brain down and get your body ready for bed.

8. Be kinder to yourself

This is such a challenging one. We are always our worst critic and it’s hard, sometimes seemingly impossible, to get out of your own way. I think this is an awesome resolution. Start small… put post it notes with kind messages on your mirror to remind yourself of how awesome you are. Tell yourself every morning that you are made perfectly the way you were meant to be and MEAN IT. Lets let ourselves off the hook a bit this year.

9. Accept where you are in life

Everyone has goals for where they’re trying to get. And it can be hard when it seems like people around you are succeeding when you aren’t. But remember, life has you exactly where you are meant to be in this moment. And whats meant to be will be. So relax and enjoy the process!

10. Stop buying coffee

dun… Dun… DUUUNNNNN!!! This one sounds horrible. And is probably pretty tough to stop doing all together, but try setting a limit for how much coffee you can buy every month. It’s so easy (and inexpensive) to brew your own at home that there’s really no excuse for buying a cup every morning. Try once a week for a start and see what happens. You may even find you need coffee less and less!