One of my biggest struggles around this time of year, is with New Year’s Resolutions. Though they are a part of a tradition cultures have held for thousands of years, it is easy to feel skeptical about them. After all, according to this article, eighty percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail by February. Making at least half of us wonder, “What is the point?”

Now, that is not to say I don’t believe in making changes around the time of the New Year—I just believe that making resolutions don’t help our success rate. Change, I believe in. A resolution to change without a game plan however, not so much. 

This month on the blog, I will be sharing things I have learned about making change around the New Year—without making a resolution. I will share when things haven’t worked and when they have, what I’ve done. But in the meantime, as we enter into the New Year, I want to leave you with three easy things you can do to automatically make 2019 better. 

Check them out, and feel free to add your own easy changes in the comments:

Unsubscribe

Have you ever noticed, when you check your phone, how much junk you have to scroll through to get to what you really want to see? All of the stores where we bought gifts online last month, have made us a part of their email list. The place we bought concert tickets last year, now sends us email ads daily or weekly. And don’t even get me started on the people we end up following on Instagram that have way too much to say.

That is why, I’ve started giving myself permission to unsubscribe, and I want to give you that permission too. Stop being inundated with things that are taking up your precious time and brain space. If something doesn’t help or uplift you, unsubscribe. Just do it.

Try Something New

Often when we start the New Year, we stop eating the unhealthy foods we love and start working out—both good things but not easy to do. So, why don’t we also add something new and fun to our lives as well? Perhaps start a new hobby like skiing, knitting, or painting. Maybe take a fun dance class with a friend. Join an indoor sports league. Not everything in our life has to serve a greater purpose. But at the same time, often new adventures help us think new and creative thoughts about our lives. 

Say Hi to a Stranger

For some of us, even just reading those words make us cringe. The simple act of acknowledging strangers in our world, has become scary. But it’s not scary because every person you meet on the street is a serial killer. It’s because we are out of practice when it comes to talking to people we don’t know. We were told as kids to avoid strangers for our safety, but now we’re grown ups in a world where we don’t trust anyone. No wonder our country feels so divided. 

There is something about looking into the face of another person, even just to say hello, that reminds us that there is good in all of us. So, rather than go through self check out at the grocery store, go through a regular line and say hi to the cashier. When you pass someone on the street smile, and maybe even say hello. Let’s begin to brave the awkward and overcome our differences with the simple kindness of greeting each other. 

What easy things have you done to make your year better?

Which of these things I’ve shared, are you game to try?

Are you in the midst of making a hard decision? Contemplating a big life change? If so, you may be interested in my FREE Making Changes Checklist that I give to all my email friends. Want your free copy?  subscribe here.

 

Photo by Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash