Repost Bloglovin
At the end of each year, I like to take some extra time to reflect – I feel like it really helps me with resetting my goals, and it gets me refocused and ready to tackle the new year. In what feels like such a dark, scary world lately, I think we can all benefit from focusing on ways to be better people and making our globe a more positive place. At the least, I’m going to try with these ideas.
1)Be kind. Go above and beyond to be kinder than necessary. Offer to let a stranger cut you in line at the grocery store if they only have one thing, or simply ask a neighbor how their day is going when you see them outside.
2)Follow your intuition. We all need to do a better job of trusting our intuition – our hearts usually don’t lead us wrong. Imagine how much softer this world could be if people stopped making decisions based on money and power and started listening to their hearts instead!
3)Call your parents more. If you’re lucky enough to still have one (or both) or your parents around, try being a better daughter or son to them by calling them and visiting them more often. Or the people who raised you or have had an impact on your life.
4)Be more flexible. Instead of getting upset when plans change last minute, remind yourself to go with the flow. It’s okay if things don’t always pan out how you planned or envisioned them.
Be more adventurous. I so need this! Don’t be scared to pack up for a last-minute trip, whether it’s a short weekend getaway or a longer trip abroad. Adventuring makes us better people by teaching us to appreciate experiences more than material goods.
5)Be honest. Honesty is one of the most admired traits a person can have – it’s how you build integrity. Even when we tell white lies that we don’t think matter, we’re still hurting our own character. Honesty is always the best policy.
6)Listen more. Listening takes more practice than you might think! Practice active listening so that you can better understand the people around you. Building up your listening skills will help reduce misunderstandings and make your interactions more meaningful.
7)Practice mindfulness. When we’re more mindful, we can actually appreciate the present moment for everything it is. It’s hard to do that when we’re constantly thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
8)Be grateful. Instead of harping on what you don’t have, be grateful for what you do. It can be as simple as having a roof over your head (which is a huge blessing!). Once you start being more grateful for the little things, you’ll naturally exude more positivity to those around you.
9)Find a mentor. Whether it’s a friend, a colleague, or a family member, find someone you look up to in some way – this person should be someone you can grow and learn from.
10)Compliment others daily. Have you ever received a compliment that made your day? Be that person to someone else! Believe it or not, it feels just as good to give a compliment as it does to receive one!
11)Pay it forward. But for real this time! Make a conscious effort to pay it forward and do something nice for somebody else as often as you can (I’m aiming for once a day at least). I think of these as more of a physical act – so yes, that means you totally should buy a coffee for that person in line behind you next time!
12)Ask for feedback. In order to grow and push ourselves, we should always be asking for feedback. If you don’t proactively ask for feedback, you may never know what you could be working on to make yourself a better person.
13)Be empathetic. Always try to put yourself in other peoples’ shoes. So when someone cuts you off on the freeway, instead of getting angry, just think – maybe they’ve had a bad day or are super stressed out about something. Hey, we’ve all been there!
14)Put down your phone. I feel like we’re missing out on some pretty important human interaction since we always have our heads down staring at our phone screens. My goal is to not allow myself to be on my phone when I’m spending quality time with my loved ones – or anyone for that matter.
15)Challenge yourself. We’re all super busy with work and just life in general, I get it, but don’t be afraid to take on more and challenge yourself with a new side gig o a new role that includes more responsibilities. After all, that’s the only way you will grow – by pushing yourself and seeing what you can (or can’t) handle!
16)Have faith. Sometimes we just have to let go and trust that the universe will have our back. Instead of over-worrying about things, try trusting that everything will work out for the best, because most likely, it will!
17)Smile more. Cheesy but important! The world could use more smiles, and you never know whose day you’ll be brightening with yours!
18)Have you been reflecting on this past year recently? What are some things you’re hoping to focus on in 2018?
