The year is nearly over—again. If you’re like most of America, then you know that working 8 hours a day all year can make time fly by. Yup, from 8:00AM to 5:00PM every single day of the week for your entire life you are sitting at a desk, behind a computer screen just waiting for the life to pass you by. What fun is that? Sounds like it’s time to set some new goals for yourself.
Although time moves at the same pace every day, it does not mean that a person’s body or state-of-mind will move at the same pace. In fact, many people life the lot of their lives unhappy with their situations and set unrealistic goals for themselves to try and cure their unhappiness. Unfortunately, when we set goals for ourselves that are unobtainable, we set ourselves up for failure. Keep that in mind as you begin planning for next year.
As the year comes to a close, many people will take some time to reflect on their progress and the goals they set out for themselves that may or may not have been accomplished. This is also the time to set new goals and to think of new ways to succeed. While you are racking your brain on what kind of New Year’s resolution you want to declare to your friends, here are some tips on what many people seem to overlook during their extraordinary New-Year’s-resolution declarations.
Set Achievable Goals
Many times, people tend to set unrealistic goals for themselves, or maybe they make outlandish declarations to impress their friends or coworkers. A lot of those drastic changes, self-improvement goals, and immeasurable financial targets may have an adverse effect on your body, as these goals often cause stress in people. So keep it simple! If your goal is to move out of a certain city, be realistic with the location and don’t be afraid to compromise. If your goal is to lose weight or start a new diet, take into consideration the amount of exercise you did last year and use that as starting point.
Anything above what you did last year should be considered an improvement. Some people employ a fitness trainer and fall off after a few weeks or months, so it’s important not to overdo yourself. Starting slow is not a bad thing. Take your time and do what feels good. With exercise, remember that you have all year, and this is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. The same goes for financial goals. A person can earn more money in a day than they can lose weight in a month, so having a good financial adviser or mentor available can help increase your credit score and financial portfolio.
Take Some Sincere Time Off
Everybody has to work in one form or another, but not everybody can enjoy themselves during their time off. Many people take a vacation to relax from work only to think about work the whole time they are on vacation.
If there is one goal that you should make for the new year, it should be to stay in the moment and enjoy your leisure time. Recharging the batteries of life on a relaxing vacation can increase work productivity by allowing the brain to release the pressure caused by stress that had built up while at work. In 2017, do yourself a favor and take some sincere time off! Don’t’ think. Don’t stress. Just relax. Sit in the sun, next to a pool, on a beach, in the mountains, or in your favorite park, but whatever you do, make sure to enjoy yourself.
Enjoy Your Life
Regardless of what you do for a living or whether you enjoy it or not, you should always find some time to enjoy the little things in life. Simply put, stop wasting your time doing things that don’t make you happy. If you hate your job or are unsatisfied with the pay, set aside just one hour a day to dedicate that time to finding a new job. If you are unhappy with your current living situation, dedicate a few hours a day at looking for new places. If you are unhappy with always being alone, maybe it’s time to join a dating network or attend functions designed for single people. Life is too short to be unhappy on a daily basis. These are all simple tasks that only take a small amount of effort.
In 2008, a movie titled Yes Man, starring Jim Carry, was released just before the year ended. The storyline is about a guy who is always cautious about interactions with people and always has an excuse as a substitute for people who ask him to go someplace or do something. He attends a seminar and is instructed to say “Yes” to everything asked of him. Without spoiling the movie, his life changes from boring to eventful, from normal to extraordinary. The moral here is not to restrict yourself out of fear or disinterest, but you should live outside of the box, outside of the office, outside of your comfort zone in order to find something that makes you happy.
In this new year, plan to live the life you’ve always dreamed of, and if that cannot happen this year, then get the ball rolling so that every year from now, you will get a little closer to your goal.
In the end, all we have is one life, so make the most of it. Please have a safe and joyous New Year celebration and please remember to be responsible during the festivities.
Happy New Year!!