Despite 2020’s Challenges, It’s Still Possible to Better Yourself
Roughly 80% of people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions. Why is that? People want to better themselves, sure, but it’s not always that easy.
You don’t have to put all your energy into completing one goal for your New Year’s resolutions each year. Doing that puts way too much pressure on yourself and can lead to overthinking, stress, and all kinds of additional problems.
Instead of working toward a New Year’s resolution, change your way of thinking to work toward a new and improved you — every single day. Not just from January 1 to January 15 or 16…
It starts with your mindset — so as long as you’re thinking about bettering yourself each and every day, you’ll be able to accomplish great things! Here are some small goals to focus on this year and beyond to better yourself:
Start exercising daily
This is typically the most common New Year’s resolution and also one of the most difficult. So many people get a gym membership every year, go a few times early on, and then never again. That feels horrible. There is an easy way around this, however. Instead of getting to the gym right away, start out small right from the comfort of your own home.
Adults who do more than seven hours of physical activity a week have a longer life expectancy. Simply do a few pushups and situps each day. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to actually see results and feel a difference. Then, you’ll be ready to head to the gym and really start getting after it!
Write out your daily thoughts
Writing out your thoughts is actually very therapeutic and can help you stay better organized and get into a much more positive mindset. You can call it a journal if you want, but if that makes you feel a little weird, you can just type things out in a Word document or jot a few things down in a notebook. Call it your “Thought Notebook” if you want to.
Even if you’re just rambling in your notebook, it’s a great way to relieve some stress and eventually get your thoughts a little more organized. Also, a study showed that expressive writing — like journaling — for only 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five times over the course of four months was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver functionality!
Stop with those unhealthy habits
You don’t need a date on your calendar to quit smoking. You don’t need to mark when you plan on eating healthier. All you need is right now.
Life is very stressful, sure. So it’s easy to fall back into bad habits like smoking, drinking, video games, overeating, etc. But if you’re serious about improving your life and making some major changes, quitting these bad habits is the perfect way to start.
You’ll probably feel very irritable at first, especially with some of the more intense and longer-lasting habits, but you’ll get through it. And once you do, you will feel more alive, full of energy, and happier than ever before! So it’s well worth it — start today!
Start taking better care of your vehicle
About $60 billion worth of vehicle maintenance goes unperformed every year. It can be easy to neglect your car’s maintenance needs — especially when cost is involved. But if you do for too long, you’re going to end up spending much more than it would’ve cost if you took care of it early on.
It’s not too difficult at all, even if you don’t know anything about car repair. Simply make sure you’re getting your oil changed after 4,000 miles, make sure you’re putting air in your tires every once in a while, and make sure you’re paying attention to the look and feel of your vehicle at all times.
Becoming the best version of you is never easy and it’s never going to happen overnight. As long as you have a good attitude and keep at it, you’re going to thrive. Just remember: one day at a time!
