Resolutions for a Happier You in the New Year

With the beginning of the New Year comes the beginning of a happier new you. This year, try making simple resolutions that are easy to follow and not too overwhelming. Instead of vowing to lose 25 pounds by Valentine’s Day, vow to live happier just as you are. The New Year doesn’t mean you have to change your entire life to be happier; it just means you have to change your outlook on life. Being happier means being content and these three resolutions will help.

Goal: Be Happy With Your Appearance

Everyone wants to change something about their appearance and that’s fine. However, stop focusing on what you dislike and start focusing on how to change what makes you unhappy and the aspects of yourself that do make you happy. For example, you may not like your arms so you’ll stop focusing on how gross you perceive them and start focusing on exercising to change them. Additionally, you do love your legs, so you’ll start focusing on those.

Goal: Stop Blaming Yourself

You are not your mother. You can’t help that your parents are this way and your siblings that way. You can’t help that your boss is crazy or that your mother-in-law makes you miserable. You can, however, stop blaming yourself for these things. You didn’t make them this way or that way or even crazy (unless you did…). Stop focusing on blaming yourself for the behavior of others and focus on your own behavior.

Goal: Gain Some Confidence

Change your thoughts. Instead of allowing negative thoughts to enter your mind, focus on happy thoughts. When a negative one happens, replace it with a positive one. For example, when you make a mistake at work and think to yourself that you’re a failure and you’re going to end up fired, replace that thought with this, “Well, I made a mistake but mistakes are learning tools with which I can learn to grow. I won’t make it again, but I am certainly wiser now than I was before.”

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