The first week of 2018 is officially over! So far I can say that 2018 already looks much better than 2017. What a year 2017 was eh? It seemed to be such an extreme year for everyone, either being extremely sucky or extremely awesome. 2017 was a lot of both for me. From losing my job, relationship and home, to gaining freedom, a new love and a new place. That's as much as I want to mention from 2017 since that's all in the past now and I'm super excited for this new year.
I'm not a fan of resolutions since let's be real, none of them ever stuck for me. Plus it's a YEAR LONG! For me to stick to anything for even a week is tough, let alone a year. So instead, I thought of measurable goals that I can work towards for the duration of 2018. That way, I can track my progress rather than choosing some random thing to do or not do like most other resolutions. Feel free to adopt these goals and let's make the best out of 2018! Without further ado, here they are -
GOAL #1: Do More Of What You Love
This might sound pretty obvious but I personally haven't been doing such a good job at this. I realized that in the past few years, I've neglected hobbies and passions that I love - to focus on adulting. Which is not a bad thing, but I believe we've all been given gifts that we should prioritize using. I know I've made the excuse of "not having enough time" but we have to MAKE the time. And that's the goal.
But what if you don't know what that is quite yet? Make it a goal to figure out what it is that you love. Explore new hobbies, learn new skills, find what tickles your fancy and make time for it. Anything that makes time feel like it's going faster is a tall tale sign that you love it. Another issue some people might have with this is, maybe what you love sounds silly. Like shopping for example. I LOVE shopping, so does that mean I should do more of it? Not necessarily. But if you could gain something out of your shopping (other than credit card debt), then maybe. For example, instead of just unconsciously shopping, think of the reason why you love to shop. Is it because you enjoy finding pieces that fit your personal style? Then maybe make personal style your goal. Challenge yourself to create new looks or a capsule collection or something, that way shopping has a purpose.
What I've come to discover is that when you do more of what you love, opportunities present itself that have to do with what you love. The more energy you put into something, you start attracting things related to it. But it has to be a significant amount of energy. For example, one of the things that I love to do is play with make-up. I could spend hours at Sephora and not even realize it. So I made it a goal to practice make-up everyday and create looks with all the products I own to use each one at least once this year! lol. No joke, after just one week of pulling through with this goal, a good friend of mine who works for one of my favorite cosmetics company, called me up and asked if I wanted some of her unused products that she knows she's not going to use. Score! Now I have more products to practice with and I know it's the universe acknowledging the progress of my goal. This is just an example but sometimes the signs are so subtle that you might miss them. If you pay attention though, you too can find these little gifts from the universe.
GOAL #2: Give As Much As You Consume (or more!)
I truly believe that the best joys in life come from giving so I plan on giving more. You might be thinking about physical, tangible things but this can actually be done in many other ways besides that. Let me explain - I've spent a lot of time on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and blogs throughout the years, learning all these tips and tricks without giving back as much as I've gained. For example, I rarely ever comment on videos or posts even though some have really helped me in my own life. I am making it a goal to at the very least, give a thank you to the poster and share it with those that might also find it helpful. Because why not? It literally takes like two seconds and costs you nothing at all but that. It takes time to create these things and I for one have had a hell of a time trying to make content since let me tell you, it is HARD. So I commend those that put themselves out there because it is time spent and as we all know, time is the most precious thing we have. Seeing that people appreciate the time and effort you've put into something hugely encourages me to create, so it's only fair that I show my appreciation for the ones that are already creating. If you're a big social media consumer like me, I encourage you to do the same!
I'm also challenging myself to create as much as I consume. Write as many blogs as I read, make as many videos as I watch or at least spend the same amount of time or more creating as I do browsing. I'm usually a quality over quantity type person but in this particular case, I just want to get into the groove of creating and putting it out there even if it sucks for now. As long as I remember my intentions of why I'm doing this, I have faith that practice will help me improve over time. Plus, you'll get to see me grow in the process and as I've mentioned in another blog, I want to be as transparent as possible.
If you're not on social media as much and consume other things, try to find a way to give back with what you do consume. For example, if you're a foodie and your goal is to find cool new places, share when you do! Write a review or bring some home for family or roomies to try. If you're a shopper or a gamer, consider donating or giving away what you don't use anymore to make room for new things. The things we love are best enjoyed with others, and the more we think about how we can give or share, it can be very rewarding.
GOAL #3: Fifty-one Percent
If you haven't read The Power by Rhonda Byrne then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about but no worries, I will summarize for you. However, I implore you to read it in it's entirety because it is life-changing. At least it has been for me. The idea is to be positive at least 51% of the time. Give love 51% more than anything else. This may sound easy but it can be hard for most. I read the book last year and started the journey to 51% but haven't done anything trackable like I am this year. The first two goals I've made is essentially to help with this last goal because if you actually do them, then you're already doing something positive. Now it's a matter of doing it at least 51% more than you were before.
Also any negative energy you give out, you must dispel it with positivity plus a little more. But in order to do that, you have to be aware of what you're saying, thinking and doing at all times. If you're already aware of all this, then that's awesome, you must have an amazing life! But if you're like me and can't promise that you know everything you say, think or do, then take time to observe and correct where you can.
When I started observing this for myself, I realized that I tend to talk about things I dislike, more than the things I love. I would catch myself unconsciously blurting out negative things by random triggers. For example, if I got stuck in traffic, I would admittedly curse traffic. And I know a lot of people do this, but the way to correct it would be to think deeper. Why are you in traffic? Are you coming home from a job? If so, then acknowledge that and think about how lucky you are to have a job. Are you visiting friends or family? Then think about how lucky you are to have friends and family to visit. Make the traffic worth it. Hate your job or your family? Then think about why there's traffic. Maybe there's an accident. Be grateful that you weren't involved and hope that the affected parties are OK. Redirect your negative thoughts by seeing the positive things in every situation. Life isn't perfect. People aren't perfect. There will inevitably be situations where life and people will piss you off. But there is always a way to stay positive. Simply not engaging in negatively talking or thinking about it and replacing it with doing or thinking about something you love is a start.
But remember, in order for this to really change your life, you have to do more than cancel out the negativity. One way to do this is, for every one negative statement you say, mention two positive things. This may sound crazy and a little uncomfortable at first, but again. What do you have to lose? Try it out for a year and see what it does for you.
I hope you find these goals useful and inspires you the way it has for me. With these goals in place, I'm excited more than ever for the new year and can't wait to see how 2018 plays out. Happy new year everyone!
P.S. In my pursuit of creating more, here is a video I made for YouTube!
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