As it nears the end of the year we might find that we are feeling more reflective of our habits than usual. Whether we are asking ourselves what we are proud of or what we need to focus more energy on in the future, December is the perfect time to practice a little self-awareness.
A new year is a chance to start afresh. It’s an opportunity to welcome challenging goals, positive habits and unique experiences. But to really give 2018 the best chance at having a great start, it’s a good idea to acknowledge some things that might be better left in 2017. It’s time to let them go and focus on the year ahead.
Here are 5 habits to leave behind in 2017:
1. Dwelling on the past
Moving forward is pretty tricky when we are stuck in the past. To achieve New Year’s resolution’s we have to focus on what’s ahead and let go of the stuff that has already happened. To truly make 2018 a fresh start, you’re going to have to leave 2017 behind. It’s time to stop spending time thinking about what we cannot change and put our energy into the stuff that we can.
2. Comparing yourself to others
Resolutions are all about you. What you want to achieve, how you want to improve and the ways you want to challenge yourself. Notice how that doesn’t involve other people? That’s because too much involvement in others means less importance is placed on you. To get the best for this year, you have to make yourself the focus. Whether it’s trying not to compare to people on social media, your friends, grades or plans you will be more likely to reach your goals if you do more just for you.
3. Saying yes to everything
With New Year comes a lot of pressure to push yourself. Messages telling you to create a ‘new you’, one that is supposed to be kinder, braver and stronger, are everywhere. There’s a lot of encouragement for you to say yes to everything and try each new opportunity that comes your way. It’s definitely a good idea to push yourself, but it’s also okay to say no too. If you know you won’t like something then don’t do it, if you feel overwhelmed you can say no and if you’re following the crowd to fit in then try being honest. You know what’s best for yourself and you should absolutely follow that, even if it means saying no more.
4. Being constantly connected
So, 2017 showed us that we are completely addicted to social media. There’s no denying that a lot of our time has been spent scrolling through our newsfeeds. And as much as we think we can’t help our scrolling habits, we could definitely benefit from spending less time connected. Not only will less social media activity give you more time to spend on your resolutions, but some of those inevitable online worries will lessen too.
5. Self-negativity
To treat 2018 as a new beginning the best thing we can do is try to be kind to ourselves. Often what’s holding us back from new achievements is our own minds. Attempting to quieten the voices in your head that tell you “you can’t do this”, “you’re not good enough” or “you don’t deserve it” will create more space for more positive thoughts. So, this year try and be kinder to what you tell yourself. Good things are more likely to arrive in 2018 if you’re allowing yourself to be open to them.
What are you leaving behind in 2017?
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