2018’s been a mixed bag of feelings, mostly bored. Hope it gets better this year.

It’s been so long since the last update and it feels like ages already. I’ll try to publish more often this year.

2019 is here, and with the holiday season upon us many people are indulging in retrospection and reevaluating some of their life choices. Now’s the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts.

Of all the good things happened in 2018, the most notable change is opting out of Facebook and Whatsapp(except for a few important messages). I was totally an addict of social media and had to force myself to get rid of it, but I’m super glad that I did.

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Time to Change!

What follows is a list of things I’m looking forward to put into implementation for a better lifestyle. I’d be glad if some of your goals match with mine and this article helps you as an advice.

1. Stop procrastinating. This is the biggest barrier of most of our lives. We love to relax and doze off all day than do something fun and interesting. Once you get used to postponing things it’s difficult to snap out of the habit, so we’ll need to put a lot of work into this. Here’s a pro tip to help you with this addiction.
2. Get in shape. Losing weight is a definitive requirement for me. Staying fit is something more than half the population of world wishes to achieve but most of us do nothing but wish for it. And those who do, focus only on exercising more and don’t adopt a good diet, without which the workouts are a waste of time. Start eating healthier and natural food and eat less food overall. Switching to a healthier diet can be a little bit tricky when you’re surrounded by cheap junk food. However, with a good amount of determination one can achieve this easily. Learn to control emotional eating, be aware of reasons for diets to fail and make use of these tricks.
3. Meet new people. When we get stuck in a rut like me, we end up staying home most of the time, missing out on a lot of opportunities for networking and having fun. Meeting new people can be beneficial to both your mental health and career, so don’t be afraid to get out there and make new friends. Overcome your shyness.
4. Become more active. Some people don’t really have a big weight problem, and they even get some exercise a few times a week, but they just sit around the most of the time at home and at work, which can have a negative effect on their posture and health. In that case, all you need is to find ways of moving around more throughout the day instead of staying hunched over the computer. It’s even more fun if you share your activity with friends and family.
5. Earn more money: Even millionaires are always looking for ways to earn more money, and we common folk can definitely use an additional source of income to make life a bit more comfortable. Fortunately there are plenty of options available, like having side jobs, working as a freelancer or using the internet to your advantage. Even if you’re a busy individual with a day job, you can at least look into investing your income somewhere instead of blowing it all out on lifestyle choices. Most importantly, never think of settling down to all the cozy comforts of your first job, even more so when you’re still in your early twenties.
6. Reduce stress. It is said that stress is one of the biggest killers out there. It can have a very destructive effect on your relationships as well as your health. It may be an unavoidable side effect of our hectic modern lifestyles, but it can be effectively managed with the help of useful, unconventional and easy to practice tricks for stress management.
7. Stop being an owl. With big TV’s, computers, smartphones, tablets and all sorts of gadgets with glowing lights and beeping alerts, it can be hard to get enough sleep at night. You should be gunning for at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
8. Read more. Ever since I got a Kindle, it has always been my companion in leisure. Books are an excellent way to gain knowledge or at the very least help in keeping your mind focused on things. It’s not very difficult to chew through at least 15 books a year. If a busy individual like me was able to score 8 in 2018, I’m sure most of you can do a lot more than that.
9. Become tidier. A lot of us are lazy sloths who can’t really organize things and a chaotic home with a cluttered desk will kill your productivity and sometimes even your mood.
10. Spend more time with the people that matter: There is just too little time in this life for us to waste it on insincere, duplicitous and toxic people. We should focus on the people who we care about deeply and who care about us, as this is the best way to stay happy.
11. Start drinking in moderation or quit drinking altogether: While it is completely safe and healthy to drink one or two servings of an alcoholic beverage of your choice per day, not a lot of people can say that they can follow this rule effectively. Getting your drinking under control has plenty of benefits, but it can be a difficult process.
12. Get out of debt: You can’t really move forward in life if you are weighed down by debt. The road to financial freedom is a rocky one, but it is definitely manageable with a bit of planning and self-restraint.
13. Volunteer and give more to charity: To devote your time and energy to helping those in need is a noble gesture and a reward in itself, but it is also an opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills and boost your resume.
14. Start being more responsible: A big part of growing up into a mature adult is the ability to think before making a decision. It is important to take responsibility for ones actions and avoid blaming everything on someone else, just as it is important to protect your family and provide for them.
15. Spend less time on social media: Some people might not spend hours in front of the TV, or playing video games, but social media has become a serious addiction among a wide range of demographics. It’s fine to stay in touch with friends and family, but if you consistently spend more than an hour every day on social media, it’s time to make a change.
16. Face your fears and insecurities: You will find this particular point masked beneath other New Year’s resolutions, but fear and insecurity are often the cause of several problems that we want to address. You need to think of it as surviving and controlling your fear rather than overcoming it, and it will enable you to shed off a lot of the insecurities that you have.