As we bid goodbye to 2017, let’s have a renewed determination to make 2018 our better year.
You read it right. A better year instead of the best year. Why? Because a better year means aiming for improvement in every aspect of our lives and having that goal will make a big difference in us. Also, it means aiming for a better year after this year and so on. Aiming to make 2018 our best year can be stressful, emotionally and physically. So let’s take it slow. The goal of having a better year is more possible too.
Don’t fear negative predictions and horoscopes. Though we respect the people who make predictions, we shouldn’t rely much on those. It’s best to believe in ourselves that we can make positive things and successful endeavors happen this 2018. Not by sheer luck or some lucky charms but by our skills, talents, abilities, determination and hard work.
So how can we make 2018 a better year for us? Here’s how we can do it:
Upgrade ourselves.
Let’s enjoy being our real selves. Explore and use our talents and skills. Then don’t stop there! Upgrade ourselves. Take online courses, join clubs or organizations of our interest, travel near or far and learn from the experiences we will obtain. By upgrading ourselves, we will also feel more confident and happier which will give us peace and contentment in our lives.
Save and invest for the future.
Our hard-earned money is better placed in banks and investments. So let’s not spend all our money on expensive gadgets and other material things which will eventually become outdated. We must learn how to save if we want this to be an improvement of our lives last year. We don’t even have to wait for our savings to grow bigger before investing. With a very affordable amount of money, we can now invest in stocks, mutual funds, and insurances.
In case some of us are already investing, let’s change how we invest this 2018. If in 2017 we are investing every end of the year, this 2018 we can try adding money quarterly. Also, if we are investing through one scheme only, we can try putting our funds in different types of investment. And while we’re doing this, we should be glad we’re not just helping ourselves but our country as well! We can also help the government by investing in its retail treasury bonds.
Be kind to others and to ourselves too.
We should forgive ourselves when we make mistakes. Needless to say, forgive others also. No one is perfect, so let’s strive to obtain more understanding hearts. Provide time for improvement because all of us are works in progress.
Reach out to the needy, be they persons or animals.
We’ll find the real meaning of happiness, and life itself, when we help the destitute and the less fortunate. There is something so wonderful about giving back that will give us more satisfaction with ourselves. We will experience that amazing feeling, only when we give back.
Love our own selves.
Each of us is unique and no one is exactly quite like us. So let’s enjoy being just the way we are. We’ll have a better year when we love and trust ourselves. That’s one way to find happiness and contentment in life.
When we love ourselves more, we’ll love others better too. We are more confident with our very own selves and we have more time to enjoy and find the goodness in others as well. It’s high time we appreciate being the way we are and stop comparing ourselves with others.
Also, let’s take good care of ourselves by staying healthy. Eat the right foods, exercise, and think positive even if there are many problems, stressful people and situations, and trials we encounter.
Avoid toxic people if we really want to make 2018 our better year.
Life can be full of challenges, as well as dark and painful journeys. We are already pushed to our limits when we try our best to overcome our trials and problems. It’s better that we lessen our burden as we take those journeys by avoiding or removing toxic people in our lives.
Those people will harm us if we allow them to do so. And it’s actually not that easy getting rid of them. Yet we should try to do it if we want to have more peaceful lives.
And how do we recognize those people?
They can be very sweet and convincing, yet they’ll stab us on our backs with lies and rumors. Or they can be those people who speak harshly and will try to wound us with their very sharp and painful words. They will belittle us every day if they can do so in their effort to make us lose our trust and love for ourselves.
So how do we get rid of them?
First of all, ignore them. Don’t take to heart all their harmful words. This is also why we should really love ourselves. Because if we do, we will never listen to these people. We will just shrug it off and continue to believe in ourselves.
Appreciate more and criticize less.
When we criticize often, we actually show people how insecure we really are. Either we come to terms with those insecurities, find their root cause and resolve the problem, or we simply stop judging others. We can do the latter by learning to appreciate all things and people, from the simplest to the greatest ones. The effect is pure joy and contentment within ourselves. Who don’t want those in their lives?! So don’t wait for tomorrow, appreciate everything now!
Have better relationships.
Time plays a huge role when it comes to improving our relationships. We should find time for our loved ones, no matter how busy our days can be. Having great relationships entails giving quality time to those we love.
Having better relationships will lessen our stress and sadness. When we give our best to spend more quality time with those we love, we sleep better and we get to enjoy our days much, much better. The consequence of this is happier days and a better year for all of us!
Keep the faith.
When we are troubled, depressed and burdened, we can always turn to our faith for guidance. Just having that faith will help us overcome whatever it is that we’re going through. Having this will also make our lives more meaningful and filled with purpose. When we realize that each day is a blessing and a gift, for sure we’ll treat each day special. We will then try not to waste each moment by doing nothing or feeling lazy and bored. And what’s the result of this? Better moment, better day, and of course, a better year!
Aiming for a better year doesn’t always mean starting in January of each year.
We can always have better lives and we can succeed when we learn to stand every time we fall, no matter what month of the year it is. If we have the guts to do it, then we can start having a better life any day and any time.
Believing in ourselves, doing our best each day and never failing to look forward to brighter days ahead will help us have a better year. Just believe. For we can, if we truly think we can.
