Need New Year’s Resolutions? Try These.

January 3, 2017 / in General Information / by Mic Johnson

Just like that, 2016 is but a distant memory and we’re all getting back to living and working in 2017, full of hopeful optimism and committed to making this year better than the last.

I’ve never been one to feel the need to declare a list of personal and professional New Year’s Resolutions. In some ways, that makes life more complicated than it needs to be.

Instead, I choose to focus on the present (which is one of the reasons I practice mindfulness and meditation) and doing everything I can to be better, personally and professionally, each and every day. I do have one resolution that I focus on intentionally and I figure if I can do it, then mine will be a life well lived:

“To have as much fun every single day doing things I love with people I love.“

All that said, I found myself one morning over the holiday break thinking about 2017 and a litany of “resolutions” came to mind. I quickly jotted them down and thought I’d share them with you, in case you’re needing some resolution ideas for the year ahead:

Stop envying other people.
Keep your ego in check.
Help more people without being asked.
Meditate daily.
Take more time off.
Embrace the marathon instead of obsessing over the sprint.
Photo by my super talented friend Robin Johnson…

Eat less carbs. Eat more salads. Drink more water. Try intermittent fasting.
Get out of your comfort zone and take more calculated risks. After all, the fear of the leap is far worse than the leap itself.
Choose experiences over possessions.
When you think about calling or getting together with a friend, act on it before the thought passes.
Put more things on your calendar…then they’ll happen.
Have more meaningful conversations with people you love.
Do more of the things you’re passionate about.
Stop settling.
Buy local.
Support small businesses.
Volunteer.
Be intentional about making more time for yourself.
Try to be 100% present in everything you do.
Apologize when you’re wrong.
Trust your instincts.
Say Thank You.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
Take more walks.
Try new exercises.
See if you can follow a slow-moving car without changing lanes.
Don’t complain about the weather.
Dot more I’s, cross more T’s.
Seek out people who have more perspective than you do. Listen. Learn.
Watch Minimalism and I Am Not Your Guru on Netflix.
Realize the negative self-talk in your mind rarely comes to pass in your actual life.
Donate your excess stuff to charity.
Eat foods you’ve never tried before.
Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. No one who matters cares.
Come up with your own definition of success.
Be intentional about lifting people up instead of knocking them down.
Buy less stuff.
Identify something that immediately brings your life into perspective. Reference it often.
Be grateful.
Go back and look at every picture on your phone from 2016.
Recycle.
Respond to email faster.
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Read more.
Never forget that you’re much more than the job you do.
Trust that broccoli tastes good when it’s steamed.
Eat more eggs.
Know that if you want to take a break from social media, you don’t have to make a declaration on social media.
Give money to a homeless person and don’t assume they will spend it on drugs or alcohol.
If you haven’t already, watch Game of Thrones. If you don’t have HBO, it’s worth adding it just to watch this incredible show.
Stop obsessing about winning.
Photo by my super talented friend Robin Johnson…

Take more cold showers.
Turn the thermostat to 65 at night when you go to bed.
Embrace your inner emoji.
Try everything you can to get a better night’s sleep (If you have things that have helped you, share them in the comments below!)
Trust your circadian rhythm.
If you never have before, find a way to experienc heated seats this winter.
Never pay more than $5 a month for Sirius radio. Keep telling them you can’t afford more until they give you the $5-a-month deal.
Work on improving yourself instead of trying to change everyone else.
Find ways to be more optimistic.
Floss. Or at least use a water pik.
No matter what anyone tells you or how much fun they make of you, post more food pictures on Facebook.
Ignore your inner haters.
Ignore your outer haters.
Open up more to people you love.
Be there for yourself first so you can be there for others when they need you.
Realize there are some people who don’t like coffee…and that’s OK.
Do everything you can to take yourself and your life less seriously.
Realize that today’s amazing job can be tomorrow’s round of layoffs.
Don’t get too high or too low… keep a level head about you.
Do everything you can to intentionally reduce your stress levels.
If you’re in Kansas City, try Bob Wasabi Kitchen, Sushi Uni and Lemongrass. (three of my favorite places)
Do something you’ve always wanted to do.
Be kind.
Get up early. The sunrise is waiting for you.