The New Year is approaching and for many people this is the time to make their New Year’s resolutions and hope that the New Year will bring them a new life. In order to change your life you have to know first what you want to change and what to expect from your new life. Several studies about New Year’s resolutions showed the most popular wishes people make for the New Year. These include the following: Better financial position, lose the extra weight, find a better job, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, and manage stress better and life a more relaxing life. The chances are that your own new year’s resolutions fall into these categories. Below we outline some tips that can help you turn your resolutions into a reality.
1. Better financial position
The economic crisis has made this resolution the most popular. Unfortunately modern life is based on money and more and more people are concerned about their financial position and especially about their debts. If you can manage your debts better you will be able to enjoy a better life. Of course money is not the only factor for a happy life but it certainly helps a lot. One of the ways to manage your debts is to analyze your expenses and develop a budget to track your earnings and spending. A budget is the first step for understanding your true financial position. You will be able to see how much you earn and how much money you spend. You can start by creating a list of all your income sources. Then create a list of your standard expenses (rent, mortgage, loans, insurance etc). Next add to the expenses list items that are not constant (shopping, bills, entertainment etc). Make sure that you write down all your expenses even those you think are not important (money spend for hair cut etc). Sum up your earnings and expenses and study the results. If your earnings are more then you can save some money or do a small investment, if the spending are more then you need to either find ways to increase your earnings (for example get a part-time job) or find ways to reduce your expenses. Put your expenses in order of priority and make sure that you can cover the basics (housing, food, health care, education) and think which ones can be reduced. This little exercise will certainly help you to understand your financial position better and plan next year based on your economic abilities. If you want you can also use a computer software or mobile software to help you maintain your budget all year long.
2. Lose weight
Weight loss is unfortunately among the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Almost 7 out of 10 people include weight loss in their list. This is because a large percentage of the population is overweight or obese. When you set your weight loss goals for next year you should have in mind that weight loss takes time and any attempt you make to lose weight must be done gradually and in a healthy way. For example if your goal is to lose 10 pounds then you should set a timeline of at least 9 months to achieve this. Do not expect that you can meet your weight loss goals from the first couple on months. If you do your weight loss with patience then at the end of the year you will be very happy that you managed to meet your weight loss resolutions. Some weight loss tips to follow are outlined below:
Drink water. At least 2 glasses of water per hour.
Eat red meat only once per week. Instead prefer fish (especially tuna) or poultry.
Avoid soft drinks and full fat daily products
Eat smaller food portions more frequently
Eat a good breakfast in the morning and a light lunch in the evening
Include a lot of fruits and green vegetables in your diet and as part of your meals
Start exercising for at least 20 minutes per day. Exercise may include walking or other form of cardio activity.
3. Find a better job
Many people wish that they find a better job next year. This is not very easy to achieve especially when the unemployment rates are rising and more and more people stay with out a job. It is not though impossible to achieve if you do it correctly. To make a career change you need to perform the following steps:
Find out what you want to do with your career. What kind of job you want to do and under what conditions.
Search the market and analyze if they are any opportunities available
Analysis your own skills and talents, find out your strengths and weakness
Think of ways on how to promote your strong points and hide your weak points
Make a plan of how to approach the career change and follow your plan until your goals are met
4. Drink less Alcohol
Alcoholism is an addiction that does not offer anything to anyone. On the contrary alcoholism creates problem to the health of people and to the way of life in general. If you believe that you fall in this category then move this New Year’s resolution on top of the list. It is very important to find ways to stop drinking than any other resolution. Believe in your self that you can quit this nasty habit and get some assistance to help you do it. Do not leave this continue for one more year, the quicker you get rid of alcohol from your life the better is for your health and life.
5. Quit Smoking
Besides the well known problems that smoking can cause there are a lot of people who are still smoking. These people wait for the New Year to quit smoking and make their effort. The good news is that a lot of people manage to stop smoking on New Year than any other period of the year. If you are still under the smoking addiction then the upcoming year is the best time to quit smoking for good.
6. Manage Stress
All the resolutions described above represent problems of every day life. These problems create another bigger problem: stress. Stress is a modern disease. Each and every person on the planet today suffers from stress in one way or another. A bit of stress is good because it can keep you alert and focus but most of the cases stress can create serious health problems. People who manage to control stress in their life are in position to enjoy a better, happier and healthier life. Stress is not easy to control but if you manage to do it the benefits are more than you can imagine. Some stress management and health tips include: proper time management, exercise, healthy diet, good sleep, and relaxation techniques, find a hobby.
7. Life a happier life
Another thing that many people wish is next year to be a happier year. Happiness assists people in enjoying the merits life has to offer. To find happiness in your life you have to search for it and win it. It is not difficult if you really want to live a happier life. Start appreciating what you have achieved so far in your life and be grateful about it. Get closer to people you love and trust, and start thinking positive about the future. Approach life from a different perspective and next year can be the best year of your life.