As years come and go, many people make the same mistake before the new year can even begin: the infamous New Year’s resolution. We create unrealistic goals for ourselves that we will most likely forget in a few months, weeks, or even days anyway. Don’t get me wrong– there’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve ourselves, but sometimes these goals can get a little bit out of hand, like expecting to lose 20 lbs in only a week. Thus, we end up getting disappointed in ourselves and become discouraged, forgetting our goals and swearing that next year will be different, but are they ever really? With that being said, here are some resolutions that you can easily keep and will, as a result, make you feel like the productive person you are (even when it doesn’t feel like it at times).

1. Stop and smell the roses and put down your phone a little bit more. Life is passing us by day by day. We don’t realize what we have until it’s gone, so make sure to reconnect with yourself, your loved ones, and your environment.
2. Learn a new healthy cooking recipe that you ACTUALLY enjoy and ditch the food you hate. This may take a little bit of trial and error, but once you find something you genuinely enjoy, you can incorporate it into your weekly menu for years to come.

For example, if you know you hate kale and you know you never will, it’s okay to ditch it. Force feeding yourself is never a good idea, even if it’s considered “healthy.” Letting go of this will improve your overall mood because, let’s be honest, who genuinely enjoys eating food they ate and feels good about it after? Instead, indulge in something you know you like.

3.  Stop being too hard on yourself! There’s a difference between challenging yourself and beating yourself up. The more you degrade yourself, the harder this year will be for you. Who’s going to support you if you can’t even support yourself? Make a conscious effort to give yourself kindness, grace, compassion, and most importantly, love. Everyday, point out a feature that you like about yourself to improve self esteem and make you feel good about yourself. You  deserve to have a high self esteem and to be happy with yourself.
4. Write in a journal. I know it sounds juvenile, but journals help you have a better connection with your values, emotions, and goals. It also helps improve mental clarity and insight.
5. Appreciate the little things in life. We have so many blessings in our lives that we take for granted and don’t enjoy nearly as much as we should. We lose sight and take advantage of them, which is a mistake. By learning how to appreciate the little things in life, you’ll be able to enhance the presence of positive emotions in your life and reap the benefit.

Although new year’s resolutions aren’t always easy to keep, they can be challenging in a fun way. They don’t have to be drastic and life-altering goals, just ones to keep subconsciously and better your health, mentally and physically.