Resolutions for 2018

10 New Year's Resolutions for 2018

With the New Year looming and many of us wanting to leave 2017 as firmly in the past as possible. I felt compelled to write a list of 10 Prominent New Years Resolutions for 2018. Now as previously mentioned in my "Reflections of 2017" blog post this year has been a year of tremendous self-growth for me, I have found a real passion in writing and poetry to help me seek solace through tough times and it has helped me to realise that everything in life happens for a reason and acts as a test to see how we handle difficult situations. If you are reading this then the good news is that you made it! Through whatever emotional turmoil that you faced this year you have made it (nearly) to another year and for that I am proud. 

Setting resolutions for 2018 is so important because it enables you to plan ahead and structure your year in order to achieve all of your wildest hopes and dreams. 

1. Taking time out for self-care 

Giving yourself simply an hour of your day to do something you love whether that is reading a book, watching endless episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix or even running yourself a long bubble bath. Self-care is so important and is often over looked by all of us because we all lead such busy lives and can never find the time to just sit down and relax. Switching off from social media is also a vital part of "self-care" and can aid in altering your perspective on life from a negative to a positive. 

Remember that saying about looking at a glass as if its half full instead of half empty? Yes that still applies here, and girls/guys if this resolution for 2018 isn't top of your list then what are you doing?? 

MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELVES

2. Travel, Travel, Travel

Guys, if you have the funds then I urge you to travel as much as you can in 2018, I firmly believe that you cannot put a price on experiences such as travel because they can really enrich your understanding of different cultures and enable you to meet a whole host of different people from all different walks of life. To even have the opportunity to travel is a huge blessing and shouldn't be passed up so easily. 

Obviously, now none of us are fortune tellers and we are thus far unable to see into our futures; this is why I urge you to travel as much as you can. We don't know what is in store for us and whilst we are all healthy and able we should try and see as much of this beautiful universe as we can before we are no longer able to. 

So what are you waiting for?? Hit up all of your best pals and organise a life-changing trip in 2018 with unforgettable memories. 

Travelling is on my resolutions list for 2018 but is it on yours?

3. Exercise regularly and eat healthy

This goes hand in hand with self-care, but in case I mean looking after your body, monitoring what you put in it and exercising regularly. By all means I am no saint when it comes to eating well, in fact I really do think that this resolution for 2018 will be particularly hard for me because if you know me you know just how bad I am at eating healthily. I probably have one of the worst diets out there (no joke). Try going on a 30 minute walk if you get nervous about exercising in front of loads of people at the gym, I mean that's a start...right? 

No no no,  don't assume that I am telling you to cut junk food out of your diet completely we are all human at the end of the day and we deserve to indulge ourselves from time to time but just don't over- do it. Obvs if you're going through a break-up then eat everything in sight but just remember that I warned you..

4.  Read, Read, Read

We could all benefit from reading more next year, whether that is simply a newspaper or a 400 page novel. It doesn't matter whatever it is, everyone has different abilities and works at different paces so just do what is best for you. 

There are so many great authors that I have discovered in 2017 alone, one of which being the renowned poet  r.h. Sin who writes about heart-break; drawing from the struggles that his mother and sister would go through from the perspective of a man. One of my resolutions for 2018 would definitely be to discover similar authors and poets to r.h. Sin who use past experiences and emotions to fuel their writing. 

5.  Be more grateful

Did a stranger just hold the door open for you?, did someone someone just give up their seat for you on public transport? or did a loved one compliment your appearance today?

Studies show that developing gratitude can make you 25% happier, now lets think about this for a second.. imagine how happy you are right now? And lets increase this by 25%. It really starts with saying "Please" and "Thank you" when a stranger or loved one does something nice for you.  So lets all be more appreciative of the people around us and lets put gratitude on our resolutions lists for 2018.

6.  Sleep more

Who's guilty of not getting enough sleep at night and has to take naps during the day?? Come on, own up. We all do it, who says to themselves "This is the last episode that I will watch on Netflix" and how many of us are actually telling the truth? See. 

Those extra 40 minutes of a Netflix programme could be put to better use... sleeping more. I guess the important question that we should ask ourselves is can we see dark circles under our eyes? No? stop you're lying. Yes? Thats better. Give yourself more time in bed and stop hitting the snooze button, this should be a resolution for all of us to follow in 2018.

7. Stop procrastinating 

You have an essay due tomorrow, why are you still watching old Netflix episodes of Prison Break? No, no, no 2018 is going to be a year of action. We are no longer procrastinating things that need our full attention, this is going to be a year full of hard graft and success for all of us. Do you hear me? Perfect, now lets start with tidying our working environments. Remember a clean space = a clear mind. Lets all vouch to follow one of the easiest resolutions for 2018. 

8. Compliment yourself more

Do you look cute today? Has your makeup turned out well today? Then tell yourself. Just as you would tell a friend that they look "nice', do the same to yourself. After all, why shouldn't you?. Stand in front of the mirror right now and tell yourself something that you like about your appearance. Complimenting yourself more will build on your inner strength and will make you more confident to take on the day. Sometimes we all need a little boost when we are feeling down for whatever reason, and it is impossible to always rely on other people to boost our self-esteem levels. We have to rely on ourselves first, before we can ever rely on anyone else.

Why wait until next year to start practicing this resolution for 2018, why don't you start today? 

9. Discover a new hobby 

Join a new sports society with your university, start practicing an instrument that you've never played before and push yourself out of your comfort zone. This resolution for 2018 is particularly important for me because I want to continue expanding my knowledge and fall in love with a sport/instrument that I have never played before. So what if you're not the most athletic person out there? Neither are most of us, all you need is the dedication and motivation to keep going, even when you might fall at the first hurdle in the beginning. Perseverance and patience is key here, if you have the time then you have nothing to lose. Go on find a hobby that you love and stick to it. 

10. Enjoy life!! 

This one doesn't really need much explanation does it? whilst you are fixated on accomplishing your resolutions for 2018 please remember to actually enjoy life, this isn't a competition or a university assignment that has a strict deadline on it! Get out there, explore the world and go have fun.

Lets all end 2017 on a positive note! What are your resolutions for 2018? Are any of them similar to mine? I would love to hear back from you in the comments below.  I am sending love and blessing to all of you guys, thank you all for supporting and reading my blog posts. It really does mean a lot to me! Now I hope that 2018 is a year full of self-love, personal growth, success and manifestations for everyone.

Love Leah xx