10 Ways To Challenge Yourself To Be The Best Possible You That You Can Be In 2018

Everyone starts the new year with grand ideas about how we’re going to change our lives this year. By February, we’ve basically reneged on all those promises we made back on January 1st. It doesn’t have to be like this! Here are 10 ways to challenge yourself to be the best possible you that you can be in 2018.

1. Make sure that you’re actually seeing your friends regularly. As you get into your mid-to-late twenties and up, it can be super tricky to find time to see your best friends. Sure, you love them and wish that you could hang out all the time, but it’s not like you’re in college anymore. You have a relationship, a job, an apartment, chores, and that’s just the beginning. Keeping your friendships are on track is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. If you can challenge yourself to be the best friend possible, that means setting up regular dinner and drinks dates. Connecting with others will make you happy, and your friends will appreciate that you’re always there for them and that you care about what’s going on in their lives.
2. Spend less time on social media and more time being present. It might sound like a cliche at this point to say that you should put your phone down and look up every once in a while, but it really is the most important thing that you can do. While you’re probably not going to stop checking your feeds the moment after you wake up in the morning or texting your boyfriend, you can still put your phone down when you’re hanging out with the people that you love IRL. Focus on the here and now and your relationships will all improve so much—and you’ll feel a lot calmer too.
3. Realize that self-care isn’t selfish. Your Instagram feed is probably full of people taking baths on Sunday nights, meal prepping, or taking time out for a coffee and reading break—and those people have the right idea. You’re not selfish for wanting to chill out a few times a week and make sure that you’re feeling good about yourself and your life. This is totally different for everyone. Maybe you want to go to yoga more often (and actually go this time) or do some face masks. It’s all good and you’ll feel like a new person.
4. Figure out a unique morning routine. Even if you hate green smoothies and suck at meditation, that doesn’t mean that your mornings have to be a blur of skipping breakfast and maybe washing your hair if you’re lucky. Challenge yourself in 2018 to wake up early enough that you have time for a real morning routine. You can read a book, write in a journal, make a real breakfast, go for a run, listen to a podcast—the options are literally endless.
5. Keep in touch with your family (for real). You probably have some family members that are really easy to get along with, like your mom who’s basically Lorelai Gilmore or your aunt who loves Taylor Swift just as much as you do. And then there are the others who you see at holidays and don’t really have anything in common with. No matter how close or distant your family is, it’s not the worst idea in the world to keep in better touch with them this year. Emailing or texting them every few weeks will only take a second and will mean so much to them.
6. Stop gossiping and talking about other people. No one wants to think of themselves as a gossip, and you probably don’t either… until you fall down a rabbit hole of swapping stories with a friend about a mutual acquittance. You don’t feel great after those conversations, so why not stop the gossip altogether? You’ll only be happier if you do that, so it’s really a win-win.
7. Take care of your physical and mental health. If you’re not already on the smoothie and pilates train, it might be time to get on board. You can’t be the best possible you if you’re not fueling your body with healthy food and making sure that you’re feeling happy and peaceful on a regular basis. This is age-old advice but important advice. Fill your diet with lots of vegetables and fruit and move your body as much as posisble.
8. Don’t judge your friends for their life choices. Of course you have a right to think that one best friend should dump her jerk of a boyfriend and that another needs to stop whining about her job already, but instead of spending so much time wondering why your friends are making the decisions that they are, try just letting go and letting them deal with their own stuff. You can still give them advice or support if they need it but otherwise, stay in your lane. Why waste time and mental energy when you’re not them and they have to make the choices that feel right for themselves?
9. Say no to social plans that you know will make you miserable. Andy Warhol said that he could stay home if he knew what would happen at the event that he was invited to, and that’s a great motto to adopt. Sure, you don’t want to become a shut-in who never leaves your comfy couch, but if you want to say no to parties every once in a while that you know you won’t have fun at, you should totally do that. Listening to yourself is not always easy but you’ll never regret it.
10. Accept your life for the way that it is right now. You might be single AF and hate it, dreaming of the day that you meet your person. You might be coupled up and counting down the days until you can move in with your boyfriend. And maybe you’re stuck in a miserable job but don’t know how to get out. Instead of wishing that things were different, why not accept the way that your life is and smile through it? Things will always change and if you’re having a tough time, remember that it’ll only get better. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but if you challenge yourself to approach everything in a calmer way, it’ll be life-changing.