As you begin to settle into the New Year, you might want to switch things up. This time of year, you hear lots of resolutions and goals that will be out the window by week 3 of January. Instead of shooting for those impractical desires, pace yourself. Here are 5 reasonable first steps to take into the New Year.  

Try a new hobby. Not some high intensity Zumba class, but cooking, or walking the block. Often the little things we do can amount to much greater treasures in our lives. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time. It’s as easy as putting peanut butter on bread, or texting a friend to go bike riding with you. Then slowly work your way to the next step. Whether that be making a difficult dish, or trying a new pathway, all progress is good progress. 

Meet someone new. Although Covid-19 restricts us from having our normal societal gab, there’s ways to be smart and cautious. First get in touch with someone. Even an old friend you grew apart from is a good start. Then communicate where you could meet up, and how you guys will choose to take precautions. This can simply be by staying away from large groups until you see each other, wearing a mask in public settings, washing your hands, and so on. After the year we had, it’s clear relationships have either become distant or stronger. Use the time you have to your advantage, and be smart.

Find something you admire about yourself. Struggling with how we preserve ourselves can be a never ending cycle of self-hatred. Break the chains that hold you down. It can be your laugh, your hair, your smile, your book smarts, anything really. Find that one thing and grow with it. Use it to become the best version of yourself. It’s not always easy to like everything you see. So don’t worry about everything. Focus on that one thing!

Make at least one person smile everyday. Being kind and gracious often reflects on your own mood as well as others. We never know what one another is truly going though. Crack a joke, hold a door, or simply say hi. The small gestures can get one person’s persona to entirely change, and then hopefully they’ll go on to do the same for someone else. Remember, smiling is contagious.

Lastly, fake it til you make it. Not one human is perfect. Every person has something that they believe they cannot do. So be a buffer for yourself. You don’t have to excel in everything you do but put effort into it. Work is noticed, and admired. So don’t walk into something new saying you can’t do it. Go in with a can do spirit, and the idea that you’re going to work to the best of your ability.

New year, new me is overrated and quite frankly impossible. You cannot change everything about yourself. But you can choose to get to know yourself and thrive off of the knowledge you receive. You don’t need to be something different, but you do need to get focused. Work towards the small things, because at some point the rocks you gather will make a mountain.