New Year’s Resolutions for the Resolution-less

resolutions-for-resolutions-lessMaybe you haven’t gotten a chance to write your New Year’s resolutions yet. Maybe you were thinking about recycling your 2015 resolutions because you can’t think of any new ones for 2016. Maybe you made a resolution and have already failed. Whatever the state of your New Year’s promises might be, here are five ideas for 2016:

#1 Read more magazines. Pleasure reading has the unfortunate reputation of consisting only of mystery novels and celebrity autobiographies. Instead of picking up that 900-page book you’ve been “reading” since 2005, you should reach for something you’re guaranteed to enjoy. Reading a sports or fashion magazine is better than not reading anything at all.

#2 Apologize to someone. You don’t have to apologize to the kid you didn’t play with in third grade. However, we’ve all chosen to avoid sticky situations at someone’s expense. Reflect on a damaged friendship or relationship and try to fix it.

#3 Delete one of your bookmarked web pages. It may be time to get a different point of view. Replace one of your bookmarks with one that has a different perspective and learn something new.

#4 Talk more or listen more. If you always find yourself holding back your brilliant ideas in class or staff meetings, challenge yourself to speak up. If you find yourself getting winded during conversations with other people, pause and listen. If you’ve already found the perfect balance of talking and listening, keep on doing you!

#5 Keep your bathroom clean. Let’s face it, being a clean and organized person does not come easily to many people. Instead of resolving to organize your entire house or your entire life, start small by trying to clean the toothpaste off your sink on a regular basis. Another great way to start small with cleaning is by making your bed every day. It makes for a productive start to your day.

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions, good luck! Resolutions are difficult to keep, but pat yourself on the back, because admitting that you have faults to work on is the first step.