Five Things to Do to Help Make Next Year Your Best Year Ever

There are things each of us can do, no matter what our situation is, to improve our lives. In most cases sitting and waiting for wonderful things to happen to us will not be the way to do it. The following are some of the things we can do:

1.Start by having a positive attitude. A positive attitude helps us to be more optimistic and to be better able to avoid negativity in our lives. It makes us happier, able to see the bright side of things and therefore the opportunities that are available to us. By having a positive attitude, our expectations are increased and if we expect good things to happen, they are more likely to than if we expect the worst. If we have a positive attitude we believe in ourselves and our abilities. And by being positive, people will react more favorably to us.

2.Set realistic goals and work towards them. Anything is possible. Realistic goals are ones you know you can realistically handle, i.e.: you probably wouldn't have time to go to the gym for an hour five days a week if you have several young children, a full-time job and a sick mother you are required to help look after. It might be more realistic to go twice a week for half an hour. Or, if you decide you want to lose twenty pounds in a week, that isn't realistic or healthy. It would be more realistic, and easier, to lose ten pounds in a month. Realistic goals keep a person focused and motivated but the goal has to work for you; and it must be one that you seriously want to attain.

3.Make life happen; don't let it just happen to you. If we sit around and wait for good things to happen to us, they won't. i.e.: if we want a better social life, we can organize fun things to do ourselves rather than wait for someone else to do it for us; we can take the initiative and be the leader. This can be done in any area of our lives whether it is with friends, family or in the workplace.

4.Get a handle on your financial situation so you control it and it doesn't control you. Begin with a budget, making sure you pay the necessary things like rent, food, heat and electricity before you spend money on things that are not absolute requirements. Being on a budget will help to keep you out of debt. Involve the whole family in helping to improve your financial situation. Encourage older children to get part-time jobs so they can pay for extra things they wish and for spending money. If you look around you will see there are other ways to earn a little extra money through other people's wastefulness. i.e.: collect and return pop and beer cans, etc. Or shop at consignment outlets, look for bargains and use coupons.

5.Make the effort to change things in your life that you are not happy with rather than just complaining about them. i.e.: if you are not happy with your job, look for another one (find one before you quit though); if the relationship in your life is causing you some unhappiness, decide how is the best way to resolve the problem; if you are feeling unhappy in general, only you can do something about it. No one else can make you happy, happiness has to come from within.

On the first day of each new year, open your eyes and say to yourself, 'today is the first day of a better life for myself' and begin by taking charge of your life and instituting changes that will make it better.