Making 2017 a great year

How to make 2017 a great year

 “Don’t fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today.”

It’s a new year. Hurray! Thank God we all made it this far. With all the surprises and baggage 2016 brought, one can only hope for the best this New Year. I know some of us have our New Year resolutions and mantras all written down. We’re ready to hit the street and face the world. You’ve got goals and visions all lined up. But be careful now; you don’t want this year to be futile now, would you? I wouldn’t want that either. I don’t know why but I am optimistic and expectant about 2017. Call it instincts or gut feeling but I do believe it is going to be a great year.

However, all that can’t happen without taking few things into consideration. It’s okay to have resolutions, daily mantras and goals but without taking action, you might end up not achieving all or any of the things you had hoped for.

 

Practice self-love

Now I’m not saying be vain, narcissistic or selfish; I’m saying learn to make yourself a priority once in a while. It’s okay to care for others but how often do you care for yourself? As ladies, we tend to show care and affection; and sometimes we ignore our own needs. This year, give yourself the chance to be pampered and cared for. Spend quality time with yourself and most importantly, love yourself – flaws and all.

 

Focus on the positive

Life can throw some curve balls at you; it’s inevitable. But you have to stay positive and focused. In spite of the negatives, if you closely look around, you will find some positives as well. Dwell on them no matter how small.

 

Know your circle

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn

As children our parents often told us, “show me your friend and I will tell you who you are.” You can argue with me later but there’s some truth there. Who do you spend time with? This year, focus on building healthy relationships; critically examine who spend time with. It’s time you looked into your circle and observe those you call friends.

Forgive yourself

No matter how much you grieve or whine over the past, you can’t go back. And so what if you did some awful stuffs last year? Learn to forgive yourself and move on. Mistakes do bound; it’s okay to have a meltdown but camp there. Forgive yourself and move past it.

 

Write down your goals

Almost all personal development and success books talk about the importance of writing down your goals. If you have a list of things you want to achieve this year or in some years to come, go ahead and write it down. Don’t just say what you want to do, put it down as well.

 

Be proactive

Don’t just write down the goal, go out and achieve them. Baby steps are allowed. Be committed; put one foot forward, then another and you’re already half way there. Stop making excuses and just do it. If you’re trying to start a blog, you can begin by having a name in mind, and then you move onto setting it up, adding contents… You’ll be surprised how small steps can take you a long way.

 

Embrace new opportunities

Opportunities are around us; it’s only a few that see and utilize them. This year, challenge yourself not only to see an opportunity but to embrace it. I know it can be daunting, you keep asking yourself if you’re up to the task. This is a great year to try something new; face your fears and challenges head on.