Do you make New Year resolutions? I don’t bother because they usually fall off my radar by mid January. Starting the year with failure is not my goal.
Here are 25 simple things I will incorporate into my days in 2016. I don’t need to do each one, everyday, to be moving toward my goal.
Here’s how I intend to improve myself, my life and my happiness in 2016.
1~ Not check into my email or social media before 9 a.m.
2~ Use my 5 Minute Gratitude Journal to remember the blessings in my life. Gratitude creates happiness and happiness is my goal.
3~ Focus on today. Reliving the past and anticipating the future wastes my present.
4~ Let go of my need to convince others of my opinion.
5~ Pay closer attention to my body’s signals. If I feel a knot in my stomach, it means I’m making a bad choice.
6~ Stop overcommitting my time and simplify my life.
7~ Get out in nature everyday to connect with the majesty around me.
8~ Become more aware of the negative messages that creep into my self-talk, and change them.
9~ Treat myself to some pampering, self-care every day.
10~ Meditate for 20 minutes every morning to quiet the chatter in my brain.
11~ Be aware of the quality of food I put into my body. Quality is as important as quantity.
12~ Remember to thank people for their kindness.
13~ Spend less time at my computer and more time talking to loved ones.
14~ Focus on the positive things in my life. Focusing on the negative is like praying for more of it.
15~ Spend time stretching each day. The older I get the more important it is to be flexible, in both mind and body.
16~ Don’t compare myself to others.
17~ Practice kindness. What goes around, comes around, and I want good karma knocking at my door.
18~ Embrace forgiveness. Remember the lessons learned, but forgiving releases negative energy I’m hanging on to.
19~ Schedule time to be silent each day. No music, TV, books or talking. Simply being quiet to hear my own thoughts.
20~ Be open to new experiences and let my life unfold without a white knuckled grasp on how I want it to be.
21~ Continue my Morning Pages, which helps empty the clutter that clogs my thoughts.
22~ Drink more water and less wine.
23~ Continue to organize and clear clutter from my life.
24~ Remember that I am enough and dump my need for approval from others.
25~ Practice non-judgement. Accept people and things as they are.
How are you planning to be happier in 2016?
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
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Health was “extremely important†to happiness for 73 percent of respondents. People in “good or excellent†health are three times more likely to report being “very†happy. Interestingly, what may matter most is how healthy you think you are: The AARP found that the percentage of people reporting good health is relatively stable over the 35-80 age range, varying only seven percentage points. That’s despite the fact that objectively, older people are in fact not as healthy: The number of people who report they are suffering two or more medical conditions increased 400 percent over the 35-80 age range. (People may be comparing their health to their peers who are in worse shape.)
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Some 68 percent of respondents called relationships “extremely important†to happiness. Some 72 percent of people who were married or in a relationship called themselves “very happy†or “pretty happy†— compared to 60 percent of singles. AARP asked respondents to rank the importance of certain activities to happiness, and many of those scoring at the top were relationship-related: 72 percent said “kissing or hugging someone you loveâ€; 72 percent said “watching your children, grandchildren or close relative succeed in what they want to doâ€; 69 percent said “spending time with your family and friends such as a meal or social gathering’; and 64 percent said “experiencing a special moment with a child.†However, relationships did have to be real: “connecting with friends or family on a social media site like Facebook†came in 37th out of 38 activities in contributing to happiness.
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Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents said pleasure was “extremely important†to happiness. Among the simple pleasures that were most important to the happiness of people 50 to 80: enjoying natural beauty like a sunset or ocean (64 percent); having someone do something nice for you unexpectedly (56 percent); practicing religious or spiritual faith (50 percent); making progress on personal goals (47%); and being absorbed in a favorite hobby or interest (42 percent).
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Four in ten of those surveyed called accomplishment “extremely important†to happiness.
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Meaning and engagement were considered “extremely important†to happiness among 38 and 37 percent of respondents, respectively.
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Some 31 percent of respondents said money was “extremely important†to happiness. Money was slightly more important to people who earned $25,000 or less. As psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman has noted, beyond a household income of $75,000, experienced well-being no longer increases, although people’s judgment of how satisfied they are with their lives does continue to increase. At the same time, severe poverty amplifies life’s misfortunes, such as illness or divorce. The AARP study found similar results: Income and happiness were positively correlated; when comparing the percentage of those “Very Happy†by income ranges, the slope increases up to the $75,000 mark, then continued to rise even more dramatically. Asked how they would spend $100 on something to increase happiness, most respondents said they would spend it on their family or going out to dinner. This correlates with findings that show buying experiences makes people happier than buying things.
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People who feel they are in control of their happiness report that they are 2.5 times happier than those who believe happiness is out of their control. A sense of control is linked to higher income, higher education, good health and not experiencing a major life event in the past year. This finding also mirrors decades of research suggesting autonomy — the feeling that your actions are self-chosen and self-endorsed — is a core psychological need. Studies have found people who lack a sense of control — prisoners, nursing home residents, people living under totalitarian governments — suffer lower morale and poor health, according to David Myers, a professor at Hope College in Michigan and author of “The Pursuit of Happiness.†Interestingly, a sense of control over one’s happiness rises with age — with 69 percent of people age 75 to 80 feeling they have control over their happiness, versus about half of people age 40 to 54. It may be that with the wisdom of the years, people recognize that happiness is a choice.
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Spending time with a pet can be a substantial way to contribute to one’s happiness, the survey found, especially for older women: 81 percent of women age 66 to 80 who own pets said spending time with them contributes “a lot†to personal happiness. It was also important to two-thirds of singles.