Can you believe another year has almost gone? Just yesterday everyone was talking about 2017 and now we’re almost in 2019. Sigh. New Year is also considered — by pretty much anyone — a good time for brand new beginnings. It seems fair to leave all the dead weight behind and start fresh. We have a couple of options for you:
Give your space a good cleaning or a makeover
Don’t overkill it — focus on places where you spend most of your time. Clean your cupboards, fridge, car, and whatnot. Move the couch to a new position, or change your bedding color scheme for a fresh look. It’s guaranteed to feel nice.
Get rid of the clothes you don’t wear
Cleaning out your closet and getting rid of the things that don’t fit you, suit you or please you anymore is awesome. You will feel so much better once your closet is pared down to things that look great on you and bring a smile to your face. You can even make a few bucks off your old clothes at a consignment shop or donate them to an orphanage!
Organize your online presence
Do you have email folders? Well, you need to. Even if they just consist of ‘friends’, ‘work’ and ‘cat memes’, you will feel so clean and smug when your inbox is not 254 emails deep with spam. Weed out a few Facebook friends you don’t recognize, adjust your privacy settings, delete your old Tumblr account, print out your favorite Instagram photos. It’s a modern equivalent of house cleaning.
Make a list of new things you want to try
It can be any number of things, and they don’t need to be epic, expensive or life-changing. ‘Cook something with lemongrass,’ ‘Watch Citizen Kane,’ and ‘Try Hip Hop Karaoke’ are all equally valid. It’s just important to try new things!
Reconsider your relationships
Are you happy with your partner? Are you headed in the same direction? Take stock of what’s working and what’s not. Try something new together. Have Big Important Conversations.
What about your friends? Do they inspire you and support you? Do you look up to them and respect them? We all know people that drain us and suck the joy out of any interaction. Maybe it’s time to let those friendships go. And how about those people that you’ve met and would like to be better friends with? Make it happen!
Update your resume
When you have a job, it’s easy to let your resume rot in the depths of your hard drive, but why not spend a few hours spicing it up? Update it with new skills you’ve learned at your current job, experiment with different fonts and layouts, make sure that all the dates, emails and phone numbers are current. You never know when you’ll need it!
Change your ringtone/alarm/screensaver
Yes. Download something new and fun. That Pitbull song is no longer all the rage, admit it. It’ll take you some time to get used to the new one, but that’s the whole point.
Think about your finances
Check your credit score, see how much money you still owe on school loans and think about upping your automated payment. Make sure you’re actually using all those monthly services you pay for – Spotify, Netflix, the gym, etc. Could you do without them? Maybe you can save up that money instead, even just $30 more a month can make a big difference over the course of 10 years!
Schedule a doctor’s appointment
No, not that Doctor (though that would be the best). A lot of people plan to eat healthier and exercise more starting January 1, but you should probably check with a doctor first. Schedule a physical — even if you have no health problems or concerns, getting a physical every one or two years is a good idea — and that way you know you’ll be starting your 2019 off with a clean bill of health.
Find a new favorite band
Easier said than done, but you’ll never find it if you don’t reach out to something new. Music services have pre-made playlists of new artists and songs you can enjoy while you nurse your New Year’s hangover. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your 2019 obsession on day one.
