H E L L O, 2018

Another year has come and gone. For some, it was a year of sunshine and rainbows and for others, not so much.

I’m a firm believer, though, that regardless of how tough times can get, they all end up in your rear view, leaving you with the ability to look forward and get a fresh start. Here are 5 things to keep in mind while you C H E E R S into the New Year!

1. T H E  P A S T  I S  T H E  P A S T.

You gotta leave it there; the job you lost, the ex you broke up with (or broke up with you), the psycho family member(s) you just couldn’t make amends with (no matter how many times you tried), the relationship(s) that crumbled for whatever reason(s), the guilt you’ve carried for months over things you c o u l d n ‘ t control. SA-YO-NA-RA. Let it go. Carrying it over to the New Year is just bad juju, and it’s not good for your mental health, either.

Do you realize how short life is? Your life could literally end tomorrow, or you could experience something life changing, and spend the next year wishing you appreciated what you had – right now. Don’t wait until you’re experiencing regret. Brush all the negativity OFF, and move forward with a clean mental slate – you deserve it.

2. S T O P  E X P E C T I N G  S O  M U C H  F R O M  P E O P L E. 

Not for their own good, but for yours. You can’t expect people to be on your level 24-7, so stop setting people up for failure when it comes to your needs. People don’t generally wake up wondering what mood you’re in or what’s on your mind, so don’t get frustrated when someone doesn’t meet your day-to-day standards.

This includes yourself. It’s okay to come to terms with the fact that sometimes you just need to say N-O. It seems like a great idea to be a “Yes-Man/Yes-Woman” but when it starts to affect your sanity, it’s time to know when to put your foot down and take care of yourself first. When your “good deeds” are beginning to do more harm than good, to the point where its affecting your sanity, it’s time to cut ties. There are more people in your boat than you think – trust me.

3. L O V E  Y O U R S E L F  F I R S T.

What did you do for YOU today? And what did you do for THEM?

I’m not talking about donating to charity or doing someone a huge favor – I’m all for consistent selfless acts of kindness, obviously!

I’m talking about constantly laying down like a door mat to please others. Speak up, and stand your ground. On top of the million-and-one things on your daily to-do list, take the half hour to sit, breathe and enjoy your coffee. Take the time each day to mentally “chill” and have some “me” time. You don’t always have to use that extra free time on someone else.

4. S T O P  S T R E S S I N G  A B O U T  T H E  F U T U R E.

Guess what? No matter how much money each of us are worth – a million or a penny – we all die.

If you have a minute, close your eyes and picture yourself 50 years from now. Your 75-year-old self would probably laugh at how stressed you are right now. NONE of this is going to matter; the money, the stress, the job (or lack of), the turmoil-ridden relationships, the deadlines, the drama, the Instagram followers, the Facebook “likes” – none of it.

Your 75-year-old self would grab you by the shoulders, tell you to take a deep breath and remind you that the best is yet to come. You WILL be settled down one day, you WILL have a family – big or small, babies or furbabies. You’ll have an amazing career – hopefully doing something that your heart led you to.

Right now, enjoy life for what it is. Do not lead a life that you’ll regret looking back on 50 years from now.

5. U N – F O L L O W.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to click the UN-follow button – mentally and electronically. Life’s too short to waste time on nonsense. I see so many people stressing out about what people are posting on social media.

Are you aware how easy it is to remove the nonsense from your newsfeed, and literally never see it again?

Why continue to stress yourself out? If it bothers you – remove it. Plain and simple. And while you’re at it, apply that to real life, too.

B E S T  W I S H E S  T O  Y O U  I N  – 2 0 1 8 –  L E T ‘ S  D O  T H I S! x o