2018 Resolutions

Did you make your list of New Year’s Resolutions? New Year’s is here, and we cannot yet believe it! The magic of Christmas is still in our hearts, but we are already thinking about what we are going to accomplish in this 2018. A new year always comes with lots of wishes, opportunities and the optimism of a fresh start. Are you ready to take advantage of it?

What are New Year’s Resolutions?

New Year’s Resolutions are things people want to accomplish in the new year. They go from simple activities like planning a trip to more complex ones like changing a personality trait or losing weight. They are meant to help you improve your life.

 Why can’t we stick to our New Year’s Resolutions?

Only about 8% of people stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. There are many reasons why, but the main one might be making too many changes at the same time. For instance, a lot of people want to stop eating sugar, but they don’t start cutting it down a bit at a time so the change is progressive. It is a matter of being realistic and knowing ourselves: what we like, what we can do, and what we can achieve. To help you with this, we came up with a list of 5 popular New Year’s Resolutions and some useful tips to actually achieve them.

 

 

Losing weight: Stay focused.

This is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. People always want to be in good shape but it seems to be really difficult for everybody to make it happen. To lose weight, keep in mind your eating habits. It is very important to make small changes in your diet at a time. If you love pizza, for example, start by changing how many slices you eat, as well as the toppings. In addition, if you love sweets, try to make healthier choices when you are thinking of eating them. Similarly, you should pick a smaller portion than what you usually have. Include exercise in your plan. If you don’t have enough time to do so, check on the internet for easy routines you can include in your daily life.

 

 

  

Learning a new language: Determination and patience.

Learning a new language opens up a new world to you. You learn not only the language but also the cultural aspects that come with it. There are no magical ways or hacks to learn a language other than practice, being patient and being determined to learn. Talk to people even if you are not fluent in that language. Keep a dictionary with you, or download one to your cell phone. Use it anytime you need to. Set up a study time and a comfortable room to do it. Stick to your schedule. This process will take time, but it will be absolutely worth it.

 

 

 Reading more: Discovering new worlds.

Reading is important for so many reasons! It exposes you to new information. This will help you see things in different ways. As a consequence, after a lot of reading, you will be able to find more ways to solve problems. It helps you to understand the world better, so you will understand yourself better, too. You also gain experience from other people, get more tools to communicate. It boosts your imagination and creativity. Start by deciding what’s interesting to you. Choose books that are easy to read, with images and short ones. Take the book with you everywhere and read anytime you can, even if it is only one page at a time. In time, you’ll find yourself reading more often and enjoying it.

  

Improving specific skills: You are your first enemy.

When trying to improve our skills, personal, interpersonal or at work, we tend to sabotage ourselves. We do not believe in how much we can achieve in life. Whatever the skill you want to improve, always be positive and say positive things to encourage yourself. Practice the skill you want to improve in a purposeful way. That is, connect your practice to what you want to achieve. Do some research on that specific skill and find ways to improve it. But, you need do it in ways that it will work for you. Dedication and believing in yourself is key.

 

 

 

 Spending less money: plan your budget.

There are several ways to keep your spending habits on track. Start by getting a notepad to keep track of monthly incomes and expenses such as gas, water, internet, phone, electricity service and food. Decide on an amount, a realistic one, to put in your savings. Avoid eating out, instead, plan and cook your meals on the weekends, and take lunch with you every day if possible. Make a shopping list. Whenever you want to buy something that’s not on the list, ask yourself why you are buying that product. If you can’t find an appropriate answer, then you don’t need it. Leave your credit card at home and avoid the temptation of using it. At the end of the month, you should have saved more than you knew you could. Think about what you want to do with the saved money and always keep it in mind.

 

What if I didn’t accomplish all of my New Year’s Resolutions?

At the end of each year, take out your list of resolutions and look at it. If you have completed at least half of it, then you can say it was a good year. Go through the things you didn’t do and think about putting them in your New Year’s Resolutions list for the next year or, if your priorities are now different, change them for new ones that may work better for you. Always remember that we always have time to rethink what we have already planned. If some of those resolutions don’t work anymore, just change them to something more meaningful to you. Every day can be a new beginning when we truly want to change and improve our lives.

Is growing your business one of your New Year’s Resolutions?

If your goals for this new year include globalizing your business, contact us. At LingoStar we cooperate with professional translators all over the world who can provide translation services in over 100 languages. We work with texts, videos, websites, and other content to help our clients improve their business. Make sure to get a free quote at dev.lingo-star.com. Call us at 604-629-8420 or email us at info@lingo-star.com for more information.