16 Things To Do in 2016

Happy New Year beautiful people. I hope everyone had a fabulous time ushering in 2016 with family or friends. My dad always told me as a child that time went by faster the older and busier you get. That didn’t make much sense until got older, especially after graduating college and started working. Once upon a time I couldn’t wait to be a “Grown Up” and become independent in making my own decisions. Now I sometimes miss being a child and under the care and responsibility of parents. The most you had to do was eat, sleep and do good in school but anyway this will be a post for another time.

So yes time is relative to what’s going on in your life. It’s amazing that I’ve been in this country for over 12years and have experienced the colorful ups and downs that is life. Last year was amazing but also challenging. I experienced so much and hit very important milestones. I started of the year being sick, had surgery, quit my 9-5 job, moved to Houston to start a Private Practice and a Networking Company, met the former President and Mrs. George Bush, attended various events and connected with amazing men and women with a purpose. I also travelled to some beautiful places, re-connected with old friends and of course turned 30 and conquered my fear of height. I thank God for the journey through 2015 but I’m super excited for what 2016 is going to bring.

Some people make New Year Resolutions but most fail to follow through with it past the 1^st quarter of the year most likely because they make too many resolutions that are too hard to keep, too time consuming or not measureable. I usually reflect on my life and come up with goals I want to achieve for the New Year. Some I don’t accomplish but by thinking about it, putting it down and coming up with a plan, it usually gives me a better chance at achieving my goals.

For as long as I remember my Dad has always encouraged me to write, from my goals, to ideas, experiences, etc. He would always say that one day you can put everything together into a book. So I like to write although it can be time consuming and exhausting but even better is being able to look back at what you wrote years ago and smile about your ideas and how much of my goals I accomplished. There is something magical about writing down goals. It’s like after speaking it forth by faith, you write it down almost like a contract for God to now sign of on it and deliver to bring it into existence.

So here is a list of “16 Things to Do in 2016” that you can add to your list that is bound to improve your life.

1. Create time to be with yourself and have a “Me, Myself & 1” time. It is usually great to pick an activity that helps you re-connect with yourself and mentally destress like Praying, Walking, and Meditating etc.
2. Pick up a healthy habit like drinking more water, eating vegetables with each meal, avoid eating fried foods, eating small portions, exercising 3x/week, pick up a sport, run a marathon etc.
3. Examine your relationships, let go of toxic relationships that bring out the worst in you, have a goal to communicate with family/friends more or make a new friend in the New Year.
4. Travel to a new city, new state or even better to a new country. This is very exhilarating and educational being in a new place. Experiencing new things and a new culture expands your perspective on life.
5. Take on a new project, a new role or new responsibility in your job/career.
6. Create a Vision board or To Do List for specific areas of your life like Career, Finances or Personal life.
7. Join a focus group, find a mentor or be a mentor – having support and giving support helps you stay more focused and motivates you to be better.
8. Invest in yourself and in your future e.g. start a retirement plan, save a certain % of your paycheck when you get paid as emergency funds etc.
9. Pick up a hobby, something you’re passionate about. I decided to start playing tennis again, writing, reading and blogging more.
10. Read at least a fiction and non-fiction book quarterly or even better start a book club.
11. Explore your city. A lot of times we do not fully appreciate our home, our immediate environment and city because we are so anxious to go somewhere new, then we miss the treasure right in front of us.
12. Volunteer you time, you energy or give money to support a cause either by finding an organization or issue you’re passionate about. I always say, nothing is too little to give because if everyone gave a little of themselves, then everyone will have enough.
13. Do something you’ve always wanted to do or you’ve been afraid to do and conquer your fears. Something like Sky diving, Rock climbing, Snow boarding etc.
14. Evaluate your goals routinely with your accountability partner and keep track of your goals, experiences and any challenges you encounter.
15. Say I love you always when you speak to the ones you love, Say I forgive you when they offend you.
16. Laugh loudly every day and take a moment each day to just dance.

So whether you make New Year’s Resolutions or not, it’s always nice to have an idea what you want to accomplish for the year or what direction you want your life to go in.  I recommend you start small, be specific, have a measureable goal and even someone to hold you accountable and check in on your progress.

Have a Happy New Year.