22 Things To Stop Doing In 2016 (And 22 Things To Start Doing Instead)

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1. Stop going out to brunch every weekend and spending $30 unnecessary dollars on mediocre pancakes. (Start learning to make your own french toast at home.)

2. Stop overscheduling yourself and wearing yourself too thin. Stop making yourself your second, third or fourth priority in your own life. (Start making more time for yourself in your busy schedule.)

3. Stop complaining about politics. (Start actually getting involved and calling your local elected representative about major issues that you think need to be addressed.)

4. Stop filling your free time with Netflix. (Start looking for hobbies that you’d actually be excited to pursue in the new year. Start looking for local language groups, or a sports meet-up in your neighborhood. Look for a pottery studio, or take up coloring. Become a regular at Tuesday night bar trivia.)

5. Stop talking about taking your dream trip to the city you’ve been lusting after for years. (Start saving and figuring out how you’re going to make the trip happen.)

6. Stop making excuses for not exercising or not making time to take care of your body. (Start finding little things that will motivate you and that you will actually be able to commit to. Start small — get a fitbit, or buy weights to use at home.)

7. Stop buying low-quality $4 clothing you only wear for one night. (Start investing in quality pieces that fit into your wardrobe and that you love and are excited to wear.)

8. Stop getting rid of shoes because they’re too worn down, the leather got stained, or they aren’t waterproof. (Start taking better care of the shoes you own — be proactive about maintaining the leather or suede. Consider waterproofing those boots.)

9. Stop always ordering the same old well vodka soda. (Start exploring your local breweries and wineries. Figure out what your favorite cocktail is, and what styles of beer and wine you prefer.)

10. Stop complaining that you never meet anyone new. (Start putting yourself out there by participating in an activity that involves meeting new people at least once a week.)

11. Stop exclusively listening to top 40 hits on the radio. (Start expanding your musical palette – listen to a symphony, an opera, music in a different language, and some classic 80s. See what you like. Surprise yourself.)

12. Stop making binge-watching television your go-to “night in” activity. (Start eliminating television one night per week. On that night, try to supplement TV with a new activity. Have date night in with your significant other, or cook dinner with friends and then actually set the table and have a nice meal together. Make plans with the people you love that don’t revolve around the season finale of Scandal.)

13. Stop putting the lifestyle you want on hold. (Start integrating the habits you want to maintain — like going to the gym, cooking, or meditating before work — into your daily life.)

14. Stop putting your own mental health on the back burner. (Start being honest with you what bothers you on a daily basis, and get to a place where you are ready to find productive solutions.)

15. Stop being distant or aloof just for the sake of being mysterious. (Start being more accessible to your friends more, being proactive when you care about someone, and calling your mother.)

16. Stop being the one who tries less in your relationship. (Start putting in as much as your partner does every single day. Instead of saying things like, “I wish I were as good as you,” show them that you are making the effort.)

17. Stop spending most of your work day staring at a wall wondering if this is actually something you want to do for the next 30 years. (Start making a timeline for where you might want to see yourself, professionally, at the end of 2016. Whatever your end goal is, make a list of steps you need to take to get there.)

18. Stop spending so much time passively ‘liking’ your friends’ engagement statuses on Facebook while secretly loathing them. (Start realizing that everyone moves at their own pace and what’s right for someone else right now might not be right for you. While you’re at it, remember that your upcoming year will not be defined by whether or not you start dating someone, or move in with someone, or get engaged to someone.)

19. Stop resting on your laurels. (Start working like you want your boss’s job.)

20. Stop thirsting after someone else’s life on social media. (Start remembering that you have no idea what their life looks like unfiltered. Focus on living your best life, as opposed to your most polished, picture-perfect life.)

21. Stop leaving your dirty dishes in the sink for three days straight. (Start observing the “wash in under 24 hours” rule.)

22. Stop guilting yourself. Stop depriving yourself every time you want something indulgent. Stop feeling bad that you don’t live five minutes away from the house you grew up in. Stop feeling guilty for the extra work you feel like you should be doing. (Start being kinder to yourself.) Thought Catalog Logo Mark

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