20 goals worth having in 2016

Every year, a new list of promises also appears: sleep better, exercise more, eat better, be a better person… And every time they stay the same: on paper. Setting goals that are too far away (“I’ll never do that again” or “I’ll eat that forever”) and too broad (“be a calmer, happier person” and “be physically well”) do nothing to help the arduous task of following them. in the remainder of the year. Take advantage of the turn of this leap year to create simpler goals, objectives and with a start and end date – and you will see a beautiful achievement next year!

1. Do 30 days of physical exercises.

Promising that you will be the next fitness muse, run 10km in a month and have the most negative belly ever invented can be a slightly megalomaniac. And setting goals that are so broad and long make them difficult to achieve and even increase the frustration of not meeting them. So how about trying to keep exercising every day for a month? It doesn’t matter which activity you choose, the important thing is to keep moving: walking the dog, cycling around the city, going up and down the stairs in the building, walking to the other metro station/bus stop… And you can go gradually increasing as you conquer the first 30 days, moving on to the next 15 and then another 15.

2. Start drinking 1 liter of water a day.

We know that the ideal is two, three or four (or more, depending on your willingness), but when this is not a daily habit of your life, the task becomes much more complicated. You can create different strategies to reach the goal: drink a glass of water after going to the bathroom, keep a bottle on your desk at work and also by your bed. Habits are created little by little and the strategy of going slowly is practically infallible!

3. Celebrate the small happiness

In modern life, the rush is so much and the expectations even greater that sometimes we forget all the smiles we give in everyday life. It may even sound cheesy, but true happiness lies in the small attitudes and everyday events – not just in the big moments of life, like buying a house or finishing college. Want a cool way to remember what happens every day? Separate a glass pot, some colored papers and write down everything that made you smile that day. When you’re in a bad or need to cheer up, open the jar and read one of the papers.

4. Not worrying about the opinion of others

Print the phrase, stamp it on a t-shirt, stick it on the bedroom wall and use it as your cell phone case. If you didn’t already take it as a mantra, now is the time to let other people’s opinions get in the way of your decisions. The truth is that you are much freer to do what you really want to do – and we know that it is much better when we are our own masters.

5. Prioritize your pleasure in sex

It’s okay to want to please @partner@, but don’t forget to do the same thing for the most important person: you. Know your body, test it, talk it out, teach it, chat it up, ask it out… After all, sex is good when it’s completely satisfying, isn’t it?

6. Do some kind of volunteer work

You know that item on your list “to be a better person”? You can cross it out and replace it with this goal: to be a volunteer in 2016. It doesn’t matter which institution or cause you most identify with (or whether it’s donating money or time), the act of having yourself to help others is incredibly satisfying and has many benefits. Learn how to put that will into practice!

7. Organize your financial life by parts

The big problem with most of our New Year’s resolutions is that they almost never have a start date, much less an end date. In addition, they are also very comprehensive and this makes room for them to become almost impossible to comply with. If you are in the red, want to start saving money to rent an apartment or want to invest your money, do things in parts. Gradually adjust your habits: cut your credit card, write down your expenses, don’t use shopping as therapy, save R$ 10 per month and so on. It will be so much easier – and best of all, it will last!

8. Pay more attention to your food

It may seem hard to believe in your 20s, but eating too much bacon, Nutella and too little fruit and vegetables isn’t exactly going to do you much good when you’re in your 40s. Your weight cannot and shouldn’t define who you are and your body should be in the way that makes you the happiest – much less suffer from crazy things committed at this time of year. However, the weight of the quality of food is much greater as the years go by and, when that bill arrives, it may be too late to chase the damage. How about starting by replacing French bread with the whole version for breakfast and including one piece of fruit a day? The tip is to make these healthy changes one day at a time, letting your body (and you!) adapt to the news.

9. Let go of ex’s

Let’s say what’s true: Carnival is right around the corner and it would be really ~cool~ to stay single so I could enjoy the holiday even more, wouldn’t it? So let go of what was left in 2015: the sorrows, the pain, the longing and ex’s. And if you need a little help, we’ve listed 17 reasons that prove getting back together with those who’ve gone is stolen.

10. Make the most of your cell phone

You already spend the day on it yourself – as your mother would say – and the best thing you can do is take advantage of all the functions and advantages that the device brings you. Apps to organize your life, to make you happier, to help you remember to pay bills, to monitor menstruation… Besides sending messages to everyone, of course! Put it there: “learn to take advantage of all that technology has to offer me.”

11. Having a vegetable garden to call your own

It’s a simple way of bringing together several promises into one: you redecorate a corner of your house, bring more nature into the home and even prove to everyone that you can keep some living being still alive. It is very easy to have a vegetable garden at home and you can use different spaces for this, from the balcony to the living room wall.

12. Always problematize

2015 may have been the year of internet feminism, but issues of gender and race are still rolling around. We barely started 2016 and JoutJout took advantage of the controversy over her boyfriend’s skin color to expose this situation, always in a delicate and fun way. Always question yourself, try to understand what happens and incorporate political correctness into your life. The world is starting to change and we can’t stop!

13. Don’t be afraid to do things alone

Traveling, eating, going to the movies, dancing… How many times have you given up doing something just because you didn’t have someone to go with you? Enough nonsense: go enjoy something in great company – yours!

14. Have a nice list of books for the year

This one might be a little megalomaniac, but it’s worth it! They can be books that will become a movie later this year (to stimulate the reading game) or even those you always wanted to read and never stopped to do so. Will you discover that you are in love with Lord of the Rings?!

15. Don’t charge yourself to be someone you’re not.

Being too lazy to wake up early, being a crybaby and being 90 years old in a 20-year-old body: these and other characteristics are what make you unique and extraordinary. Start 2016 by refusing all those suggestions of “improving” your appearance or needing to “fit in” with the crowd.

16. Plan your year calendar

It’s nice to already know which dates are important, such as birthdays, weddings, graduations and other occasions. So you won’t go crazy without knowing if you have something or you can mark that one happy hour with the guys from work!

17. Do a nice housecleaning

And it’s not one of those things where you take something off the shelf and leave it on top of the nightstand, no! We’re talking about tough cleaning, even renovation. Not only your closet, but also your kitchen, purse, relationships and everything that deserves to be passed on. Bet on the tips from Marie Kondo, the organization guru to organize everything and then some.

18. Focus on your career – not your work

It doesn’t seem to make much sense these two words that are synonymous in many moments, but notice a small difference: your job at the moment may not be what you dreamed of having as a professional career. Take a good look at work and think if it makes you happy; reflect on what you can do to boost growth – a postgraduate course, free course or even a trip.

19. Stop using the “snooze” button

This should be top priority on the promise list! It’s okay that waking up early is not something as natural for some as it is for others, but this bad habit does nothing to improve the quality of your sleep. Remember the biological clock story, right?

20. List what you DON’T want to do anymore

It’s so normal to think about everything you want to achieve in the year ahead that no one ever seems to think otherwise. “I won’t crucify myself when I can’t go to the gym, much less when I want to devour a delicious cheeseburger with my friends; I don’t want to stop traveling because I don’t have company, or prioritize others over myself” would be a good start. 🇧🇷