As yet another year comes to a close, the anticipation of the new year ahead is becoming more of a reality. This is the time of year where we begin to think of ways to make our lives better by either making a list of do’s  and don’t s and almost never sticking to it. This year I am going to try to be an expert in valuing myself more and being more productive in putting myself first. Usually, we make the list, check off the first and second item on the list and never go back to it. It’s like our Christmas list for the new year.

We prioritize our responsibilities but life always gets in the way of our decisions to make change and we usually put it on the back burner. My New Year’s quest to diet and exercise started with my desire to stay away from meat and diary products. The previous year, my journey to eating a vegetarian lifestyle crashed and burned when I realized I was not doing it properly. I did not do my research. So of course, it went on the back burner until I was able to dedicate myself to really following through and sticking to my new year’s resolution.

This year, I made a list and decided to scratch everything that was not making me into a better person. I realized that I was not prioritizing the important things in my life that should be on the top of my list. Becoming an expert in putting myself first is also something that should be easy right? Wrong. When you’re surrounded by friends and family that demands most of your time, you tend to neglect yourself. This year we need to always remember that our health and well-being is the top priority. Your goal is to always remember that life is short, live well, laugh loud and love hard.

Live well with others, don’t burn bridges, you never know when you might need a shoulder to cry on or someone to tell your deepest darkest secrets. Learn to laugh and be happy with your self and others. Don’t hold grudges, learn to be the bigger person. Always remember that an apology after an argument is always appreciated even if you may think you’re right. Living a healthy life and having a healthy relationship with others is always ideal.

How do you find happiness? You don’t really, you have to let it find you. You have to make room for when it shows up. People always say that happiness is hard to come by but it really isn’t. Happiness is organic. Staying away from toxic, negative people is difficult especially if that person is a family member or close friend. But if we are to become an expert in putting ourselves first we have to start by removing ourselves from people that is not making a positive influence in our life.
For this new year, we have to stick to our New Year’s resolutions, even if it’s one item on our list or twenty. Most of us realize that by the third week into the new year we can’t stay on course. But dedication and hard work comes with a price, right? Remember we have to stay dedicated to being an expert in putting ourselves first and making our lives better.

Looking ahead, we have to make the decision to put ourselves first. This new year brings change. There’s a lot of new and unpredictable things happening around us and we are faced with uncertainty but we have to be strong put on a brave face and say we can do this, I can do this. My life matters, my opinions matter and I matter. Stop letting things get in the way, things that are not important. It may be important to someone else but you have to remember, you’re putting yourself first this time and you have to find out if this thing that is pulling you in the opposite direction is adding value to your life.