With 2015 upon us, many people spend time making grand resolutions. These are good, because they are a means for assessing our lives and setting goals.
But the fact is, we all have small things we can do, right now, that could immediately give us a better life. Why not start there, instead?
Here are 51 ideas I had. What would add?
1. Wake up five minutes earlier. Spend the time in bed enjoying the silence.
2. Work more kale into your diet.
3. Carry cash and be ready to “give to him who asks you.”
4. Make a list of the decisions you’ve been procrastinating.
5. Stretch.
6. Call people by their name.
7. Spend 15 minutes reading something on paper.
8. Write notes.
9. Call your grandmother.
10. Take short breaks and do ten push ups.
11. Set special time aside for intercession.
12. Never leave the house without a book.
13. Sing along with an up beat song in the car.
14. Ask someone to tell you a story. Listen from beginning to end without interrupting.
15. Take a short walk.
16. Pet a dog.
17. Make your bed.
18. Post a picture of someone you love online. Write a caption about why they are great.
19. Read a random wikipedia page.
20. Use a neti pot.
21. Go to a different restaurant/bar/coffee shop and try to meet someone you wouldn’t normally.
22. Make a list of books to read.
23. Get an audiobook to listen to in traffic.
24. Become a member of a local library.
25. Do not take your phone, computer or television into your bedroom.
26. Make a meal plan for the coming week.
27. Tell someone who you think is cool that you’d like to be friends.
28. Reconnect with someone online.
29. Make a list of people who have influenced you and tell them thanks.
30. Reread your favorite book from childhood.
31. Make a list of everything your parents did right.
32. Laundry.
33. Iron and starch a shirt you’ll want to wear in the future.
34. Throw away a piece of trash every time you get out of your car.
35. Get a massage.
36. Buy a foam roller and use it for 10 minutes a day.
37. Make a list of healthy foods you like and be sure to keep them on hand.
38. Try butter coffee.
39. Use the pomodoro technique.
40. Consider the lillies.
41. Make plans to take kids you know to zoos and natural history museums.
42. Watch a documentary on a subject you are unfamiliar with.
43. Pay for the drink of the person behind you in line.
44. Keep a gratitude journal.
45. Choose a few things to arbitrarily measure from 0-10, such as energy level, happiness, etc., and track your measurement daily.
46. Practice Lectio Divina.
47. Take a multivitamin.
48. Take a social media fast.
49. Hang out with a grandparent, or someone your grandparent’s age.
50. Offer to babysit for someone who is stressed out.
51. Create your own list of ways to be a better person, and share it in the comments below.
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