5 Ways to Upgrade Your Life If You Hate Corny New Year's Resolutions

Tired of all those basic New Year's resolutions? Here are 5 easy things you can do to make 2017 your year.

rihanna tap water parody
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Image via YouTube/Rihanna

rihanna tap water parody

New years bring many things into our lives: drunk people, sequined clothes, and a gritty optimism that often blossoms into a determination to better ourselves. Citizens the world over have declared that this is finally the year they’ll lose weight, start dressing like an Instagram model, or generally start living the lives they want.

But only eight percent of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions, and one third don't even make it through January. Most resolutions fail because we have unrealistic all-or-nothing expectations, or you're trying to fit into a mold rather than building on the life you already have. If you’re one of the countless people who’ve already given up on their New Year’s resolutions, we’ve got some solutions. Here are five easy to execute ways you can commit to upgrading your life this year:

1. Get yourself a real bed

An easy, oft overlooked way to feel like you're really ~adulting~ is upgrading your bed. No more sleeping on futons or a former tenant's mysteriously aged mattress and box spring set. Save some money, check sales vigilantly, and splurge on a high-quality mattress. With the right support for your body and enough room to spread out, you can improve your sleep quality enough to cause a ripple effect in your life. You'll see better moods, more wakeful mornings, and anyone you bring home will automatically think you're doin' alright.

2. Let go of clothes you don't wear

Look into your closet, search your feelings, and admit what you know to be true: Despite having a buttload of clothes, there are probably only 4 to 5 outfits you wear regularly. Pare your wardrobe down to basics and special occasion outfits, and donate the rest to charity. You'll have more closet space for storage and have done a good deed.

3. Drink more water

Drinking water is the most underrated beauty secret out there. Forget buying new clothes or splurging on makeup products—hydrate! Your skin, organs, and mother will thank you and glow with pride. An easy and affordable fix to keep yourself accountable is to buy a water bottle. If you really need to baby yourself through it, put markers on the bottle to indicate how much of your daily intake you should have consumed by what time.

4. Compliment someone

You know what more people need to resolve to do? Be nice. We think nice people perpetually get the raw end of the deal (sorry Hufflepuffs) but wholesomeness needs to be on the rise in 2017—especially with the rise of fascism and hate crimes in the U.S. and beyond. 

Compliment someone today, and try to compliment someone every day. We're not talking yelling at a woman that she looks good (that's street harassment)—we mean be kind to the people you interact with. Tell your coworker that you love their sense of humor, tell your barista that the way they brew coffee always keeps you coming back, tell your friends what their support means to you, and yes, tell yourself you did a good job once in a while. This deed will cost you nothing; but doing it every day will help you become a kinder, more communicative and empathetic person who seems like good company.

5. Call your mom

For many, there's no one more real or down than mom, but this resolution can apply to any familial figure you appreciate. Your loved ones like to feel like they're a part of your life, even in small ways, so show them you love them back by making them feel involved. This can be as simple as asking your mom how her day was or her opinion on a personal matter—anything that lets her know her words and feeling matter to you. No one ever ended up on their death bed saying, "I wish I spent less time checking in on my loved ones."

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