1. Being more patient

I’m one of those people that wanted everything to happen yesterday. Not in a hand it to me sort of way, but it’s very difficult for me to start new hobbies or interests because I want to be a “natural”. Part of me is old enough to know that there really is no such thing as being a natural – true skill comes from hours of practice. I just need to get more comfortable with the hours of practice and not be so hard on myself if I need a few more than others.

2. Being more self-compassionate

Tying into my last point, I can be extremely hard on myself. Even if I do a good job, I will find a way to be upset that it wasn’t a great job. Self-compassion is so important not only for ourselves but in order to nourish the relationships we have with those around us. We are our only vehicle for this life, and I know I need to be a lot nicer to mine.

3. Managing stress

There are so many effective ways to do this. I know this, and yet, I don’t practice any of them nearly enough. Instead, I torture myself with the worst-case scenario because somehow, I feel like that will prepare me for whatever’s coming. And whatever is coming usually either does not happen or isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It’s just a super vicious cycle that I would love to break sometime soon.

4. Listening

I am not good at faking like I am paying attention. I feel like people can spot me zoning out from a mile away. I just get so distracted talking to people sometimes and when they go off on tangents, I tend to go off on my own as well. This makes me feel guilty when people either have to repeat themselves or when I think about how they might have confided something in me that was definitely worth remembering and I was too busy planning out what I was going to have for dinner that night.

5. Making my health a priority

I should sleep more. I should eat breakfast. I should eat better in general. I should exercise more. It’s so easy to put everything else first though – work, relationships, other various time-consuming things (aka Netflix). As they say, if you have your health, you have everything. This is something I should probably take into consideration next time I’m asked if I’m still watching.

6. Putting myself out there more

It can be really hard to make new friends. I think we all sort of thought this would get easier as we grew up, which turned out to be a big fat lie. But just because it isn’t easy doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it. I think about all of the people I still have in my life as a result of deciding to be more social. I certainly don’t want to miss out on anyone else.

7. Exploring

I don’t mean travel. I mean explore where I already live. Look for hidden gems and places that I can frequent. Find new routes and alternate paths. Because, as they say, you have to get lost to be found.