Posted by Jess | Dec 31, 2014 | Bloggers, Holidays, Life and Love, Travel | Lose X pounds, save Y money and so on. While goals can be good, they’re also a bit daunting and that is often the reason that so many people give up by February. Instead of placing massive restrictions on yourself or setting insane goals, give yourself a focus. Once you’re in the swing of things, then you can start to goal set.

Get healthy Depending on who you are, this could mean all sorts of things. It could simply mean to stop smoking. For others it might be about getting in the gym, eating clean and reducing alcohol intake. If you pledge to get healthy in 2015 then you need to have an idea of how you’re going to do it. Health is, to a point, subjective so think about how you’d like to look and feel at the end of 2015.

This isn’t just about weight… You might want to feel stronger, more confident or simply stop getting all those annoying colds that you’re sure are down to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Two pieces of advice for anyone getting healthy in 2015, drink lots of water (8oz/2.5l per day) and get enough sleep (around eight hours a night).

Explore somewhere new This might be a part of your town you’ve never been to before or it might be a whole new city. You don’t have to travel the world but start with somewhere close to home and let your wanderlust grow from there. I like to find new places to explore by road then have a wander around on foot. It’s a great way to get to a place then really take in its charms and beauty.

Do something that scares you Genuine fear

Last year I did a number of things that scare me, personally. I flung myself down Europe’s fastest zipwire, something that terrified me but it was an amazing experience and I’d do it again in a flash. It’s an experience that makes you feel so alive! You don’t have to jump out of a plane or embark on a ghost hunt to do something that scares you but at least try making the first move when you find someone you’re attracted to, or go to a networking event to try and meet new people.

Cut out toxic relationships This can be a really hard thing to do and, actually, it stands apart on this list because it might not be a resolution you can keep but cutting toxic people out of your life can change everything. If there’s someone constantly bringing you down, slowly stop seeing them. If you care about them, try and work it out but ultimately, you might be a happier person with fewer people in your life.

Learn a new language

This isn’t as hard as it sounds. Start with something like Busuu or Duolingo, both are interactive sites that can get you to grips with a new language. From there you can put your skills to the test in a new country (see the resolution of exploring somewhere new) or you can find some native speakers to chat to online (Busuu is great for this).

Embrace romance If you’re one of those people who is very guarded when it comes to the people you date, maybe this year you should start to relax a little and see where things go. The truth is, you don’t need to plan every single part of a blossoming relationship, just see where it goes. This New Year’s resolution is down to you, it might be a chance for you to get back into dating, take up a hobby where you might meet someone, or sign up to an online dating site.

For couples, this could be a chance to reignite a dwindling flame. Go on dates again, take a romantic trip away (in a castle, I definitely recommend a castle) and spend some quality time together.

Read more books For some people this might be to get through one book. For others it might be to get through 30 books. You might even just want to read a non-fiction series that will make you money in 2015. Whatever your existing relationship with books, it can’t hurt to read at least one more than you did in 2014.

Start a blog

If you’ve been thinking of starting a blog for a while, now’s the time to do it. We’ve got some guides for bloggers right here on the Shoplinkz blog and we’re even looking for bloggers to work with in 2015!

Do your research on the best platforms, you can always change if it doesn’t work out for you, speak to friends about the topic you want to write about and start writing blog posts.

Stop doing things you don’t want to do We’ve all been there, getting dragged off to a party you really don’t want to go to, or buying Christmas gifts for people you barely know. Let 2015 be the year you say no. Don’t go out of your way to upset or annoy people but perhaps cut down on the things that you don’t want to do. I implemented an element of this in my life in the year just gone and I can’t tell you how freeing it is not to have to stand around trying to make small talk with strangers three times a week.

Learn to take a compliment Stop brushing off compliments with self-deprecating statements. If someone says something nice about your hair don’t reply with ‘oh, you should’ve seen it this morning!’ and don’t be humble and say something like ‘oh, no, it’s a mess today’. Just say thank you and a appreciate the fact that someone noticed.

Good luck with whatever New Year’s resolutions you decide on. Here’s to a healthy, happy, exciting 2015.

All photos taken by Jess Shanahan. Bloggers to follow for fitness inspiration A fashionista’s guide to happiness How to use social media to boost your blog How to create killer headlines for your blog Amazing festive decorations

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