13 Tips for a Better ‘13

You have tried making resolutions in January…and they last until February. So how about 13 easy “tips” (not “resolutions”) for a better year in 2013 (or any year)? You can start one any day of the year, and if it doesn’t work one day, pick another one or try again tomorrow!
1. Stop Caring – about what others think. Remember what Dr. Seuss said: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
2. Be Forgetful – choose to forget about wrongs or perceived wrongs from others. Things are so screwy in the world, there just is no need for additional negativity. Let it go and feel lighter.
3. Worry – only about what you can change. Short of climbing up on the marquis and changing the numbers on the sign at the gas station (and ending up in jail), you cannot change the price of gas. But you can change, for example, how, and how often, you run errands.
4. Sleep Less – when you get a good idea. If you are the creative sort or just want to remember ideas that pop into your head, carry a small notebook or leave one at your bedside to write things down when you think of them, even if they wake you up. Then go back to sleep knowing they will be there in the morning when you wake up!
5. Be Unbalanced – trying something new can be scary and unfamiliar. It throws us off. Do it anyway. Go skydiving. Learn how to paint. Go see a movie by yourself. It is liberating.
6. Smoke – not cigarettes, silly. Remember the movie Mask? When he says “ssssmOKin’!” Be passionate about something. Share your passion. Make people say –or at least think – “She is ssssmOKin’!”
7. Stop Paying Attention – daydream more. Daydreaming allows our brains to function better. And it helps us feel better when sometimes we just need to mentally escape where we are for a few minutes.
8. Eat More – good stuff. Imbibe in the comfort foods occasionally because, after all, they give us comfort, but stock up on healthy snacks and foods and you will get not only physical health benefits, but mental and emotional ones, as well.
9. Be a Coward – be afraid not to do something. At the end of the day, regret what you do, not what you don’t do.
10. Shun Friends – only the ones who are negative. It is difficult to be cheery under constant black clouds.
11. Spend More – time with family and positive friends. Enjoy their company. When you are around upbeat people, you feel and act more upbeat!
12. Be Uncomfortable – we tend to get complacent in our “familiar”, our usual routines. Go outside your comfort zone and, similar to number 5, change up your usual routine. Go a different route to work. Leave at a different time. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Little changes in routine can spark big changes in brain chemistry and stave off diseases like Alzheimer’s!
13. Don’t Play Fair – life is unfair. That’s just a given. Many of us want to get something before we give anything, or make sure what is given and gotten is even. Stop worrying about it! Give more than you get. Give for the sake of giving. Whether it’s buying a friend a cup of coffee or doling out a heartfelt compliment, it will make someone else feel good, and it will make you feel good to give without keeping score.