10 Things To Do Yearly - Life Maintenance Checklist

10 Things To Do Yearly – Life Maintenance Checklist

Most of life is maintenance. Paying bills, buying groceries, doing laundry, and so on. We’re running around, juggling our responsibilities, while trying to have some fun, too. It becomes so easy to forget the little things that enrich our lives and make it better. The start of each year is a time where we tend do a lot of soul searching. Most of us see it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean, and make resolutions for the year ahead. In addition to those intentions though, there are a number of things that you can do over the course of the year that will drastically improve your life. Here are 10 things you should do at least once a year!

Number 1 - Declutter Your wardrobe. Your purse. The contact list on your phone. Your email inbox. Everything. Get rid of everything you don’t need or that brings back bad memories. Everything that’s in your life should be useful, make you happy, or motivate you. If it isn’t doing any of these things, it’s just taking up unnecessary space.

Number 2 - Rearrange Your Space The purpose of things and where they are placed change the whole ambiance of a room. Personal space carries energy, so change the orientation of your bed, move your TV, move your computer desk, put your favorite lamp somewhere else, and you'll probably perceive things differently from last year. Just make sure it's for the better!

Number 3 – Invest In Some New Clothes & Shoes Updating your wardrobe can be very satisfying. It will boost your confidence and improve your appearance. Fit is everything, so only buy clothes that are comfortable and shoes that feel like you’re walking on a cloud all day. If you can afford it, don’t hesitate to spend a little bit more on quality clothing, and always remember that quality doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive brands. Trust me, an $800 Gucci T-shirt won’t be any more comfortable than a $20 one. If you hate clothes shopping or never know what to buy, take a friend with you. Preferably one that has a good sense for color matching and wardrobe styling.

Number 4 – Clean Up Your E-Life Nowadays, almost everyone on the planet spends much of their time on a computer, and the more time that you spend on it, the more cluttered it becomes. You know what I mean… If your desktop or laptop is filled with icons from top to bottom, it’s definitely time for a cleaning. You can start by creating a folder for various things. Create a folder for your music collection, where you can also create sub-folders for different genres, then a folder for your documents, another for movies, and so on. While you’re at it, make sure to check that your security software is up to date. Once that’s done, pull up your social networks and evaluate your connections. This is a good time declutter those as well. Yeah it looks cool when you have 2000 Facebook friends, but how many do you actually talk to?

Number 5 - Reflect Take some time to reflect on things you want more of. Be it romantic love, appreciation, better friends or whatever. Decide how you will actively give that to others. Perceiving lack from others is often a reflection of what we aren’t giving enough of ourselves. Karma works magic in this department - the more you give, the more you will get.

Number 6 - Make A List Make a list of the things you value, and then a list of ways you’re going to make those things a priority. If you care more about your friend’s feelings than you do about some temporary frustration, make your friend the priority. If you care more about living peacefully with your roommate than fighting over another dirty dish, prioritize that. Decide what matters more to you most, and how you’re going to resolve your issues. The best way to get over something is to simply start caring about something else more.

Number 7 - Travel Often people neglect travel only to buy a new TV, PS4, or whatever is the latest hot product on the market. But these are all things that will become obsolete in a few years and it’s very unlikely that you will think back and say, “I remember those magical nights when I would play Call of Duty until 6am”. Travelling expands your horizons and creates lifelong memories. Visiting a new place can do wonders. This doesn’t have to be a 2 month expedition through another continent. Even if it’s a place just an hour away, that will do. Just spend a week or two somewhere else. Visiting a new place will change your outlook and it will always be exciting to look back on. It will definitely become one of the highlights of the year, believe me. You may even find an incredible new place, meet new people, and see some amazing architecture. And they will not only make great memories but you will have some great stories to tell.

Number 8 - Surprise Someone Do something surprising and unbelievably kind for someone who will not expect it. Send flowers to a random friend, give them a gift card, or take someone you love out for a special dinner. Do something that is so generous you couldn’t possibly do it regularly. A kind gesture that would make somebody else’s year complete, knowing that somebody cared enough about them to do something at that level.

Number 9 - Take Somebody On A Date Things have changed a lot. Before the internet, people actually went out on dates. Yeah… can you believe it? I’m talking about a time when you didn’t just swipe a screen to have someone appear in your bed. Take someone out on a real date. Make a reservation at a restaurant and get tickets to a show. You will make the person feel special because everybody knows that planning these things takes time, effort, and care.

Number 10 - Try Something New One of the best ways to improve yourself is to try a new activity. It can be painting, photography, cooking or whatever. It doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s something new. Now while this sounds great, the problem is that most people want to do new things, but they never seem to get around to it. So what can you do? I suggest looking online for classes in your area. Enroll yourself in one of those evening classes where you go once a week for a few hours. It will only cost a couple hundred dollars but you will feel committed so you will actually go. And who knows? Perhaps you will discover a talent you never knew you had! What do you think? Share your thoughts and comments below!