Being a few weeks into the new year, I am pretty sure we’re all hoping for a change in our lives. Anything to switch up our mundane day-to-day routine and make life more interesting. Manifesting is a great start to get to that change, but you’re going to need to take some action as well. As much as you may not want to, just remember to think about your future self and how they would feel about the present you. We all reflect about the past at some point, so you don’t want to disappoint your future self by not making that change right now.

You never want to overwhelm yourself when starting; otherwise, you tend to lose that initial motivation really quickly. To start off, here are small tasks you can do to better yourself. 

1. Reflect on the previous year

As I mentioned, at some point in our lives, we think about the past. Take a notebook and consider all the little mistakes you made and write them all down. Make a pros and cons list. In doing this, we focus on not repeating those mistakes for the future. Writing this all down helps you revisit your previous thoughts and remind yourself of what to work on. 

1. Diary

Keeping a diary for your day-to-day activities is a great way to let out different thoughts and emotions. Here are some tips to start off a diary. Bullet journaling is a lot easier, in my opinion, if you are in a hurry or don’t want to write full sentences. Personally, my favorite is to write, or rather rant, right before going to bed. Since all those thoughts are out there, you feel more calm and fall asleep much faster. 

1. Stay organized

High school is stressful, and to stay on top of everything, using apps such as Finch can be really helpful. Finch is a self-care routine app that allows you to set daily goals and tasks to accomplish. The incentive to complete them would be leveling up your finch and helping it grow from a toddler to an adult. Not only can they be academic goals, but also self-care habits such as making your bed, brushing your teeth, cleaning your room, etc. 

1. Make some changes to your routine

The change could be something as simple as switching your typical studying location; from your bedroom to something more open like the library. Pick up a new hobby or spend more time doing things you enjoy like reading, hanging out with friends, playing a sport, etc. If you don’t want to try new things, just switch the order you do your activities in. Oftentimes, repeating the same routine can feel like a chore and become boring. This could lead to mental health issues, stress, anxiety and depression, according to several studies.