It’s that time again. Get out your pencil or that brand-new tablet Santa brought you over the holiday and start drafting your New Year’s resolutions. I know, I know, once again you did not stick to last year’s promises, right? If that is the case, you will be happy to know that according to the University of Scranton in this Forbes article, only 8% of people out there actually accomplish their goal, so you are in good company.

I am feeling good about my approach this year, so I wanted to share it with you just in case you were in search of a better way. This year I am going to focus on things that I know will help me achieve some higher level of happiness in my life. Not that I am unhappy – I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, actually – but I know that if we don’t stay focused on BEING happy, then it could all change.

So here is a list of five things I plan to do with all of this in mind. See if it inspires you!

1. Spend more time developing new relationships and nurturing old ones. At the end of the day, it is all about a connection to people that provides meaning and value to our lives. I am going to be more intentional here and make sure that I give as much as I can to old and new friends so that I can help them and benefit from those around me. Even the people that irritate the crap out of me.
2. Slow down! It seems that I am constantly moving fast and rarely take time to savor the moment. I consider myself to be someone that has a lot of bandwidth, but that doesn’t mean that I have to work at max capacity all of the time. Are you taking time to celebrate the small things? Find the joy and marinate in it!
3. Give of yourself and then give some more. I feel good about what I do in this area, but include it because it needs to be a constant focus AND it is something that can really make a person happy. (Although the reason to help others should be unselfish, the ultimate benefit to you is a good thing.) Find that person or organization that you line up with and see what you can do to help. What do you have a heart for? Making a difference for someone else will without a doubt do something inside of you.
4. Cut out the negative. By that I mean we need to stop complaining…about anything…stop hanging around people that do, and simply realize that with just about any situation, it could always be worse. Seriously, the positive mental attitude is a total cliché but there really isn’t anything more important to being happy. Negative situations and people will suck the life right out of you, so identify those things and avoid them if possible. If that isn’t possible, try to figure out how you can dump some positivity on them to change it to your liking.
5. Rattle the cage! I know this can be very uncomfortable for most, but it can be very liberating and bring you a great sense of accomplishment and happiness if you succeed. If you don’t like the way it is getting done in your mattress world, then stand up, offer some solutions, and challenge the status quo. You will improve things and achieve something better for you and your company. If you work for a moron that won’t support you doing this, it’s time to look for another job!

Isn’t this better than claiming the same old resolutions of losing weight or exercising more? Anyone can say those things. Happiness is something we can deliver into our own lives and I hope this blog helps and that you have plenty of it in 2014.

Looking for some other ideas on how to be happier? Here are some articles you might like.

The Pursuit of Happiness

How To Rewire Your Brain for Positivity and Happiness

10 Simple, Science-Backed Ways to Be Happier Today