• Be healthy.

I’ve spent too much of my life attempting to be skinny. Skipping meals, and then when I do eat, eating junk that ruins any progress I may have made. but this year the idea isn’t to be skinny, but to be healthy; it took me a while to learn that there is a difference. I’m going to attempt to consume more fruit and vegetables and limit the amount of takeaways and junk food I have.

  • Drink more water.

See above. I chose to not include this in my first resolution as drinking water is something I do struggle with. Ever since I was a small child I’ve been super fussy. I don’t drink carbonated drinks, squash or water but instead only drink orange juice. I realise that this is not good for my teeth or the pH balance in my body, so drinking more water is a must for me this year.

  • Work out.

To achieve the level of healthiness I desire, I must start exercising more than my walk to and from college. I left this resolution deliberately vague so that I can try various ways of exercising and find what works best for me. Baby steps.

  • Look after my skin.

Over the years I’ve managed to get myself into some pretty poor skin care habits. Being a teenager, my skin is already very troubled and me not caring for it and wearing too much make up has made it worse. My aim is to find (inexpensive as far as possible) ways to nurse my skin back to health.

  • Be happy, smile more.

A wise soul once told me that smiling increases dopamine levels and increases happiness, so these two would seem to go hand in hand. Smile, happy, smile, happy…

  • Care less about meaningless things, accept the past and move on.

I tend to find myself dwelling on my past a lot, and it holds me back from enjoying the present. I’ve learnt that I cannot change the past, but I cannot let it negatively impact my present and future.

  • Remind myself and others of their beauty. Compliment freely.

There is a lot of hate in this world. This can be changed one person at a time. Everyone has their own beauty, but many may be facing demons every day that you are not aware of. Compliments are free, yet they may make someone’s day.

  • Travel. Go on adventures.

I’ve got a few holidays planned for 2016 but I have a deep passion for travelling and exploring, and not enough funds to fulfil these dreams. Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive. Just visiting somewhere you’ve never been before and admiring the natural beauty is still an adventure.

  • Study. Volunteer. Save money. Make positive choices for the future.

I have very big yet realistic dreams for my career and future. This year is dedicated to Saving money to help get through university and create the best possible CV and application for universities by gaining work experience and life skills.

  • Learn to apply make up.
  • Be creative.

We’re all born with a flourishing imagination. It seems a shame to let adulthood dim the shine.