Find a healthier lifestyle. Travel somewhere you’ve never been. Support local. These are all respectable resolutions, sure to improve your life and the lives of those around you in the long term. That being said, there’s no reason we should avoid living in the present—especially when the present makes a good case for it. No matter what you do in 2018, don’t forget to indulge a little.
Eat healthily, yes, but—for goodness’ sake—don’t refuse the Kindred milk breads of the world. Exercise when you can, but be kind to your body too. Make room in your regimen for some grooming—trust me, guys, if community centers like No Grease! barbershop aren’t part of your routine, they should be. Go for the best trim of your life and stay for the unadulterated brotherhood. For ladies, wellness havens like the spa at the Ritz Carlton merit routine visits. Hit the hotel’s 18th floor on those particularly tough weeks. Or make your way up there weekly. No one will judge.
But don’t stop with the pampering. Keep the confidence-boosting gifts coming: An investment in wardrobe quality pays innumerous dividends—Taylor Richards & Conger, Bruce Julian Clothiers, and Poole Shop are good places to start, but there’s no real template for what you should be wearing. Find the things that feel right for you and your new year. You’ve probably earned it, and if you haven’t, maybe that new modern two-piece is the extra edge you’ve been needing.
We should also surround ourselves with the good life, though. If your home’s been needing a wardrobe change too, 2018 is the year for it. The city is full of talented interior designers, but there are also plenty of builders and architects standing by if you need to knock down a few walls (or build some new ones). My advice for your home: Do whatever it takes to streamline the most heavily used areas. Losing the clutter around you frees up more than just your physical living space.
Change as much or as little as you like this year—redo your residence, tweak your diet, find new hobbies, discover your state—but only insofar as it all feels comfortable. No amount of lifestyle upheaval can justify unhappiness. Your contentment is the thing that matters most, so…treat yourself when you need to.
