2 . Are you happy with your life now? If not, don’t despair (绝望) — instead, consider making changes to improve your life. It’s totally possible to learn how to change your life and live your dreams. This is the guide for you.

    1     Answer this question: “What makes this so important to me?” Understanding why you want to make a change can help you take action.

Pinpoint (确定) the issue. Consider an area of your life where you feel unsettled or unsatisfied. Is it your study? Friendship? Your health? Take a few minutes to write about it in a journal.     2    

Identify things that may hold you back.     3     But again, don’t think a lot about the bad things — just write them down and move onto the next step.

Choose your “one thing”. When you learn how to change your life completely, it’s important to remember that this process takes time.     4     If you try to change too much in one go, you’ll likely become overwhelmed (不知所措的), burn out, and then return to your usual way of operating.

Set your goals and make a plan. If you want to succeed, it is necessary to set a specific goal. After doing all of the above, it’s time to make a plan.     5    

A．Consider your “Why”.

B．Set a goal for yourself.

C．It won’t all happen at once.

D．You have to be aware of potential barriers before they arise.

E．It is necessary to take some time to review all of what you enjoyed.

F．Then you can explore how you would want things to be different in this area.

G．Despite the best of intentions, the lack of planning tends to limit our success.

3 . Five Tips to Boost Your Self-Confidence

The following tips might help boost your self-confidence so you can feel more comfortable with whom you are.

    1     Sometimes people’s criticism can be severe, but our criticism of ourselves is likely the hardest. We all know that no one is perfect, yet most people tend to expect more from themselves than is realistic. To stop this habit, it may help to write down all your strengths and remind yourself of them each time you begin to criticize yourself.

Think about what makes you feel attractive. Make a list of things that make you attractive. You might begin with qualities that make you a good friend, parent, or co-worker.     2    

Set goals for yourself.     3     You don’t have to set large goals; you might begin with small goals that you can easily achieve. It may be helpful to keep a list of the accomplishments(成绩，成就) that have made you feel proud. You can use this list as a motivation to get you to achieve your bigger goals.

Be grateful and helpful. Doing good things for others can make us feel good about ourselves. The smallest gestures, like smiling or holding the door for someone, can make a big difference to someone.     4     Being able to make a positive difference for someone may make you feel good and improve your self-image.

Do something brave once a week. It can be frightening to put ourselves out there, but sometimes the risk can be worth the reward.     5     You can simply do something to step out of your comfort zone. Perhaps you might talk to that person you’re interested in.

A．Avoid criticizing others.

B．Focus on strengths, not self-criticism.

C．Take small steps to boost your confidence.

D．You can also consider taking an active role in volunteering.

E．Achieving goals is one way to feel accomplished and confident.

F．Then, you might list some of the physical features that make you unique.

G．Taking risks doesn’t necessarily mean going bungee(蹦极) jumping or mountain climbing.

4 . Waking up at the crack of dawn and going for a run might feel awful when you start trying to make it a habit. Weaving a significant new activity such as this into your regular routine obviously takes determination and time.     1    

One popular idea suggests that it takes 21 days to solidify a habit. People tend to feel extra motivated to start a new habit or kick an old one.     2     Yet every January 21 very few people can boast that they have kept their resolutions.

Everyone has a unique habit-building timeline.     3     Experts suggest various individualized ways to practice frequently, which eventually turn a task into an unconscious habit.

    4     Teaching yourself a completely new skill or process obviously takes longer than remembering to drink more water in the morning. A 2015 study found that new gym-goers had to exercise at least four times a week for six weeks in order to develop an exercise habit. The results showed that creating a handwashing habit took a few weeks.     5     Anyway, handwashing is less complex and offers more opportunities to practice.

The researchers also suggested that habit formation depends on the effort that a person puts into practicing an activity and on the presence of environmental cues that would remind them to carry out the behavior.

A．The type of activity is also a factor.

B．The strategies of activity impact the way.

C．People want to form a habit of exercising regularly.

D．But how much time is really needed to make that habit stick?

E．It might sound easily reachable to make a resolution on New Year’s Day.

F．By comparison, it took half a year for people to develop an exercise habit.

G．However long it is for any individual, repetition is the key to making it work.

5 . There Are 4 Types of Anger: Which One Is Yours?

You’re passive-aggressive (被动攻击型)

    1     when a colleague asks for a favor, but then oh, forget to do it—or do it late and not well. You say "it's fine" when it's really not or 'whatever' when you really mean no. These are all classic passive-aggressive behaviors-or patterns of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them.

You make mountains out of molehills (小题大做)

You find the fault in every situation, and regard each conversation as an argument you have to win. Maybe you were made to look or feel inferior（卑微的） growing up. To pay off, you become more aggressive. Instead of feeling like a victim, you learn to be the "rejecter".     2    . And you create conflict or deliver the first blow in an argument so it gives you the chance to be heard, to prove you are smarter, and to show you're right.

Your fuse (保险丝) is short and you burst into anger

When you lose the ability to control a situation, it may set off aggression, violent behavior or explosive outbursts that are not necessary to the situation.    3    . This type of anger can also put people at risk for harm, so it's important to seek professional help.

    4    

When it comes to your religious, political or other beliefs—yours are right, the others are wrong; yours are good, the others are bad. So when others go against your beliefs, you're on the offensive because your beliefs are correct, and therefore your anger is reasonable. Even if your intentions are good, anger gets you in trouble when you allow it get out of control.    5     because you think your morals back the behavior.

A．Your morals fuel your anger

B．Anger itself is not a bad emotion

C．You give an enthusiastic "sure, no problem!"

D．It's how you use your anger that makes it good or bad

E．And you feel you have the right to do whatever you want

F．You put down or reject others first before it can be done to you

G．Getting stuck in traffic, for example, may lead you to yell at other drivers

6 . According to a survey, nearly a third of all adults reported that they sometimes struggle to make basic decisions.     1    , try these strategies from decision-making experts.

Let go of the idea of making perfect decisions

Much of the pressure you feel comes from how much you associate your choices with your identity. For example, you are always worried about sending the wrong message about who you are and what you stand for.     2     In fact, it can keep you from making any good decision at all.

Just allow yourself three to five options

The grocery store is as good a place as any to get struck by indecision. If you walk in without a shopping list, you might spend twenty minutes picking up boxes and putting them down. Sometimes, there are just too many options to process any of them meaningfully, because we can handle about three to five choices on average.     3    .

Practice trusting yourself

It is normal to rely on friends for fit checks or for movie recommendations.     4     try to resist the urge and make more of those choices on your own. And then look at what is the outcome of the decision, so that you can build up trust in your ability to know what’s right for you in any given moment.

    5    

Whether it’s about choosing how often you’re going to hit the gym, or deciding when you’ll go grocery shopping for the week, sticking to your old habits or starting new ones is a great way to reduce stress.

A．Rely on routines

B．Set clear boundaries

C．That’s a lot of burden to carry

D．But if you find yourself asking for advice for every little thing

E．Seeking opinions is something that contributes to indecisiveness

F．So next time you are unable to decide what shoes or clothes to wear

G．So when you’re indecisive next time, limit your choices to a manageable range

7 . My mom is one of the least wasteful people I know. She always brings her own metal containers to buy basic foods like rice and flour.     1     The key is to be creative about reducing plastic and other waste — just like my mom does at home.

One effective way is to conduct a review of household rubbish. List the rubbish by room or by activity.     2     This examination will help you assess your waste output and identify the ways to reduce it. For example, use reusable bags if you find a lot of plastic bags piling up under your sink.

    3     A lot of low-waste solutions might seem like they require buying special containers like silicone (硅胶) replacements for your Ziplock (带封口的) bags. But you don’t need to spend money on those items. Instead, figure out a way to repurpose the waste. Use empty cans, boxes and other food containers to store leftovers.

Reyond repurposing food containers, explore ways to save household items before throwing them away. Maybe you can mend an old pair of jeans instead of buying a new pair. Or maybe you can cut up old T-shirts into rags, which is what my mom used to do with my dad’s old T-shirts.     4     I don’t feel bad about getting grease (油脂) on them.

Remember: Lowering the amount of waste you create doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing pursuit.     5    

A．You can try reusing your containers.

B．You can live a low-waste lifestyle too.

C．She used to bring reusable bags to the market.

D．You might write “used wipes and paper towels” under “nursery.”

E．I do this now too and the rags are perfect for household cleaning.

F．Find changes that work for you and you’ll be more likely to stick with them.

G．You can try sourcing your own food by growing a garden in your community.

9 . All families experience conflict from time to time. Disagreeing with others — even those you love — is generally a part of all types of close relationships.     1     For those who wish to discover how to solve family conflict, some of the tips below may help.

● Learn how to emotionally control.

Emotions can be powerful.     2     However, working toward building your abilities in this way can make a big difference in how you handle all types of conflicts and challenges in life and relationships. Something as simple as deep breathing can help calm the mind.

●     3    

Sometimes, arguments between people escalate (加剧) when one or all parties interpret that they’re not being heard. Making a conscious effort to invite each family involved in a conflict to tell their side can help de-escalate emotions and move participants in the direction of a resolution.

● Explore different formats of conflict resolution.

    4     Being open to different methods and formats of conflict resolution can make the family feel more comfortable expressing their points of view and agreeing on solutions. For example, some people may spend time alone organizing their thoughts. Allowing them to put their thoughts down on paper instead of presenting them orally may be beneficial.

● Avoid interrupting.

According to research, even a two-second interruption is enough to make us lose the thread of what we’re saying. An interruption can make us lose our focus and even the potential to feel satisfied at having fully expressed ourselves. Avoid interrupting family when they’re explaining their side of a conflict.     5    

A．Let others speak.

B．Communicate directly.

C．Not every human is born to handle conflict in the same way.

D．The way in which families handle conflict is the most important.

E．And remaining perfectly in control of them in every situation isn’t always easy.

F．It can help ensure they can express themselves fully and feel heard and understood.

G．And you may be able to influence how others in your family handle conflict over time.

10 . Some Ways to Improve Social Interaction

Greet someone

Nobody wants to feel unwelcome or unappreciated. If they do, they will feel like outcasts (被排斥者).     1    . This can be accomplished with a simple greeting or a firm handshake while looking at the person directly in the eye.

    2    

People have a natural curiosity as to what you are all about. The best way to communicate this is to engage in a simple conversation. Some people are naturally shy and tend to withdraw from such communication. If one person is not willing to start a conversation, another should take the initiative simply by asking the other, “How are you?” or “What do you think?”

Volunteer

    3    . Volunteering your time or skills may add an additional burden, but it tells others you believe in them and are willing to help out. Such an expression also makes it easy for you to seek support when you are in need of help.

Ask for advice

Too often people are too proud to ask for directions in our journey through life. But asking for advice from a co-worker accomplishes two things: first, you might get the answer you seek, and second, it says you trust the person and respect his/her opinion.     4    .

Be polite

Your manners and how to improve interaction with others say a lot about your character.     5    . I am not suggesting everyone turn into a “Miss Manners”, but attention to basic courtesy (礼貌) can improve your image with others.

A．Be curious

B．Engage in conversation

C．The objective is to make people feel at home

D．Basic manners mean you are socially well adjusted

E．It means you are sensitive and interested in the person

F．Many people prefer to sit back and watch as others perform the work

G．By confiding in an individual, the advisor becomes concerned with your best interests