The holiday season is an extrovert's time to truly shine. Between Secret Santa gift exchanges, festive cocktail parties, and ugly Christmas sweater contests, there are countless opportunities to connect with and enjoy the company of your favorite people. But it's easy to get sucked into the hustle-bustle of the holiday season and let your own needs — and sometimes even the needs of the people you love — fall to the wayside. For some extroverts, New Year's resolutions that focus on turning inward more often, or perhaps on using those flawless people skills for a greater good, might help to bring positive change in 2019.
As an extrovert myself, I often ask people a lot of questions right when I first meet them. I'm totally coming from a place of love and genuine interest in what makes other people tick when I do this, but sometimes I forget that I don't need to dominate conversations, and that some people aren't actually comfortable answering my mile-a-minute inquiries right off the bat.
So, one of my New Year's resolutions is to listen more — which is something that's always good to keep in mind, regardless of who you are. If you're looking for some New Year's resolutions of your own, my fellow extroverts, I reached out to a life coach who has some suggestions for how to make 2019 your best year yet.
Of course, this isn't true of all extroverts, but if you're someone who has trouble being alone, or generally making time for just yourself, Jane Scudder, a certified life coach, corporate trainer, and speaker based in Chicago, says it's not necessarily cause for concern, but still, she explains it's important to ask yourself why you don't feel comfortable when you're not around other people, or why you don't prioritize "me time."
"Extroverts might make a point to get curious about their desire to be around people, and perhaps their discomfort being alone," Scudder tells Elite Daily in an email. In the new year, she recommends finding a way to check in with yourself at least once a month, whether that's through journaling, meditation, or maybe even a nice, cozy, quiet bubble bath.
If you love being around people, starting conversations, and you know how to work a room, why not use those skills to help others in the new year? "Maybe this means volunteering consistently, or connecting with a friend regularly who reports being a little more uncomfortable being around big groups," Scudder suggests.
You could volunteer your time with the elderly at an assisted-living facility, for example, or help out at an after-school program — either way, 2019 is the year to commit, my friend.
According to Scudder, extroverts often get their energy from others, meaning they might be more likely to RSVP "yes" to every single outing, party, get-together, coffee date, etc. they're invited to, and forget that it's OK to skip these things every now and then, for no other reason than, well, to just have some downtime. If this sounds like you, ask yourself whether you and your planner could use a bit of a break in the new year, and as Scudder suggests, practice simply saying "no" sometimes.
You don't have to go to the party after the party, or have every inch of your weekend planned with different social engagements. Even if you're the friend everyone loves to have at a party, give yourself permission to politely decline from time to time. Make 2019 the year you put yourself first.
