Whether last year was the best year of your life or the worst, it can be better this year.

The default human emotion is happiness. It’s only when things get in the way of happiness that you fail to experience it.

How many people really focus on making each year a happy year? Not many. Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot to have a good year filled with more good memories and fewer annoyances.

Make this year better than last with these strategies:

1. Limit clutter.

Clutter is stressful and annoying. Being annoyed is stressful, too! Clutter can be embarrassing, and it makes things harder to find when you need them. Clutter also makes you feel like your life is out of control. Luckily, with effective routines, clutter can be easy to avoid.

• Get rid of the things you don’t need.
• If you use something, put it away when you’re done
• Spend five minutes tidying up the living areas before you go to bed.

2. Address all the things that annoy you.

Fix, address, or get rid of everything that annoys you. Avoid allowing these things, people, and situations to linger in your life.

3. Limit the amount of time you spend criticizing, condemning, and complaining.

In the book, “How to Make Friends and Influence People,” one of the cardinal rules is “Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.”

• This is a simple rule that’s challenging to put into practice, but you’ll be more likeable and even like yourself more. You’ll reap benefits from both qualities.

4. Spend wisely.

Treat your money with respect. Money that is spent wisely can do wonderful things for your life. Money spent unwisely is a wasted resource. Think of all the things you’ve purchased, but later regretted. It would be nice to have that money now.

5. Avoid additional debt.

This is another aspect to spending wisely. Debt is stressful. Avoid adding more debt to your life, and you’ll be likely to have a better year.

6. Use your brain for thinking, not remembering.

It’s silly to use your brain to remember things when you could free up your mental resources by writing yourself a note and putting your attention on more important matters.

• Write things down.
• Record lists in your phone.
• Use reminders and timers.

7. Have a plan for each day.

Make the most of each day by having a plan in place before you go to bed. You’ll accomplish more, and what you accomplish will be more meaningful.

8. Eat at least one super healthy meal each day.

Even one extremely healthy meal will boost your health and sense of well-being tremendously. It also provides the opportunity later to step up to two healthy meals per day.

9. Make some exciting plans.

You’ll have a better year if you have something positive to focus on in the future. It doesn’t matter if it’s a trip, a new canoe, or plans to reconnect with a dear friend that you haven’t seen in a while.

10. Cut the worst person in your life out of your life.

If possible, remove the most negative influence from your life. You might have to find a new boss or have a difficult conversation. Someone in your life is likely making your life worse.

11. Consider the mistakes you made this past year and avoid them this year.

Look over the last year and identify your mistakes. Develop a strategy to ensure that you don’t have a repeat performance.

12. Create a second source of income.

Few people complain of having too much money. A second source of income adds a lot of potential to your life.

The first step to having a good year is to set an intention to have a good year. Remove the annoyances, get rid of the clutter, and make some plans that put a smile on your face. It doesn’t take a lot to have a better year than last year. Repeat this process each year and you’ll be surprised by how happy you can be.