Tag: challenges

How To Stick To Your 2020 Resolutions

On January 31, 2020

We’ve given you a lot of suggestions on how to make 2020 your best year ever. Maybe you’ve even decided to adopt some of the New Year resolutions we suggested–in which case, we’re honored to be of help! But deciding on which resolutions to take on is the easy part. The real challenge lies in maintaining the promises you made to yourself at the start of the year. We’ve got your back–read on for our advice!

1. Start with the achievable

Make resolutions that you know you can keep, given your schedule and finances. Don’t be afraid to opt for baby steps, like going to the gym at least three days a week, or making sure that you eat fruits and vegetables every day. There’s nothing wrong with that! But of course, you should always…

2. Aim to surpass your targets

If you find yourself surpassing your targets faster than anticipated, well, good for you! Now, keep up the momentum by taking your 2020 challenges to the next level. From going to the gym thrice a week, try to do so every day. From including fruits and vegetables in your daily diet, try to make one of your major meals vegan. You can do it!

3. Make it public

Announcing your resolutions to others give it an air of legitimacy, and forces you to stick to the promises you made to yourself. Keep your friends and family updated on your progress regularly–they’ll be happy for you and you might even become an inspiration for them! You can also hold yourself accountable by taking photos of yourself achieving your resolutions. Display them on a Nixplay Frame so you’ll always see your progress.

4. Don’t be too hard on yourself

So you got sick and missed going to the gym this week. Or stopped eating veggies because of a bad bout of food poisoning. Or maybe you just didn’t feel like going to the gym. That’s okay. Life happens, and we have to go with the flow accordingly. Just make sure to pick up where you left off!

5. Give yourself a deadline

The best goals are time-bound. When you know that the clock is ticking, you’ll feel more pressure to work hard to achieve your dreams. Instead of a very vague “I’ll go to the gym more often this 2020”, make it “I’ll finish a 10K race by May” so you’ll be more motivated to work out. It’s all in the framing.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

6 Challenges You Can Try This Year

By Mars Salazar

On January 28, 2020

In Lifestyle

The first month of 2020 might be almost over (and boy, what a month it was), but it’s not yet too late to turn over a new leaf this year! From networking with people to working on your tardiness, we could all use a little room for improvement. Here are some ideas you can start with.

1. Wake Up Early Every Day

Being a morning person isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely doable! The key is to get out of bed the second your alarm rings/ Don’t fall for the temptation of hitting the snooze button–you’ll end up feeling more lethargic. That’s not a good way to start your day! The benefits are endless–you’ll have more time to do the stuff you want, you decrease your chances of being late, you can go about your morning routine feeling more relaxed.

2. Exercise At Least Thrice A Week

We know how difficult it can be to go to the gym, especially when there are lots of other things that are simply more fun to do, like…nearly anything but exercising. Besides, the first few minutes of a workout is just hell. But once you get past the initial “pain zone”, you’ll be so pumped up and eager to hit all your fitness goals. Take it to the next level by joining a race before the year ends!

3. Track Your Expenses Every Day

Want to be more responsible with your finances? You can start by tracking your purchases daily on an expense tracker to properly gauge how much you spend regularly and which categories you spend most on. From here, you can set a daily or weekly budget to better control your spending.

4. Make A New Friend Every Week

Making friends is hard, especially for introverts and especially shy people. But if you stay in your comfort zone, relationships-wise, how else will you expand your circle? This 2020, challenge yourself to make at least one new friend a week. Who knows, you might just meet your soulmate this way!

5. Keep A Journal And Update It Regularly

Documenting your day-to-day activities can be therapeutic. This activity gives you the opportunity to step back and reflect on what you’ve done, what has happened to you, and the blessings you’ve received. It also helps you improve your writing and artistic skills.

6. Take A Photo A Day

How hard can it be to take one photo a day? As it turns out, it can be quite challenging. When you’re in an office job with a steady routine, it can be tricky to find unique subjects to capture. And that’s exactly why you should try to take one photo a day.

Make your memories last forever with Nixplay! Get up to 25 percent off during our Clearance Sale, only until January 31!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

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5 Photography Challenges You Can Try In 2019

By Nixplay Team

On January 14, 2019

In Photography

If you’ve always wanted to improve your photography skills, 2019 is the best time to work on it. You’ve got a whole year ahead of you to seize every opportunity to take better photos, so don’t waste any time! Start by taking on these challenges.

1. The 52-Week Photo Challenge

The annual Dogwood 52-Week Photography Challenge dares photographers to stick to a specific prompt every week. You’ll start by taking a self-portrait—a deceptively easy task, until you keep reading the prompt and realize that the prompt prohibits you from showing your face. When you’ve accomplished that task, you move on to showing motion in photos using the Rule of Thirds, then Black and White photography, and so on. The challenge ends with another self-portrait, one that illustrates how others see you. You can also join a Facebook group where you can talk with others who are also taking on the challenge. See all the prompts here.

2. The 365-Photo Challenge

Think the 52-Week Challenge is too easy? Try the 365-Day Challenge. Taking one photo a day looks easy on paper, but when you’ve got a million things going on in your awesome life, you might find it nearly impossible to stop and shoot. No photography prompts required—you don’t have to go out of your way to find a great subject to take pictures of. The real challenge here lies in making the mundane beautiful.
Tip: Create a folder on Google Photos for your images and sync it with your Nixplay Frame so you can view all your photos easily!

3. Go Analog

Film photography isn’t dead. It’s just lying dormant, yet ready to embrace those who discover it. One key takeaway from shooting with film is that you’re forced to be more selective with your subjects. You don’t have the privilege of taking photos of everything because you can only shoot a limited number of images, and you don’t know how the shot will turn out until much later. On the bright side, the thrill of waiting for your film to develop is incomparable, and there’s nothing like a hard copy of your photos. This year, dust off your film camera (or get a disposable one), load it up with film, and shoot away!

4. Portraits of Strangers

Humans Of New York is one of the most inspiring Instagram accounts anyone can follow. Founder Brandon Stanton’s photographs, combined with the moving stories of the people he features, make for a riveting read. This year, take a page from HONY and try taking photos of the people you encounter! It’s also a great opportunity to get out of your shell and meet interesting folks. Who knows, you might just meet someone cool!

5. Recreate Famous Photos

There are some photographs that anyone can recognize instantly. Take the 1965 photograph of Muhammad Ali towering over a fallen Sonny Liston, taken by renowned sports photographer Neil Leifer. Or, the nude portrait of a pregnant Demi Moore, taken in 1991 by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair. Let these photos inspire you to make your own mark in the photography world, one frame at a time!