Tips to Get Started
Take an improv class or theater class. Try a new fitness routine. Check community college dance classes or your local art scene. If online classes are up your alley, check out Future Learn or the list of free classes available via Open Culture.
Rewards
All these changes may seem like a lot. And they are, if done all at once. But if you reward yourself and take small steps, you are much more likely to make the little changes that'll have a huge impact on your health and happiness. When you get it right, reward yourself. Find an occasion to buy that book or get a pedicure. Build in small rewards to help keep you moving forward.
Tips to Get Started
If you use a calendar or tool to track your progress, build in reward tiers - maybe a small reward every week, with greater rewards for bigger milestones every few months.
A Brand-New Year
These tips might sound generic, but you know your own life best. Keeping in mind these five domains, though, can help you tailor your own made-to-measure program to see the changes you want to see in the new year.
What would this look like in practice? Let's look at an example. We'll call her Alice. Alice wants to improve her social life so she doesn't just work and sleep, but also wants to ensure she stays on top of her health checkups. She uses a physical planner as well as a notes application on her phone to keep track of to-dos. She finds that her local library has weekly knitting sessions, with nearly all materials provided. The library is close by, and has other events like author talks or movie nights. She reminds herself to try dropping in on a knitting class, and even though she is waiting for her health insurance to kick in so she can investigate doctors in-network, Alice does make several notes that she needs to bring up about replacing her birth control implant this year. In the meantime, she asks for leads on community clinics, and also uses an application on her phone to help her have some idea of how much sleep she gets per night, so she has this information when she goes to get her physical. After the first doctor's appointment, Alice makes a point to "reward" herself by buying herself a frozen yogurt on the way home. Maybe she will have a greater reward later, when she feels confident she has a knitting project in hand, but for now she is doing her best to manage known issues, advocate for herself and live the best life she can in the new year.
Happy New Year!
