12 fresh new chapters and 365 new chances. It’s liberating and bright. Although it does seem like a slight repeat of 2020’s challenging times there is still hope for light at the end of the tunnel. For those who are suffering it will be tough but as they say time will heal everything. There is still lots to look forward to like cooking food, creating art, reading new books and fitness to name a few. So this year the focus is to be balanced the ying and yang way!
Instead of the “new year” and “new me” with hard set goals, I feel enjoying the process of each goal and finding joy in the improvements has helped in building habits, with a habit tracker and pomofocus a productivity timer of course. As James Clear author of Atomic Habits and writer focused on habits, decision-making and continuous improvement says, “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger”
Here are five areas I plan to follow – what are your goals?
1.Food
Being mindful about what we put into our bodies has become more important than ever to feel good and boost your immune system. Here is a list of 9 healthy foodsthat lift your mood and keep your spirits high. There are lots of meal plans out there but the Low-carb and Mediterranean meal plans makes an overall difference to your body and health.
2. Fitness
Regular exercise 3-4 times a week such as walking, jogging, cycling, muay thai, HITT or yoga with a supportive community at the local gyms helps to stay motivated. Classpass gives you a range of options best suited to your location and interests. For now there are online home workoutson the app or this 30 minute power yoga by popsugar fitness to shape that bootaay until gyms are safe to reopen.
3. Learning
There are endless free courses online – Google, Skillshare, Hubspot Academy or Coursera to name a few for upskilling. If you want a quick daily 15-20 minute read each day, Blinkist is a great option with a range of categories such as marketing, education, nutrition and much more!
4. Hobbies
Working from home can get a little frustrating with the same routine, however there are plenty of pastimes that are therapeutic and helps you sleep better at night. From learning a new language on Duolingo, learning a new instrument on Youtube, start creative writing , experimenting new recipes in the kitchen to DIY painting . Here is a list of 50 low cost hobbies you can pick up during quarantine.
5. Career
As the Japanese term Ikigai says -‘a reason to jump out of bed in the morning’. Moreover it’s the coming together of four elements, ‘what you love (passion)’, what the world needs(your mission), what you are good at (your vocation) and what you can get paid for (your profession). Now more than ever people are reflecting on what makes them happy and pursing what is fulfilling for the soul. If you want to find out what careers are best suited to your personality type here is a guide.