Welcome to 2020!
It’s that time of the year when we begin to make our resolutions and goals for what we want to achieve over the next year. Whilst many of us have goals to exercise more or save more money (nothing wrong with that!), here are some other goals to add to your list that will benefit your soul and help you to grow as a person.
Go ‘old school’ with your communication
Nowadays there are so many ways to communicate that don’t involve actually being face to face with someone - this is fantastic for those who have friends and family overseas, but with those who don’t actually live that far away from you, there might be better ways to communicate. Resolve to make time to actually meet up with your friends for coffee instead of texting, or call them to have a chat instead of sending them a Facebook message - that real, physical connection will be much better for your soul!
Be mindful of your time
Many of us are probably guilty of spending more time than we realise watching Netflix, scrolling through Facebook or playing video games. There’s nothing wrong with this, but being mindful of exactly how much of our time we’re spending doing these things is important.
Resolve to allow yourself one hour to spend scrolling or watching, and then take yourself outside and do something that doesn’t involve a screen for the next hour. Alternating like this will mean you feel as if you’ve achieved more in a day and will reduce your overall screen time - good for your mind, body and soul.
Give a little
You might have always said that you’re going to donate more or volunteer more, but when it comes down to it, you never find the time or it seems like too much effort. If you really want to make it happen this year, start small and do something as simple as giving your old clothes to a charity store, making purchases at your local op shop, or donating to collectors you see on the street. Resolve to do something small like this every month of the year and it will become a fantastic habit for yourself and for others.
Meet new people
It can be difficult to make connections with new people, especially when we’re busy with our lives and our existing friends and family. Meeting new people, particularly ones who are different to you in race, belief, or age, is a fantastic goal to have as it not only broadens your knowledge and world experience, it also helps your soul to know that we are all one on this earth.
Resolve to do things that allow you to meet new and different people this year, from joining a local yoga class to attending a Chinese New Year festival, you’ll learn so much and be a much more open and understanding soul.
Get into the great outdoors
We are lucky in New Zealand that we have some of the world’s most stunning natural spaces. Making it a priority to spend as much time in nature as you can this year will benefit your mind, body and your soul. If you can, resolve to help preserve our beautiful scenery too - join a tree-planting group, or do a rubbish sweep on your local beach - Mother Nature will thank you!
What are your New Year resolutions for 2020?