New year, new you

Make the most of the year by creating opportunities to better yourself

January 05, 2019 05:00 pm | Updated 05:00 pm IST

At the beginning of every year, we look for ways to better ourselves. Sometimes, a little change is all we need. There are several ways to go about renewing ourself; a small shift of perspective can add a lot of meaning to our life in new and unexpected ways.

Let’s take a look at a few of them...

The lost art of reading

Reading opens up the mind to new dimensions; it teaches us patience and imparts knowledge. We must include brief reading sessions in our daily routine. The beauty of reading is such that we may start out with one topic but end up discovering a whole new concept. For example, when we were kids, our English classes required us to use the dictionary. While looking up a particular word, we ended up learning many new words in the process. Choosing a book over Google may be the change you need in life.

Be kind

Small acts of kindness go a long way in impacting the lives of people. The spirit of giving isn’t limited to financial efforts; we can also “give” time, effort, and energy which are equally important resources. We come across so many inspiring stories of how ordinary people have made an extraordinary difference in the lives of others. Having an intention of service and taking small but significant steps will set us apart from those who choose only to complain.

Love thyself

Embrace self-love; make yourself a priority. When we don’t love ourselves, we end up expecting those around us to fulfil our emotional needs. We must learn to fulfil our own emotional needs, and self-love is a big step towards that goal. One of the exercises that can help in this is looking into the mirror every day and saying three things that we like about ourselves. This will help us find happiness within ourselves. Our thoughts and behaviour must be focused towards our betterment. This is one of the hardest things to achieve in life, but everything else falls into place when we are truly happy with ourself; then we function with a positive frame of mind which results in better decision-making.

Family time

Individuals who share a strong bond with their families are generally more secure and happy. Keeping aside the frustrations of day-to-day life and sharing a meal with the family at least twice a week improves our overall well-being. Those who are living far away from their families can find new ways of staying connected. Some families even play online team games together — it is certainly unconventional, but a fun activity to engage in.

Nature bound

Spending some time with nature is great for self-reflection. Nature is the biggest healer. It is a well-researched and a proven fact that the colour green not only has a soothing effect on the brain, but, also stimulates creativity. For those of us who don’t prefer the outdoors, setting up and maintaining an indoor garden is a good alternative. Plan small picnics with friends or family to the nearby park, beach, or hillock (depending upon where you live) if you like company over solitude.

Explore

Expand your spectrum of experiences by exploring new horizons beyond your comfort zone. Today’s generation is progressively becoming more open to travelling; it is one of the best ways of self-exploration. To quote the New York Times best-selling author Gayle Foreman, “Travelling’s not something you're good at. It’s something you do. Like breathing.” It can be a truly liberating experience, if understood in terms of learning — you learn to utilise your resources judiciously, communicate in a new environment, and meet people from different walks of life.

Personality development

It is our responsibility to improve ourselves. Individuals are viewed and understood in terms of their personalities, so, it is an important component of the self. Body language, dressing sense, conversational skills, and knowledge are some of the basic components of personality and they can constantly be upgraded. Having a great personality automatically boosts one’s confidence. If you notice, some of the people we consider great are those who constantly reinvent themselves.

Learn a new skill

It is fun to learn a new skill at any age. Students often complain about not having enough time, but the truth is, one has to make time for what is important to them. Choose any new skill that makes you feel engaged and happy — artistic, intellectual, or physical — and commit a small amount of time towards developing it. It is necessary to pick one that inspires us. The desire to take actions towards learning depends on your motivation levels, which will be high only when you do something you deeply care about.

The author is an integrative life coach who practices counselling psychology, clinical hypnotherapy, neuro linguistic programming and is a social activist.

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