New Year resolutions are often broken early on in the year; in fact, many of us who made a resolution at the turn of the year will probably have already at least bent – if not entirely broken – it. That’s not so much a comment on our strength or weakness as human beings, and more on the simple fact that giving things up is more complicated than just deciding to do it on a set date. It’s about being ready, and having the support, to actually stick to it.
It could be argued that taking the turn of the calendar as a good time to stop doing something is a bad idea – there is no benefit from attaching an arbitrary time frame to a decision like that. On the other hand, another year can offer the best trigger to get you to start doing something. This year more than any other really makes that point all the clearer. One way or another, there is going to be more time in lockdown this year, and at the end of it all we’re going to face a world radically changed from before the pandemic. So there’s no better time to add a new string to your bow – for employment purposes or just for your own enjoyment.
Pick a new language to learn
There is a lot to gain from upskilling on the language front. You can get the best from overseas holidays (when we start having those again, anyway!). You can increase employment prospects and give your business a boost. Aside from these reasons, learning a language is fun in itself and also can open up a new world of cultural delights for you. You can gain an understanding of Korean and better enjoy the expanding K-pop and K-drama scenes, or maybe brush up on your French; building on an existing understanding can be fun and more simple.
Get a handle on digital art
If your self-improvement goals are in any way business-oriented, then it is always useful to find a way of expanding your own abilities. You may be a solid salesperson or gifted in procurement, but if you want your business to catch people’s eyes you need to know how to sell it. You can gain an understanding of the visual side of this by seeking out a beginners photography course and gaining an appreciation of how to take more outstanding photos. Even if your goals aren’t business-related, photography is a hugely relaxing pursuit.
Get into volunteering
There is never a bad time to give something back to society, and there are going to be plenty of opportunities to do precisely that as we wait for the world to get back to something resembling normal. There will, without a doubt, be opportunities for voluntary projects near to you, and it is worth looking for a chance to get involved. In some cases, these projects will require that you be vaccinated before they’ll let you start, but if you haven’t been immunised yet there will be opportunities for volunteering from home, too. Volunteering is an excellent chance to meet people and gain new perspectives, and if you want to help people as a living in future it is a great place to start.
