I know what you’re thinking: Who wants to make New Year’s Resolutions now? We don’t even know what next week holds, much less what will happen in a whole new year! Just in case you are one of those intrepid souls who still want to uphold the tradition of making resolutions, here are few low-pressure, high-reward ones you can try:
1. Immerse yourself into a new culture.
You don’t have to learn a new language (unless you just want to). It could be as simple as dedicating one day to having authentic food from that culture, or watching a movie about it. Think about what is similar about that culture to your own, and what is vastly different. If you have been stuck inside for several months, you might be craving a glimpse into a world outside your four walls.
2. Look for opportunities to change your mind.
No, changing your mind about what you want for dinner doesn’t count. Consider an issue you haven’t really studied, but think you have an opinion about, and see if you can research your way into changing your mind about it (just beware of rabbit holes and unfounded conspiracy theories). If after all of your research, you still hold the same opinion, that’s fine. You haven’t lost anything, and now you are more informed about that issue.
3. Tackle that health issue you’ve been avoiding.
Be it physical or mental, tackling many of life challenges is harder when your health is suffering. So for 2021, it’s time to make a plan to get it on track. You would be surprised at what an effect improving just one area of your life can have on your general perspective.
If we have learned anything from 2020, it is that you never know what is on the horizon. Nevertheless, there is some measure of hope involved in making resolutions. We could all use a little more of that.
