WELLBEING

This year I’m going to … how to start 2022 on the right note

28 December, 2021 . 0

As Australia tentatively starts to reopen, there is hope in 2022 we may be able to achieve some goals this year. Here are some fun ideas to put on your agenda.

With our lives curtailed by an ever-changing list of restrictions during the past two years, many of us had to put our goals firmly on ice.

So now with high vaccinations around the country and more freedoms, it’s high time to stop feeling stuck, and start flourishing again.

When starting to think about new goals, psychologist and mindset coach Sarah Godfrey recommends writing a list of what you learnt and enjoyed about lockdown, and what you’d rather leave behind.

“I love the idea of saying let’s just put a full stop on it and look what we are going to take forward,” she says.

Here are five ideas to try that will help you feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat.

Out of reach: The New Year’s resolutions you shouldn’t be making

Try stand-up paddleboarding (or any new hobby)

After feeling bored silly and stagnant for so long, life coach Alex Kingsmill says now is a great time to try something new.

So if there’s an activity you want to start, but there’s something getting in your way, start working on a solution.

“For example, in the case of stand-up paddleboarding, is it that I don’t have a mate to do it with, is it that I would feel like a turkey if I fell off, is it too cold?” Alex says.

In this case a lesson, or buying a wetsuit, are two great places to start.

Set a fitness goal

There’s no shortage of people wanting to lose the Covid kilos.

But Alex says it’s much more sustainable and motivating to aim towards something positive, rather than having a goal of getting away from something.

So enter that half marathon, sign up to a term of dance classes with a friend, or start training for Tough Mudder, for example.

And you might trim down as a side effect.

Meet new people

Want to meet some new mates, a partner or just get to know your community better?

Sarah suggests volunteering, which is usually a free way of meeting some interesting (and good-hearted) people.

There’s an endless number of clubs or groups you can join, from MeetUp to your local theatre, gardening, mountain biking or tennis club.

“Just join things … if you hate it, leave it and then go and join something else,” Sarah says.

Find a new job

The “great resignation” is upon us, so if you’re in the market for a career reboot, it’s time to get cracking.

“The big thing I see with people thinking about new careers is they overthink and underdo,” Alex says.

“They try to think their way into a new career based on the limited information they have available to them.”

She says a better way is to actually get out there and start talking to people, volunteering or doing work experience, “even if you’re not 15”.

Learn to speak French

Or Swahili, Russian or Hindi.

After all, the world is now calling.

Again, Sarah says to break down the goal into measurable steps.

You might start with just two steps per month.

“So if I’m going to study French, I know that at the end of this month I will have enrolled in a course and I will have downloaded an app that helps me,” she says.