January 10, 2020, by Shweta

How to start afresh this new decade

New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favourite nights of the year. A lot of that probably has to do with the chance to pursue everything that never was. And while I am a firm believer in the fact that you can forge change any day, New Year’s Day provides an ideal and calculated time to do so.  Additionally, there’s something to be said about the togetherness of meeting your resolutions alongside friends and family who are on their own journeys towards a better future. With January 1^st 2020 marking both, a new year and a new decade, here are my top tips for starting afresh this new decade!

Overhaul your social media

The past decade has seen an undeniable rise in the popularity of Instagram, snapchat and the likes. However, social media has also got a lot of bad press off late. Many research papers have detailed the rise in depression, anxiety, poor body image and loneliness in teenagers and young adults secondary to increased social media usage. I’ve chosen to look at it differently.

I believe social media can be a powerful tool in both, education and communication, if used properly. After all, you are only a sum of your experiences and surroundings. Use this year to overhaul your socials; delete toxic contacts, follow motivational speakers, listen to more podcasts, use LinkedIn to network. I also love following mental health support platforms on Instagram to fill my feed with positive comments, unbiased insights into unhelpful behaviour and healthy coping mechanisms. This is a wonderful reminder to be kinder to yourself whilst scrolling through Instagram and comparing yourself to that girl in Bali whom you used to know from 5 years ago.

Learn more

This is easier said than done but I would suggest identifying one or two points of weakness in your own knowledge base and then finding books/podcasts about said topic. For example, I’ve always been particularly weak at financial management and so I’ve begun reading articles from the Business Insider and the Economist to help me learn. The knowledge you gain, whilst small, will be invaluable. There are YouTube videos, Ted talks, and blog posts for every single field, from skin-care to the stock market. This decade, find a niche and make it yours.

Put yourself first

This means eating better, sleeping well, focusing on your education, investing in good relationships and developing your own personal skill set. Again, much easier said than done but if you break it down and tackle these things one at a time, you’ll be able to look back 365 days from now having made a mountain a molehill. Get a gym membership (or start running outside, if you’re on a tight budget), focus on eating more fruit and veg, start recycling, do an online course over the Easter or summer breaks, volunteer more and donate to an important cause. There are a million tiny ways to make a big difference. Most importantly, smile more and be grateful every day. This alone will transform your life.

I wish you a very happy new year and hope that this year (and decade) will be everything you hoped for and more.

Until next time,

Shweta

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