If 2018 has been about everyone else but yourself, turn that around and make 2019 the year of loving and living your best life yet.
Take care of number one. Now, how many of us dish that advice to others, but never actually follow our own proclamations? Starting today, forget the grand gestures. In fact, focus on doing little things that slowly but gradually increase the happiness of your every day. Here are six ideas to get you started.
INVEST IN A RITUAL OF HYGGE
The Scandinavians are masters of creating joy out of grey skies. With winter lasting months and the sun not showing up for weeks, it’s important to keep the gloom at bay. Think of hygge as an elevated form of self-love, which can be anything from enjoying a cocktail alone in a cozy bar to spending the last hour of your day curled up in bed reading your favourite book. There’s no golden rule, except one: To do what sparks joy within.
COMMIT TO A HOBBY FOR AT LEAST THREE MONTHS
Newsflash: Work is not a hobby. Nor is Netflix, which is really just a fun distraction. This year, dare to delve deep to nurture what really interests you. Just like how your parents exposed you to chunks of ballet, piano, swimming, martial arts while growing up, do the same, but this time you’re in charge of sussing out your own interests. For a start, if you feel the urge to create something tangible with your hands, have a go at throwing and shaping clay at Mud Rock Ceramics, which runs regular classes.
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SAVE FOR THAT BUCKET LIST TRIP
You could whip out your credit card and jet off to Paris for a week… but where would that leave you 10 days later? Saddled with debt, that’s where. Travel is a splurge that should be planned for. Start making a list of bucket travel plans, big and small. Whether it’s to learn how to dive, spend a week leisurely exploring the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, hot air ballooning in Cappadocia or joining a surf/ yoga camp in Costa Rica, it’ll feel so much more amazing knowing you saved for it. Lower your costs by doing your research (accumulate air miles, explore house sitting and couch surfi ng options), and don’t be above taking on a side gig to make this dream come true.
PRETTY UP YOUR SPACE
Spend a weekend beautifying your space and you’ll never want to leave home. Make your own soy-based candle, purchase some plants or put together your own stained glass pane. If you’re not artsy, it’s amazing what a fresh set of pillow covers and curtains will do for the room, or just tidy up your desk space with a cool pegboard from Ikea.
MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING MOOD BOARD
If you’re not living your best life now, start the realisation process by putting all your dreams and hopes down on a mood board. Clip pictures from magazines, trawl Instagram for inspirational sayings that resonate with you, make a list of great stuff that happened in 2018, and keep adding to it — before you know it, your dreams may come true.
