Sometimes we need to change things up a bit to get a fresh perspective on life. Here are some ideas on how to get you headed in a new direction.
Start a new hobby
Now’s the perfect time to start a new hobby. Is there something that you’ve wanted to do for a long time but never started? Or, do you just need something to break free from the monotony? Hobbies are a great way to learn something new and they provide us with some challenges. They also offer us a way to socialize with others. Hobbies allow us to recharge and fight boredom. Here are some ideas for hobbies that you can start right away: blogging, reading, hiking, gardening, playing an instrument or dancing. And these are just a few! You can find more hobby ideas, here.
Learn a new skill
Learning a new skill is different from taking up a hobby. Skills like learning a new language or taking an online course can be beneficial in helping to boost your resume or in seeking out a new career path. Learning also gives us a sense of freedom and improves our self-confidence. It challenges us to try new things and gets us out of our comfort zones.
Make new friends
It’s always beneficial to meet new people and widen your circle of friends. Creating new friendships increases our sense of belonging and boosts our happiness. Having a group of friends to engage with widens our perspective and gives us a better outlook on life. Friends provide support when we need it and celebrate life’s successes with us. When making new friends, it’s quality over quantity. Meaningful friends enrich our lives, encourage us and make us better. To read further about friendships check out this article from the Mayo Clinic.
Get rid of clutter
It’s time to declutter! Follow in the footsteps of Marie Kondo and discard whatever it is in the house that doesn't spark joy! If you are not familiar with Marie Kondo, she is the renowned tidying expert who became famous for helping people around the world transform their cluttered homes. Her method involves tidying by category and keeping only those things that speak to the heart. In general, having less stuff can lower your stress levels, help you eat and sleep better and make you more productive. It can also help clear your mind and give you more energy. Living without clutter is a great way to refresh and start anew!
Set new personal goals
Setting new goals in life is another great way to start fresh. Maybe you set some New Year’s goals that didn’t quite pan out. Maybe you didn’t set any goals at all, and that’s okay, there’s still time to do so. The tricky thing with goals is that they need to be realistic and achievable. Setting them too high sets us up for failure. Setting them too low will not help us move forward. If you’re not sure where to begin, here is more information from Indeed on the SMART Goals method.
SMART goals are:
Specific: the goal should be very precise.
Measurable: the goal should be easy to track progress.
Achievable: the goal should be attainable and realistic.
Relevant: the goal should be part of your larger goals.
Time-bound: the goal should have a defined start and stop date.
By using the SMART goals method you are able to clarify what you want to achieve. There is no confusion about what you plan to do or how you plan to get there. You are much more likely to succeed in achieving new goals when you map them out the SMART way.
Change how you view the world
Always thinking negative thoughts can bog us down and make us feel gloomy. However, being told to think only positive thoughts feels unrealistic and unhelpful. So, what’s the answer? Try to see things in the world as realistically as possible, but don’t judge or criticize what you see. Try to be an observer of all things and choose to find the good in the world. If you perceive the world as a scary place, then that is what you will find. If you practice gratitude and acknowledge what is going well, then you will tend to see more good in the world. Believe me, you must make a conscious effort to see the good stuff! But when you do, you will release stress and see things from a different vantage point.
One step at a time
While it’s good to make changes, it’s best to change one thing at a time. Too many changes at once can become overwhelming and may cause us to give up on something prematurely. Choose one thing that you would like to change and focus on that first. Once you have that mastered, you can move on to something else. Getting something accomplished gives us the confidence we need to move forward with our next endeavor.
Have patience
Starting fresh isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. It takes time to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves or to learn a new skill. We must remember that things will not always go as planned, and we will have temporary setbacks. When that happens, go easy on yourself, and try not to get discouraged. Remember, good things come to those who wait!
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Photo courtesy Pixabay/jillwellington
Barbara Bauer is a Georgia-based blogger obsessed with inspiring others in the pursuit of self-development. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, drinking way too much coffee, and speaking with a British accent whenever possible.
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