How to have a great year

I recently turned 40 and I decided that, for my 40th year, I would do one thing every month that I’ve always wanted to do but never done before 🤠 Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

This is a tried and tested method (as all my recommended positive techniques are!) because I did exactly the same thing for my 30th year and had the most amazing time! To name a few of the things I did that year - I went skiing, flew a plane, traveled the world teaching dance classes and competing, I visited Lands End, went to Glastonbury, watched a West End show, returned to Texas where I spent my second year of uni… all things I’d wanted to do but hadn’t got around to before that year.

Better still, I had friends and family join me for some of it and ended up with an online “adventure group” because we simply didn’t want to stop having good times once the year was complete. What a lovely, unexpected outcome of connecting people and spreading the joy even further 👫

These monthly hurrahs don’t have to be huge, small things count too - how about that coffee shop you’ve not been to yet, or that friend you’ve yet to visit at their home, the origami you’ve always wanted to try or new plant you’ve had your eye on for the living room. There’s no reason at all that we can’t live our lives in this way, but making a personal pledge means we’re more likely to make it happen. Not celebrating a big birthday this year? No problem, do it anyway!

How to begin? 📝 Create a list of all the things you can think of that you’d love to do - small, huge and everything in between. If some things lend themselves to specific months then create a calendar of events. Otherwise, pop that list somewhere you can see it and when you achieve one of your dreams, check it off and note the month next to it. At the end of the year, create a calendar of all the amazing things you did, the fun you had and the great memories you made. In those moments where you think “that year flew by, where did the time go?” at least you can know, with a smile, that you made the most of it and lived your best life, no matter what else was going on.

First on my list this time was getting a camper van. Check ✅ Not only has this been a dream of mine for ages, but it’s given me a new lease of life, a fun project and it’s shown me that I CAN do this thing! That last point is important. Believe that you can and you will. It’s all about neuropsychology, a positive mindset and a good dollop of determination.

Let’s do it! Let’s have a great year. We deserve it 🙌🏼

Thumbnail photo credit to Power of Positivity