Last year just wasn’t for the faint-hearted. The tragedies and endings that marked it derailed not a few people’s goals, leaving many of us happy just to have survived unscathed. But survival is so last year. For 2010, we should focus on living—and living well. Here’s a 2010 life makeover plan to help you get started.
1. Live green. Increased environmental awareness was the silver lining in the rainclouds that brought Ondoy. World leaders didn’t achieve much in Copenhagen, but our small efforts might just become tipping points for bigger actions. There are baby steps to living green, like refusing to use plastic bags whenever possible and bringing your own reusables, like cups and utensils, to avoid using more plastics. Greenliving.lifetips.com lists more doable steps, among them using home-made remedies, like garlic juice or blended peppers, to get rid of pests, and maintaining houseplants to ward off pollutants.
2. Save more. Few are ever happy to check their bank balances, but that should change with a good “get rich sensibly” plan. If you’re single with no dependents, save 20 to 30 percent of your regular monthly income, set aside 10 percent for your big ticket goals, and earn the rest of your fun money with sidelines. The rule of thumb is to save 10 percent, but if you’re only wasting moolah on too many calories anyway, now’s the best time to save. Get tips from Getrichslowly.org, which has a useful entry on starting the year right financially.
3. Give more. How many solicitation letters from established charities have you thrown out because you completely forgot about them after setting them aside for some later time? It’s unfortunate, really, because any delay deprives a would-be recipient of an urgent need, like food. This year is a good year to be more proactive in your giving. Find charities to help, like UNICEF and World Vision, which both prioritize education, and commit to regular donations. Wikipedia lists many other Philippine charities you can check out.
4. Travel more, especially locally. Traveling boosts one’s knowledge of self and love for nature. Many travelers have become more environmentally conscious after seeing, say, the coral reefs of Palawan, and the desire to go back and see them again takes that from consciousness to commitment. Domestic travel leaves a smaller carbon footprint, burns a smaller hole in your pocket, and opens your eyes to over 7,100 reasons to love the country. Money shouldn’t be an issue. Start with low-budget trips to exotic places in the country, like Siquijor or Camiguin. Plan your trip with Lonelyplanet.com and Virtualtourist.com. For backpacking tips, visit Startbackpacking.com.
5. Be physically fit. The natural beauty of the planet isn’t something to just look at; it’s something to take part in. You need to swim in the waters of Palawan, climb the mountains of Quezon, and trek the trails of Ifugao Province before you can claim you’ve seen the beauty of the Philippines. The hard truth is, the world was built to be explored by sturdier bodies and couch potatoes lose out on the adventure. It’s always a good time to start exercising. Why not give running a shot? Takbo.ph is a helpful resource.
6. Read more. If you’re like most young professionals, you probably do most of your reading online, on websites and social networks. Wake up your sleeping literary glutton by devoting time to reading daily. For those who want to get back to the habit of reading, Random House lists 100 best books as a guide. Dailylit.com also offers to send short parts of a literary classic of your choice for you to read under five minutes daily.
7. Network better. Do you have a bazillion friends on Facebook and as many followers on Twitter? Chances are, more than half of those won't talk to you IRL—because despite being connected to them, there hasn’t been any real connection between you since you last saw Mr. Buenconsejo drop his false teeth in Geometry class a lifetime ago. Why not turn your virtual contacts into real ones? Start by building email relationships, leaving meaningful comments on people’s posts, and showing up at meet-ups or reunions. You’ll surely need the support of your social network one of these days. Mari Smith of Whyfacebook.com has useful posts on how to make your social network work for you.
8. Unclutter. You probably made a dent in all your clutter last year by donating extras to typhoon victims. Take advantage of the head start and gun for a clutter-free environment, like a minimalist, ergonomic workspace without any distractions. There’s Leo Babauta of Zenhabits.net who can help you with his wonderful tips on simple productivity. In terms of acquisition (read: shopping), learn from Dave Bruno of Guynameddave.com, who attempted to own only 100 things. Visit Unclutterer.com to check out the minimalist workstations they feature weekly for inspiration.
9. Eat healthier. There’s embracing your true size, and there’s undeniably unhealthy. Shift to a healthier diet the easy way, by removing one bad food group or item from your diet each month. For January, give up fast food by eating only in slow food restaurants; in February, give up refined sugar by switching to muscovado; in March, ditch the refined flour by eating only whole wheat; and so on. UC Berkeley's Wellnessletter.com lists 13 keys to a healthy diet.
10. Be more positive. Predictions have it that 2010 will be a more challenging year than 2009, but you’ll do better if you face it with a “Bring it on!” spirit. Choose to be even more positive in your outlook this year, because choosing to stay positive has been proven to be definitely more rewarding than bemoaning your fate. Optimism does not always come easy, that’s for sure, but “Happiness is a choice” is a cliché for a reason. Choose to be happy with the help of constant reminders from one of the best motivational speakers out there. Set your Internet browser homepage to Ralph Marston’s The Daily Motivator, which features short messages that’ll set you off to a positive start from Day 1 to Day 365.
