21 New Things To Try in 2021

All settled into 2021? It's the perfect time to try out 21 new things this year. Or less or more - it doesn't matter as long as you try and do something new. I have been doing some of these things for a while and want to pick up the rest as the year progresses. You may know some of these beforehand or it may be all be new for you. So here goes:-

1. Donate Clothes; Blankets; Books; Stationery; Shoes; Makeup; Toys & Groceries. We are blessed with more than we need. Share it with those who have lesser. My personal NGO of choice for this is 'Goonj' as they have a ' Dignity For Work ' policy. They repurpose donated stuff to suit cultural expectations and give it out to people in villages who have participated in building something in their area, like a well/a road. It's not just donation out of sympathy.
2. Write a small letter/ note/ email on someone's birthday/ anniversary/ wedding. Or better yet, send a card with a personalized note. Nope, that gift voucher doesn't cut it. Believe me, words and a sincere effort still mean more than money. On that note, set calendar reminders for special people and their special days so like me, you don't remember at 10 pm at night. :p
3. Open a buffer savings account. Just for you. Just for emergency money. Pay yourself first, every month into that account. If you can't set aside 30% of your income, start with 10/15/20%. Just get into the habit of saving up for a rainy day and money that is just yours to manage. Savings bring freedom and options in life.
4. Try out 15 minute guided meditation for 21 days/ 30 days. Meditation is said to be exercise for the mind. God knows we are all hyper stressed (mostly for the wrong reasons) and meditation might be the way out to reclaim our focus. I've started and will let you know the results. :)
5. At work, ask someone in a different team to teach you something new. Or make it a point to have a discussion about their area of work. You never know what you can learn and apply differently to your area of work.
6. Read 1 - 2 books every month. Even as a non-reader. Read even a short blog. Read something that is related to your work or your hobby or to learn something new. Read about the life and work of someone you admire. Believe me, it will change your mind.
7. Weave in exercise into everything you do. For most of us, it's difficult to carve out time to actually hit the gym/ practice yoga/ go for a run. Start mini workouts - park further from your office building and walk; take the stairs when you can; do a few squats at your work desk; stand for longer periods when you work. Be more active.
8. Keep a journal/ diary and practice free writing. What's free writing? Sit down and write continuously for 10- 15 minutes/ 3 pages a day. Don't use any punctuations. This helps get all our mental junk out and clears our head for creative ideas. A great stress buster and an amazing creative practice to generate new ideas.
9. At the end of each day, jot down 1-3 amazing things that happened to you/ you are grateful for today. 'Coz most of our day goes in complaining. We may not have it all but we have enough today and can work for more tomorrow.
10. Estimate how much money every month/ year will be enough to make you happy and content. No holds barred estimate. Then work smart and hard to achieve it. It's a very interesting activity and one that is sure to be eye-opening. We spend so much time blindly comparing with others on financial status but fail to understand how much money will fulfill our needs and dreams.
11. Create your own personal 'board of directors'/ cheerleaders. This set of 3 - 5 people will be your pillar of counsel and support (also some honest criticism when needed). In a world filled with critics and trolls and people ready to pull you down, you need a personal board of directors who will inspire, encourage, support, advise and push you to do more and be more.
12. That being said, a new thing to try this year is accept criticism and rejection. Life is harsh and unfair and we need to adapt to it. We are not special and we won't win at everything or be perfect or make everyone happy. Anyone who succeeds in life has learnt to accept failure, criticism and rejection on a regular basis. The key point is to understand which criticism is useful, learn from rejection/ failure and try anew.
13. Give up something you can't do without. E.g: Stop drinking coffee/tea. Try it for 7 days. Then stretch it to a month, if possible. Stretch your willpower to see what you can do without.
14. When you really feel like buying something, put it in your wishlist instead of your cart. Come back after a day. 90% of the time, you will forget to come back. Which means, you didn't need to buy it in the first place. Experiences over materialism.
15. Choose a cause that means something to you and volunteer your time to building that cause. Even if it is 1 - 2 hours every week, the practice of volunteering will expand your worldview and make you genuinely happy.
16. Audit Your Day. Treat yourself like a business and audit where your most precious assets are wasted, i.e., your time, energy and focus. Is there a way you can delegate more of your daily tasks, even if it means asking all family members to share the load equally? Even if it means hiring additional help for a while? Decide on what is important, not urgent. Every day is adding up to your life. Don't treat your life lightly.
17. Ration Screen Time. If there is nothing else that you want to try in 2021, do try this one. Limit your screen time and your use of social media. Have an 'off switch' in your schedule - a time after which you won't check your mail or scroll mindlessly on your phone. Use this time to take care of yourself, spend time with family, have a conversation with friends or just reflect on the day.
18. Choose positive inputs. Your mind is precious. Choose what impacts and influences it daily. If you are always open to watching news or social media inputs or trash TV, your mind will wallow in the same negative circles. Elevate and choose the inputs that go into your mind daily. E.g., choose to read an opinion piece/ blog over forwarded whatsapp messages.

19. Create instead of consume. You have a lot to share with the world. Even if it is messy, vulnerable, a story of failure - it can still teach and inspire many more. Create something and share it with the world. No matter what the response to your creation, you will never regret the process of expression. Also, it adds to your legacy. Which brings me to the next point...

20. Try writing your obituary. If not literally, then have a reminder in your daily life that you, me, everyone of us is mortal and dying. We don't know when and how. So think about the legacy you want to leave behind. Are you taking steps to fulfill any of that?

21. Watch or re-watch 'The Martian'. It's incredibly inspiring and will give you the resolve to tackle the hardest days and the toughest, most unexpected problems. "Solve enough problems and you get to come home."

If you have anything else that you are trying out new in 2021, drop a line in comments below.