I don’t know about you, but the leaves changing color on the trees always catches me off guard. Autumn creeps up on you, and the Halloween and Christmas paraphernalia in the shops always surprise me.
Didn’t we just have Christmas?
The days, weeks, and months fly by at an ever-increasing rate of knots, and suddenly it’s nearly next year. Once the autumn kicks in, it seems like there’s no time at all until the year’s over.
For many of us, our minds go to the list of new year’s resolutions that we made last January, whether we wrote them down or just made a mental note.
We’re only human, so unless you have huge amounts of drive, motivation and a fire in your belly that means you never stop hustling, I wouldn’t mind betting that a lot of the things on that list never got done.
Maybe a few things did, and maybe you went a bit mad in January and February, but it probably dropped off at some point, as daily life gets in the way.
Now a year doesn’t really mean much if you think about it.
Sure, it’s how long it takes for the earth to go round the sun, the numbers ‘2017’ and ‘2018’ are just figures that someone plucked out of the air a long time ago, a vague estimate of how long it is since Jesus was born (and they were off the mark by a good 30 years, it seems).
But a year is still a handy way in which you can measure your productivity. And the looming end of 2017 is a great deadline for you to set yourself if there’s anything in your life you want to change, mix up, or improve.
You’ve still got a few months, and you’d love to make a change and get a head start on next year. Here are a few ways to make the rest of 2017 amazing.
Take an Exercise Class
I wouldn’t mind betting that you were planning on doing more exercise this year. There’s still time! An exercise class is a great way to do exercise whilst having loads of fun and, bonus, meeting new people.
Try something a little different, if there’s anything on offer. Bhangra aerobics, anyone? Try paying by the month rather than as you go so you have the motivation to keep going.
Learn a Language
Don’t just stretch yourself physically. If you commit and do a little every day, you’ve got more than enough time to master the basics of a new language before Christmas. There’s no better workout for the brain than language learning.
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be good at languages, give it a go, you could be pleasantly surprised! What better excuse than taking a holiday somewhere exotic next year than to practice your new found language skills.
Go on Holiday
You don’t necessarily have to wait until next year for a sneaky getaway. Make some memories with your partner, family or friends in the last few months of 2017.
If you haven’t managed to get away much this year, now’s the time to fix that! If you’ve been away loads finish it off in style by going somewhere a bit off the beaten track.
Make your own
Whether you’re good with your hands or not, why not try and get better? A great way to use your brain a bit differently is to start a craft class, or just pick something up you can do at home. Pottery, macramé, basket weaving, knitting… use your imagination.
You could even do both the environment and yourself a huge favor, and start making your own cosmetics. Things like soap and moisturizer are incredibly easy to make, and the bonus is you know exactly what’s in them!
With Christmas coming up, all of these things could make wonderful, environmentally friendly and personal gifts for your family and friends.
Learn to cook
Are your skills in the kitchen not really up to muster? Set yourself a challenge for the rest of the year and choose and few dishes to perfection. Making your own meals can be incredibly rewarding and mean you eat far more healthily. Just in time to wow your relatives during the holidays.
Change your diet
Curious about vegetarianism or veganism? Now’s the time to give it a try! See if you can give up meat, and maybe even dairy and eggs too between now and the end of the year.
You’ll feel wonderful for it, be doing the environment a huge favor, and will be forced to experiment a bit more in the kitchen!
Dare yourself
Try and do something that scares you a little between now and the end of the year. Start driving lessons. Jump out of a plane. Go to a speed-dating event. Join a club. Go surfing. Just make it a point to do something that gets your pulse-racing before the year’s out. After all, YOLO.
Stop complaining
This is a great one. How much of your life do you spend complaining? Does it actually achieve anything? Make a vow not to complain between now and 2018.
Of course, you won’t actually manage it (if you do then fair play!), but trying will be one of the best things you ever do. It’s amazing how positive your outlook will become if complaining is off limits.
A great way of doing it is by using a single bracelet. Wear it on your wrist and change wrists every time you complain. See how many minutes, hours, and days you can go.
Live every moment to the full
Just make the very most of these last few months and be sure to get outside your comfort zone. If you do, you’ll be more than motivated when the new year rolls around to make it the best year ever, as you’ll already have got a great headstart!
About The Author:
Katie is a wellness expert who spends most of her time trying out new plant-based recipes, trail running, and traveling. When she’s not doing that she’s writing for Sleep Health Energy, a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about enjoying top-to-toe health and getting a restful night’s sleep, which will leave you bursting with energy. Follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
