10 Things You Need To Do in 2017

Forget about the hard stuff. Here's what you really need to do in 2017:

1. You need to learn something new. How to curl your hair. Or play ukulele. Or bake bread from scratch. Or make salted caramels. Or write haiku. Or draw cartoons. Or knit a hat. YouTube has instructions for almost anything. All of it is free. Pick anything and do something new.

2. You need to celebrate more often. Pour some bubby, meet a friend for lunch, celebrate your partner, your child, your grandchild. Tell the people you love that they deserve to be celebrated. Have some fun. Be more fun. At a conference years ago, we were asked a question I'll never forget: 

Balloon photo source

3. You need to kick the dust from your feet. Bad relationship? Stupid comment you made that keeps replaying in your head? Minor failure or a major one? Kick off the dust.

4. You need to start all over again. Because we all have forever-tries. Start over, start over, start over. That's called living.

5. You need to produce more and consume less. Take more pictures; check Instagram less. Write more bad poetry; watch less bad Netflix. Make more salads; buy less takeaway. Be a producer, not a consumer. Make, build, do. 

6. You need to make yourself happier. Notice the small stuff. Love the smell of your favourite hand cream when you put it on. Scratch your dog's ears and soak up her loving gaze. Happiness is everywhere, waiting for you to notice it.

7. You need to take charge of the little things. Reorganise your undies. Clean up your cutlery drawer. Chuck out every pen that doesn't work.

8. You need to love the people you've been given to love. Love your mum. Your siblings. Your family. Your irritating boss. The barista who makes your coffee. Your dentist. Love the people in your circle. Listen to them whenever you can.

9. You need to stretch. Brilliant and totally underrated. Lie down on your floor and stretch out. Yes, do yoga if you know how, but if you don't...just stretch yourself. Put your arms over your head. Spread your toes. Roll your neck. Stretch whenever you remember.

10. You need to be your own cheerleader. Living is hard enough without criticising ourselves at every turn. We're here; we're the lucky ones; we have 2017 to try everything again. Grab your favourite people and start walking into this brand new year.

Here's me, today in Sydney (with wrinkles & coffee), sending big hugs and best wishes for a fabulous 2017 for us all :)