With just a few weeks to go before the end of 2015, perhaps now is the time to look back and ask that one question – was it a year of accomplishment, or did it just drift by?
What did you do this year that will make you look back and say, ‘now that was remarkable and personally fulfilling’?
Well, if nothing comes to mind then now is a good time to put pen to paper, or switch on the smart device, and put your wish list together about what will make 2016 more enriching.
Living in Australia gives one fantastic opportunities to find and explore activities which can stimulate different parts of ourselves. One can start with the premise that there is an adventurous side to each of us which gave us the momentum in the first place to go through the hoops to migrate to a new country. Be it migration for economic purposes or family reunion, or just the quest to find a happier life, the fact of the matter is that one undertook the processes to get that permanent residency, and arrived in the new country all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. However, the ground realities of settling in can clip some of the wings from that fancy flight. Later, work and life fall into a routine and the desire to reach out of the comfort zone can wane over time.
At the end of the year, as we take stock of where we are personally and professionally, we can also implement plans of rediscovering old passions or developing new ones. The easiest question to ask, and most difficult to answer, is what makes you feel alive? What is the passion which burns deep?
To some, it may be to acquire a new skill – develop an app, or try some fancy cooking, or join a wine appreciation course. To others, it may be to learn a new sport: try squash or tennis or chase the pesky golf ball across the green. Join the local surf club and channel your inner Baywatch star? An antiques course at the local community college maybe? A part-time management course? Camping, perhaps, in a Wi-Fi free area?
The idea is to come to this time in 2016 and say, yes, I expanded myself as a person and took on that extra skill and challenge. Of course, one may have to forgo that Saturday night greet-meet-eat-meat-and-sweets with friends, or the latest Bollywood blockbuster, but it will be worth it for a fantastic, challenging and fun year ahead.