- learn new skills
- manage my money
- make quality time
- help others.
living in the information age, learning new skills and acquiring better and up to date knowledge is easier than ever before. with access to the internet, libraries, museums, forums and tons of resources, many things that we may want to learn about are even available for free. there are great online opportunities for education such Coursera, which offers a wide variety of courses from colleges and universities all across the globe and cover a vast selection of topics from nutrition, to history, to how to change the world.
managing our money could mean starting a retirement savings, keeping a budget or making investments. it can mean figuring out our expenses and which unnecessary ones we can eliminate. putting away small amounts from each pay can add up quickly when left 'out of sight'. for instance having an auto transfer of $20 a pay to an RSP can help you save for the future, and can be claimed at income tax time. the same can be done to put away money for travel or next year's garden or other big-ish expenses that can be a burden when payed for all at once.
time is another thing worth keeping track of, and setting aside. in this rush-and-go lifestyle many of us tend to get caught up in, it's easy to forget to have some quality time. time for ourselves to relax, time to enjoy with family and friends, time to read or learn or get away for a weekend. time management during our work weeks can allow for better quality days off where we can spend more of our time doing things we want to do instead of constantly catching up on chores or errands from the week before.
another great thing to set aside some time for is helping others. volunteering can help to connect you to your own community. helping to improve the quality of life of those around us can in turn make us happier people. it's a fun way to explore interests other than what is in your current field of work, and gain skills in a range of different tasks such as cooking or building or maintaining a garden. there are several different ways to get involved in your community whether it's helping to clean up a park or plant trees, cooking or serving at a soup kitchen, or helping collect donations for 'Community Care' [or your own local community support center]. coming soon: links to resources and programs for you to 'get involved'!
this year for My Life i plan to learn to build things and use some power tools. i'd like to build various things we need around the yard, including a shelter that also functions as a rain catchment system. my partner and i are still working on a budget to help us achieve our goals of travel and gardening while maintaining our standard of living by eliminating unnecessary costs. we will also take part in various community clean-up efforts, and donate my no longer needed bigger clothes to community care so that they can still be used and loved.
What's your MSP?
- what new skills would i like to learn?
- how can i better manage my money so that i can save and pay off my debts?
- can i set aside a little bit of time each week for myself or friends i rarely see?
- what can i do in my own community to get involved?
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