Time is fleeting and somehow December is always the month when that becomes most apparent.

With 2016 just around the corner, now is the time when a lot of people decide to reflect on the past, enjoy the present with their family and plan ahead for the future.

Like many people, I try to make resolutions and goals for the new year that I would like to meet and celebrate come next December.

While resolutions can be fun to make, they become difficult to maintain. This is why this year, I decided to make goals instead of resolutions and do small, measurable things each day to achieve them. The key is to create a goal that can be reached, something you can check off your list and be proud of achieving. See my goals for 2016 below, what are yours?

1. Spend an hour a day building your future. We work eight hours a day for someone else, but what about yourself? Whether you’re looking to start your own business or learn some new skills it’s important to keep your own future in mind. One hour may just be all you need to spark some inspiration and find out where you really want to be.’If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to help them build theirs’
2. Learn to have some time off. While it’s important to work towards goals, it’s also important to learn how to recharge. My resolution is to have one night a week to relax, recharge and reward my body and mind for working hard.
3. Put away the phone. When spending time with friends and family, nothing is more annoying than having someone more fixated on their phone than the conversation. My resolution is to appreciate the time together and give them all my attention. Social Media and mobile phones can be toxic to relationships so my resolution is to use them less, especially when I am in the company of others. Who needs to see ANOTHER video of a dog riding a skateboard anyway?
4. Making nice gestures to family and friends. At least once a week, do something small to make someone else’s day. Buy flowers for a friend, cook your family dinner or even shout your coworker a coffee. Make time for little things.
5. Save money for things that matter. Sure, buying things is fun but nothing beats the proud feeling of using that money for something important. Put away a good amount from every pay check to go towards a special holiday and a house deposit.Happy New Year everyone!