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Below are few guidelines and areas of focus that should help you sail smoothly through 2022.

1. Relationship anchors

Recognize the relationship anchors, which helped you tide over 2021 and make deliberate efforts to stay near them. They may need your time and support as you received theirs. Keep asking and make them feel that you are around. Human beings are social by nature. Increase the social quotient this year and you will be glad to see the changes it beings to your life. I am not emphasizing on physical meeting but staying in touch. Which can be done via calls, emails, video conferencing etc. Call that old friend, who is always on your mind but both of you have not spoken for many years now.

Go out and volunteer in the neighborhood. You will meet a lot of interesting people. It may require only a few hours in a week. Set up a schedule and you will not feel overwhelmed.

Below are few time tested pointers to improve your relationships.

2. Spiritual well-being

Being spiritual has nothing to do with renouncing everything and staying like a monk. There is not need to include religious components to it. It is a critical balancing component in anyone's life. Life is incomplete without it. Spirituality brings a sense of connection with a higher being . It helps to live a life of purpose. It makes you feel alive and motivated. It is most helpful during emotional stress, by helping you stay focused. The outlook broadens with a positive mindset.

There are different ways to build the spiritual quotient. Below are few of them . I personally find meditation and practicing gratitude with prayer to be most effective.

3. Health and wellness

I call health and wellness as the other side of spirituality. But for simplicity sake, lets discuss on this separately. Having a good health and wellness regime let you enjoy life to the fullest. You cannot enjoy winters, if the body does not allow and cannot tolerate the chill.

Health and wellness also helps to be in a happy state with focus. It boosts creativity. Cuddling pets help release beta endorphins and dopamine. Exercise help release dopamine and serotonin, which improve the mood. Being near to nature improves the blood oxygen levels and you feel energetic. When trying to eat health, it is better to limit or eliminate the intake of sugar, salt and processed food. Fruits and vegetables contain natural sugar, which  should be enough to compensate the bodily requirements.

4. Learning and self-motivation

Many of us feel that earning an income gives us a right to stop learning. Often learning feels like burden. However, one should approach learning as fun and a life long process. Be curious about the new stuff that comes you way. Everyone loves learning but not the same mode of sitting and reading a book. Many would prefer to learn from experience. On the other hand watching videos and documentaries are more enticing. It does not matter how you learn. What matters is that life does not stop teaching. Recognize this fact and give learning it's due place in your life. Specially now, when uncertainty looms large due to the pandemic. Learning a new skill also gets you motivated and ready to explore the passions you always longed to pursue. Hence, without further adieu, get going !

5. Personal Finance

The previous year has been tumultuous. Many would have faced the strains of uncertainty. Job redundancies and salary cuts had become the new normal. We are not out of the woods yet. We cannot do anything, which is not in our hands, but we can surely do something where we have control. E.g managing our personal finance. Make it an integral part of your life as money is also important.

It is never too late to begin. Start by prioritizing your expenses and making a budget. Aim to to save at least 10% every month. Pay yourself first. Once these initial steps are followed for 6 months, move on to the next goal of creating an emergency fund. Find out what best works in your situation. Someone would like to save an create an emergency fund  as a priority. That is absolutely fine.

6. Recap

For most of us, the year 2021 has been full of surprises. It tested our nerves like no year has ever done. We have lost our loved ones to the pandemic. But that does not break our resolve to strive and keep moving forward. The year 2022 brings new hope. However, we should be better prepared.