I’m not one who overly conforms to social norms, so something like new years resolutions are not my thing, I believe if you are going to make a change, anytime is a good time to start, but I’m also not a buzz kill, theres a renewed energy that comes with a new year, so let me attempt to explore my intent for 2016.

Love myself more. Not through vanity, but rather I intend to love myself, respect myself and be myself a lot more. How could I possibly expect others to love me, if I don;t love myself first.

Tell the people in my life how much I value them. I have lived with regret for things I should have said and I know I need to tell people how important and special they are to me.

Dance. I don’t care to ‘klap a jol’ and I don’t expect I’ll be frequenting dance classes, but I will certainly shake my ass at social events like Secret Sunrise. I’m on the lookout for similar experiences, so hit me up if you know of something.

Afrika Burn. This is more of a bucket list type thing. Burning Man is the true experience, but I’m totally up for going local this year and as it happens, I have already made plans with friends to get there.

Camp. Whether it be at an event like Afrika Burn, on a beach or under the stars, I intend on taking my new appreciation for nature to the next level. I have spent the past year or so mostly in hotel rooms, so I can think of nothing better than hitting the road, finding a beach along the coast and crash on a beach for the night.

Eat well. I don’t call if you call it a lifestyle, a diet, bunting or anything else, I call it eating well. Reduce sugar, processed foods, meat, eating out and general waste. Not only is it a waste of money, harmful to the environment, it is also pretty bad for your health. Despite all the training I do, nothing will keep me lean, in good health and mindfulness, than fresh natural foods as I need it, not as society believes I should conform.

Drink well. I am already doing this pretty well, but it’s my intention to stay on this path. I generally drink water, freshly squeezed juice, smoothies and occasionally tea and coffee. Thats right, I have stopped drinking as much tea and coffee and I plan on cutting it out completely, as I have energy drinks, fizzy drinks, alcohol and the likes.

Stay fit. I go to CrossFit, hike up the mountain, frequent the gym, enjoy long walks and I’m generally pretty active and I’ve reduced my weight and increased my fitness. But I can do more and 2016 I intend on pushing myself harder, not as a punishment because I hate my body or being out of breath, but rather because I love myself enough to exercise my muscles. I see no need to be big, I want to be smaller, tighter and fitter so I can enjoy things like surfing, hiking etc without struggling and carrying any excess baggage around with me. I want to be healthy, young and strong.

Reduce debt. While I’m far from actually reducing debt, my first step is to simply not add debt. I have all I need.

Get rich. I have had a bad relationship with money and its probably why I have none. A good friend has been coaching me into changing my mindset about money and I intend to stop feeling guilty about making lots of it. While I’m not obsessed with it, I certainly believe I deserve to live a life where I am not constantly living in fear on not having enough. I am also kind and know that if I was to get rich, I’d be able to afford to do more for others.

Actively pursue my passions. I am passionate about many things, surfing, skating, hiking, CrossFit etc. Instead of loafing on the couch, I intend to take advantage of the opportunity these sorts of activities. I can do them on my own or with others and simply being passionate isn’t enough, I’m energetic, I can find the time and I want to do these sorts of things.

Progress, not perfection. As a virgo, I am quite a perfectionist and it’s actually stopped me from doing many things. I am striving to be more consistent, and rather make progress every day, instead of trying to always be perfect.

Unlearn to learn. Above I said I was a virgo. Well thats something I have been programmed to believe. I am anything I want to be, I do not need to be defined by anything. So in order to be my best self, I need to unlearn a lot of things.

Love nature. I am in no position to do very much to save the earth, I am already quite conscious and do my thing here and there, but I strongly believe that one of the greatest things we can do, is appreciate what we have by bathing in it’s beauty and project our love back towards the world.

Love life. I have a new appreciation for life, so I need to take advantage of it. I have so many things I want to do, learn, experience and achieve. So stop being in my own head and limiting myself, if I want to do it, I need to stay hungry and go get it.

Laugh more. When you laugh, nothing else matters, you are purely living in the moment. So find things that make you laugh, laugh with friends, laugh a lot and laugh loud.

I am excited about all the possibilities ahead of me and ready to embrace each moment to the fullest.

Happy New Year, wishing you and yours the best in 2016!