Being more independent may be one of the goals you have set for yourself this year. Doing so could allow you to gain more confidence within yourself as well as stop you from relying on others for some things that you could gain the skills to do yourself. Finding ways to help you become more independent may involve opening yourself up to some new experiences, as well as being willing to take on the associated learning.
🤍 Practise doing house repairs here and there
It’s time to polish up your DIY skills! Practise taking on home repairs yourself, little by little, whether that means DIYing something yourself, filling in a wall, putting a shelf up… even if it doesn’t work out first time (or twentieth time), you are doing something amazing and learning at every step of the way. This is such a great way to grow in confidence and learn to trust yourself and your abilities and the only costs would be for the tools and materials, which should be significantly cheaper compared to hiring a company. As you progress, you may even want to think about undertaking other house repairs and decorating yourself, and then only leaving the major or more dangerous jobs for professionals to do.
🤍 Go on outings by yourself
Treat yourself to a bit of you time and take yourself on some dates, whether that is to the park, to the cinema or to a fancy restaurant on your birthday! It’s such a great feeling and makes you feel financially independent as well, as you learn what you like to order on the menu or what you like to get out of these experiences and how much you prefer to pay. This can put you on an amazing footing when it comes to sharing these outings with others, as you can look out for yourself and ensure you are having a good time and are more likely to make the best decisions for you.
When going out with people, whether it’s your first date, a meal with a long-term partner, or even a night out with friends, it’s great to have a little plan in place, so you know exactly the kind of dishes or activities you enjoy and how much they cost. This sentiment seems to be popular too as 60% of women in a 2018 study would prefer to take their experience in to their own hands and pay their half on a first date. By paying for yourself, you won’t be relying on other people, and can be proud of the knowledge that you are able to support your own choices in life. However, if you’ve been dating somebody for a while and they want to treat you to a meal on your birthday, there’s no harm in accepting that.
🤍 Be true to you
Trust in yourself and the things you love and pursue them unashamedly! So what if you like Love Island and Squishmallows and dressing like a five year old. Don’t let a single soul make you feel the least bit guilty! This is so much easier said than done, but every little step in pursuing the things you truly love is an amazing accomplishment, especially in the difficult and turbulent times of today.
It can help you to grow confidence when you want to speak up for yourself as it can help you to recognise and celebrate your own power in being you and help you to express your thoughts and opinions confidently. Not only could this help you when out with friends, or to better communicate within a romantic relationship, but it may also help you to go further within your working life.
🤍 Learn more about the world and climate change
Never stop learning! Climate change is a massive, terrifying and scary thing, but it’s so important that we know as much as we can and study the science to make the best decisions for ourselves and our communities and our areas.
Everything we care about will be flipped and turned upside down by climate change, so even though we might feel powerless up against the big companies driving the worst of it, it helps us to learn and do what we can, help take responsibility for our own area and create some small positive wins that go a long way for ourselves and our loved ones, whether that is taking part in vital group campaigns and activities, or learning how to flood proof our homes and learning the ins and outs of growing, producing and storing food and becoming responsible for our own livelihoods and/or communities, taking it in to our own hands.
🤍 Caring for the community
Taking care of your community is one of the most wonderful things you can do, think of it like an extension of you and taking care of the little area where you are rooted. From fun events to charity fundraisers to growing fruit and producing food for your local area, use your own resources as a place to start – any time or resources you can spend is amazing, but be sure to take care of yourself first. It’s really hard to tackle big things and projects on your own, but with a community behind you, you will go so far.
Trying new little tasks to help you become more independent every day can lead to a huge amount of personal growth over time, just take things at your own pace and go as slow as you need to, depending on your lifestyle and the demands placed on you at the moment. Just care for yourself as much as you can first and the rest will follow.
