New Years Resolutions

A  new year means a new start, almost like a new life. We all make resolutions.  But all my friends and me (and possibly you too) have often seen them crumble after a couple of  days.

I’m going to stop smoking, drink less, go on a diet  –  we’ve all been there. I heard of this guy who never even  got around to his resolution about starting a  watercolour painting hobby. Always too  busy. My pal Joey wanted to  try to get up earlier to walk the dog.  Always overslept. No doubt these things needed extra effort. Yes, success needs  effort, but also  time   and patience is required.  Richard  Branson  didn’t become rich overnight, Madonna didn’t leap to fame in one performance. For success, we’ve got to make it happen.

2016 is a leap year, with 366 days including February  29th.  It’s almost as if we were given an extra day to live. What would you do if you were given an extra day to live? Something important, I imagine !  February 29th is an extra day with  24 hours of “free”  time.  Now, 24 hours of  “free”  time  amounts to about two hours free time per month to devote to  your  personal resolution, or target.  How will you be using your “free”  time?

Many of us make resolutions with good but vague intentions.  We  do much better with specific targets, no matter what our intentions are. In 2016, you could start individual personal development activities like learning  Spanish, walking the dog daily, reading more, or taking up yoga lessons. These are all good, and the  time adds up amazingly. For example, if you read a book for only half an hour per day you can get through twenty books a year. You might read more about local history and get involved with enthusiasts in local societies. Try this one for starters       www.facebook.com/consett.and.district.heritage.initiative/info/?tab=page_info

But why not do something helping other people, something beneficial to a wider social group?   What’s to stop you doing the washing-up one day every week for your wife or  mam/grandma? Why not visit  an old person every week and make him a cuppa or play cards with him?  Or you could help out at  Willow Burn Hospice Lanchester    http://www.willow-burn.co.uk/volunteer   Certainly, these types of activities are often already catered for by existing Consett organizations such as Derwentside Council for Voluntary Services. However, it may be possible to assist these existing  organizations to do their valuable work. They always need help and they welcome volunteers. Useful tips to get you kick-started, can be found at www.cvs.derwentside.org.uk/  and   www.cvs.derwentside.org.uk/how_to_volunteer.html

 

Everybody has a general  interest in improving the local environment.  But you might find more satisfaction if  you focused on  specific targets. Get together with  some friends, some volunteers, with an actual timetable to  clean up (let’s say) litter in the local park or along a riverbank walk. One group member is selected to get gloves and big plastic bags to handle the trash.  Volunteers could also do some  replanting, or weed removal, improving footpaths, open spaces, and local amenities like seats/benches, litter bins. If you want to plant new bushes along a riverbank walk, you will often find that businesses such as garden centres/nurseries will give items free, so they can then advertise their role in the community project. Who cares if the council already  has a service, or other groups  are doing similar work?  Why not simply do something for free for your own community?  And not just adults,  but also school students – in groups led by teachers to help coordinate activities. If you want to see what a group of volunteers can achieve, look no further than the Shotley Bridge Village Trust, which is well-established by reputation – and their site reveals the kinds of activities which are  possible www.litteraction.org.uk/shotley-bridge-village-trust. Other excellent sites are www.sbvt.wordpress.com/category/litter/page/2/   www.derwentvalleylife.org.uk/your-area

 

Here’s an idea  –  have your group of volunteer friends collect up discarded soft drink/beer cans (or glass) and get them to a recycling centre (HWRC) such as at  Morrison Busty Industrial Estate,  Annfield Plain (open from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm  seven days a week). Another HWRC is at Tudhoe Industrial Estate, Spennymoor, and another at Brooms Dene, Stony Heap, Leadgate.   Other recycling points are found at supermarkets and other locations in the district.   Maybe you can make a  small cash profit which can be spent  paying  for some further  environmental improvements.  Maybe you can spend the profit buying some paint to put a coat of colour on some unsightly concrete wall or area of graffiti. The local paint shops may offer the paint and brushes at considerable discount for this kind of community project.  When I was teaching school I got the kids to collect old beer cans, and we sold them, making enough cash to purchase new sports equipment for the school.

When we are involved with a group it is less likely that we will slack off and gradually abandon our target. And we can make the project  more fun by spending a morning working at our target, then stopping for a picnic or a game of football with the group  – out there in the area where we are working…field, park, riverbank.  It is great for socializing when we  get involved in a group project for some community benefit.  Members of the group not only end up at  picnics after their work, but at annual  get-togethers and  Christmas parties.  The group can even award its really outstanding members with fun ‘diplomas’.  It is often the case that local organizations like fire brigade, hospital, civic trust, district council, etc., may also decide that the group’s voluntary work was good enough to merit a similar award.

With or without awards, whether our resolution has a group target  or a  personal development ambition, let’s make sure that we  make it happen.  Good luck in 2016 !


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