I have recently taken up hot yoga and today, as we were laying on our mats in class, dripping in sweat and grateful for a momentary breathing pause, our instructor talked about the importance of the month of January. In her lovely yoga studio, January is when many will begin a yoga class for the first time, fuelled on by a new year’s resolution and a wish to dip their toes into the unfamiliar. She explained how doing stuff we are not comfortable with can help us expand our horizons and open up our minds to new ways of thinking. Even taking a new route to work each morning can be beneficial to help us see life slightly differently. New things shake up and change our habitual thinking. It’s like mindfulness for the uninitiated – it’s an automatic focus on the right here, right now.

Finding ways to enrich your life does not mean that you have to take a massive step. It could be as simple as dedicating one evening a week to learn how to draw, play an instrument, cook or in my case, sing. I recently joined a local choir where I live in southwest London. I have always loved singing, but the thought of joining a choir never occurred to me. Until I went. And now I can’t wait for next week. Everyone there were nice, normal people who, just like me, wanted to do something new and different. So, the moral of the story is that little things can be powerful and make a huge difference. It may be just what you are looking for.

What are you doing this year that will challenge you? I’d love to hear it.