It’s a New Year and for many, a fresh start. You’ve read the articles on how to make effective resolutions and vowed to lose 10kg, be healthier or tidier around the house. But what about making promises to yourself about things you actually want to do? Not what you think you should do but what will make you feel good?

Instead of making resolutions I won’t keep, I’ve decided to give myself permission to do the following things this year.

Write letters

I used to send a lot of letters to my pen-pals. I collected them like stamps with a handful in Australia, in the US and across Europe. I used to include little stickers and photos. I would clumsily translate English into German using a phrase book. I even took advantage of this paper friendship and stayed with my German pen-pals on my first trip overseas at the age of 18. They cooked me schnitzel and I went to college with them, ate ice cream and rode bikes. So, this year I will write more correspondence. I’ll write to my grandparents and relatives overseas, and send more cards to friends.

Make more of my own things

I’ve dabbled in DIY before – making my own granola, yoghurt and soda bread. My partner makes salami, capacola and pancetta, pickles and sauce. This year we want to crack making our own bread. Paying $8 for a dense seedy organic loaf now seems a little extravagant but anything else tastes disappointing so we’ll have to make our own. As well as food items I’d like to grow more in my tiny garden and make cleaning products like washing powder.

Go camping

One of my favourite feelings is waking up with the birds at dawn, pulling on a jumper over my pajamas, crawling outside of my two-man tent and sitting in my chair with a cup of coffee. Whether it’s on a site in a caravan park or roughing it in a national park, I always feel calm and relaxed. So this year I want to go away for a couple of long weekend camping trips to experience this feeling again.

My stack of cookbooks just waiting to be used.

Use my recipe books

I have a stack of cookbooks and received two more for Christmas. This year I will actually make some recipes from them rather than just looking at the pretty pictures. My partner and I tend to rotate through the same recipes each week and while there is nothing wrong with that, it is always nice to spice things up a bit with some new menu items.

Do more things alone

As an introvert, I quite enjoy my own company. I’m quite content to read for four hours or go for a long walk. But I also enjoy dining alone and going to the movies solo. I’ve dined sans a partner out of necessity when travelling or I’ve done it because I just fancied sitting in a café for a few hours on a drizzly weekend. And going to the movies alone – especially during the day – seems luxurious. So I will give myself permission to do these things more and maybe even add an exhibition to the mix.

What will you do for yourself this year?