Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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12 UCW DECEMBER 28, 2022 - JANUARY 3, 2023 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM COVER Individuals looking for a little more excitement and adventure in their lives can think about making New Year's resolutions that align with their adventurous goals. Below are some ideas that can serve as inspiration for any- one who wants to be a little more daring with this year's resolutions. Try a new outdoor activity e great outdoors consistently beckons. Answer the call by en- gaging in a new outdoor activity. Any activity can be adventurous if it's new to you. Start off small and get more into it as your skills improve. Consider kayaking, surfing, mountain bik- ing, rock climbing, or anything else that presents a thrill. Get creative in the kitchen Being adventurous can extend to any aspect of life, including dining. Expand your culinary horizons by trying new flavor profiles and recipes inspired by global cuisine. is may include ingredients you deem to be "ex- otic" but are customary in other parts of the world. Inviting others to join you in these culinary efforts can also bring new ideas to the table. You may find your new favorite dish. Sleep outdoors Adventures do not have to be large and time-consuming. In fact, the term "microadventure" was dubbed by Alastair Hum- phreys, an adventurer and speak- er, as a way to squeeze more gutsy activity into anyone's schedule. One way to do so is to resolve to sleep outdoors in a new place once a month. Shaking off the creature comforts of home en- ables you to adapt and embrace new experiences. Aim to be more sustainable Active lifestyles often involve exploring natural landscapes. ese areas can be affected by trash, which also can impact wild- life in negative ways. Resolve to keep parks, trails, rivers, lakes, forests and other outdoor areas clean and beautiful. Various organizations spearhead these types of efforts, but you can work independently as well. Always practice a "carry in, carry out" policy when hiking or enjoying nature. Individuals can ponder the many ways to embrace more ad- venturous resolutions in the year ahead. New Year's resolutions run the gamut from kicking bad habits like smoking to finding more time to exercise to learning a foreign language. Many resolutions are about self-improvement, and that desire to live better can extend into the professional arena. New Year's resolutions can be just as beneficial to a person's professional life as they can in that same individual's personal life. With that in mind, profession- als can consider these work-relat- ed resolutions this January. •Make a concerted effort to change careers. e numbers are in regarding satisfaction at work, and they're not very promising. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2022 report, 60% of workers report being emo- tionally detached at work. Per- haps more troubling is that 19% report being miserable at their jobs. Professionals who are not engaged at work can resolve to get the ball rolling on a career change in the year ahead. Look into what that might entail, whether it's simply applying for new jobs in your field or going back to school to facilitate a career change, and take the necessary first step. •Rebalance your work and family life. A 2015 survey of 1,000 full-time professionals in the United States found that 77% felt they had experienced burnout at their jobs. Rebalancing work and family life can make more time for things outside of work, including family. at can lead to greater life satisfaction, including a renewed vigor for your career. •Resolve to communicate more effectively with your team. Even professionals satisfied with their careers can take steps to make their work lives better. ere are many reasons why workers feel stressed and burned out, and some may find communication with their managers is lacking. Managers can make a concerted effort to improve lines of com- munication with their staff. Doing so can improve productivity and create a better working environ- ment for all. •Find ways to be more produc- tive. Remarkably, a 2019 study by Rescue Time found that, in a given workday, workers' aver- age time of productivity is just two hours and 28 minutes. By making a concerted effort to be more productive, workers can get more done in a typical eight-hour workday, thus paving the way for a better work-life balance. Spend less time surfing the internet, avoid checking your phone for texts and other distractions, and make a daily schedule of tasks to tackle. Each of these steps can help you be more productive in a given workday. When making New Year's reso- lutions this January, professionals can resolve to find ways to make their workdays better. Jump into adventurous resolution ideas a STAFF REPORT Work-related resolutions to consider in the year ahead a STAFF REPORT Adventurous ideas can serve as inspiration for anyone who wants to be a little more daring with this year's resolutions. Professionals can consider these work-related resolutions this January.