5 things to do at the beginning of a new year

Time flies very fast. Before we know it, we’re a few weeks into the new year. Never mind if you began the year wrong—by spending, by eating too much, missing gym—you can start your journey to health and financial wellbeing right now.

Sure a new year represents a clean slate, but there’s no rule in the Book of Life that says it’s the only time that you can make a 180-degree turnaround to better your situation in life. Here’s a list of what you can do now, whatever part of the calendar you happen to read this.

1. Secure your finances.

You never want to be empty-handed (again). That does not augur well for you, so start doing things differently from now on. Save 20% of your monthly salary and open a savings account. Look into investing in stocks or mutual funds. Get a life insurance or, better yet, get a plan that combines life insurance with investment like VULs, such as FWD Life Insurance’s Manifest and Set for Life. They help you grow your money by investing in funds managed by experts.

2. De-stash.

Start cleaning out your closet, declutter and get rid of unnecessary items at home. Whether it’s that extra chair in the living room or that lotion on your dresser that you’ve not used for years. Donate your old but usable stuff to charities or sell it to raise cash to support a cause. Make space for new passions, hobbies and habits.

3. Fulfill your promises.

Now is the perfect time to list down all your commitments—responsibilities, debts, promises—and tick each one off. Doing so will give you a sense of accomplishment and it’ll let you start on a new path. Fulfilling promises is hard work, especially the ones you make to yourself and loved ones. But it also affirms that actions speak louder than words and convey that you care enough to fulfill them.

Fulfill your promise to prioritize self-care this year and to only spend your energy with the ones that make you truly happy and well in life, health, love, and career. Say yes to the ones that will care for you like FWD Life Insurance’s The One Life Insurance Cover. FWD The One is composed of life insurance as the base plan which you can personalize and build according to your needs and budget. Your life, your plan! With FWD The One, you can add to your plan a critical illness coverage or accidental death benefit, or both! This insurance plan is the one that gives you control, freedom, and protection.

4. Lessen your data space.

Check your data space, both on your mobile phone and computer, and delete files that you’ll no longer use. Organize your inbox and delete emails that you don’t need to keep. If you will still use them, store the files on a drive or the cloud so you still have access to them in the future.

5. List down your goals for the rest of the year.

What do you want to accomplish? List your goals and read them aloud every morning as a reminder. These goals can be your morning affirmations. This will help you focus on what you need to do to achieve them. Good luck!

One of the goals that should be on everyone’s list is to take care of themselves. You can do that with FWD Life Insurance’s Vibrant Critical Illness Insurance, which helps you take care of your health from screening to treatment all the way to your recovery. Book a free session with an FWD financial advisor to know more how you can live a more vibrant life.