We’re all familiar with calendars. We buy them at the start of the year and place them on our desks or hang them in our homes and in our classrooms. Calendars are great for remembering important dates like birthdays, appointments or holidays. But calendars are “passive” — they mostly show chores and obligations we did not choose. What if we could devise an “active” calendar? Instead of writing down the random tasks we must do, we could use it to plan exciting activities, set personal challenges, and track our progress. An active calendar can help us grow, have fun, and make a difference in the world. Let’s look at five “active” calendars that you could try this year.

The Confidence Calendar

A Confidence Calendar helps you believe in yourself. Confidence is like a muscle that grows stronger the more you use it. So, consider planning one small thing each day that pushes you outside your comfort zone. For example, if you’re shy, try answering a question in class or introduce yourself to someone new. You could practice speaking in front of a mirror or even join a theatre class. If you play an instrument, you could decide to master a new skill. Remember: be realistic and plan progressive and achievable goals. And keep in mind that mistakes are part of the process; they help you learn and grow. At the end of each week, write down your progress in your Calendar. By the end of the year, you’ll feel braver, stronger and more self-confident.

The Kindness Calendar

It’s scientifically proven that kindness makes you happy: when you’re kind, your brain releases chemicals that reduce stress, improve your health and even help fight depression. And it makes the recipients of your kind acts happier too! A Kindness Calendar is about planning a kind act every day. It can be as simple as smiling at someone, writing a thank-you note, helping a friend or keeping an older relative company. You could even consider doing charity work. Besides planning your Kindness Calendar, you could also keep a “Kindness Jar.” Every time you do something kind, write it on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, you’ll be able to see all the good you’ve done.

The Gratitude Calendar

Nature has equipped us with a survival mechanism that makes us focus on problems and dangers: in our ancient past, survival favored those who stayed alert to the threats of the wilderness, not those who let their guard down and relaxed. Today, we can allow ourselves to focus more on the positive aspects of life, but this is a skill that needs to be trained. A Gratitude Calendar can help you do that. Each day, write down what you’re thankful for. Alternatively, consider starting your mornings by jotting down something you’re looking forward to, and then, in the evening, list all the good things that happened during the day, and reflect on how to improve what might have gone wrong. A Gratitude Calendar can transform you into an optimist, capable of appreciating and savouring all that’s good in the world.

The Eco-Friendly Calendar

An Eco-Friendly Calendar is a great way to plan small steps to protect the planet. Each week, you can focus on one action to help the environment. For example, you could try to reduce your home waste through reusing items and composting food scraps. You could plant a tree or start a small garden. You could hang a birdhouse or an insect hotel on your balcony to provide shelter for birds and insects. With friends, you could tackle larger projects, like organizing a park cleanup, or you could join an environmentalist group. You could dedicate time to researching endangered animals or local environmental issues; by staying informed, you’ll discover even more ways to make a difference. An Eco-Friendly Calendar is a powerful way to take action and have a positive impact on the world.

The Adventure Calendar

An Adventure Calendar encourages you to step out of your routine and try something new and exciting every week. It could be as fun as going hiking or learning a new sport. It could be as creative as cooking a recipe from another country or trying a new hobby. Or it could be as simple as visiting an area of town you’ve never explored before or diving into a very long, but intriguing book. Remember to choose activities that match your age, abilities and environment – adventure needs to be exciting, but not dangerous! By the end of the year, your Adventure Calendar will be full of fun stories and unforgettable experiences. Whether you choose this or one of the other active calendars, you will be looking back at a year full of variety, excitement and success, and you will be a more knowledgeable and capable person.

(Carlo Dellonte)
(Image: gamjai, 123rf.com)