Try Something New

One of the best ways you can bring some fun, excitement and happiness into your life is to try something you have never done before, so let’s get started! Make a list of things that ignite your interest or you’ve always wanted to try – it doesn’t have to be something intense like skydiving or bungee jumping (if you want to try them, by all means go for it!) but anything that you have wanted to try and haven’t. Drawing, painting, cooking, skiing, building a piece of furniture, zip lining, taking a road trip – it doesn’t matter what you do, it just needs to be something that you find interesting. Pick one thing from the list and make a commitment to try it in the New Year. If trying something new scares you or makes you nervous it’s even better and that’s probably the thing you should do. I’m not suggesting you do something dangerous, but sometimes we avoid simple things without even realizing it. We think we can’t do them, so we get uneasy about trying them. One great example I can think of is a conversation I recently had with someone about a painting class I was taking. She commented that she would love to join but she couldn’t paint. I asked her if she had ever tried and her answer was “no”. Saying you can’t do something is not an option if you have never tried it. Many times we make assumptions we can’t do something when in reality it’s just a self-imposed limitation. Another way we set limitations is by avoiding activities if we think we will not be good at them. Yes I paint, but am I good? It doesn’t matter. I enjoy the experience so I keep doing it. We don’t have to be the best at everything we do. The goal is to simply try something new and enjoy the activity for the sheer joy of it. If you end up discovering a new passion you are great at that’s fabulous, but don’t make it the purpose. If you are not great at the activity but you still enjoy it, just do it and have fun.

So go for it, schedule it, make it happen, whatever you need to do to put your new activity at the top of your to-do list this year. Whether you end up loving it or hating it (I tried knitting once, let’s just say it’s not my thing) the boost of confidence and energy you will get from trying something new will be far more rewarding then spending your time wishing you had tried it. Have a great time and bring your renewed enthusiasm to your work in 2021 and beyond! What new activity will you try?

Contributed by: Sarah Skotvold

Messy junk drawers. Unorganized spices. Your overflowing dresser. Drawers and cabinets are supposed to keep you organized, not hide what you need. Don't despair. Whether you choose a DIY solution, an inexpensive store-bought fix, or even a custom-made splurge, solving your organizing disaster is totally doable. Here's how.

Image: Cheri Myers

You might have pristine quartz countertops, a shiny rain showerhead, gorgeous oak cabinetry. But if opening the drawers in your newly remodeled bathroom destroys the illusion you carefully crafted, you need some help to restore your dream of neat and tidy.

Some glorious souls are so organized they even fold their underwear. Not quite capable of that level of dedication — but still desperate to make sense of your undies? Honeycomb drawer dividers (like this set from Whitmor for $9) might save your sanity.

Image: Kohler Co.

These makeup and toiletry drawer organizers can do that. The one in the top drawer costs around $95, and the one in the bottom drawer is just over $50 at Kohler. You can get a similar solution with inexpensive bamboo boxes that cost as little as $4 each.

Image: Whitmor

These dividers snap together, making for a perfect fit no matter the size of your drawer. (You can even trim the set to fit short, squat drawers.) Create an organizer's dream drawer by giving each tie, pair of socks, or lingerie their own honeycomb.

CDs are practically as ancient as your grandparents' cassette tapes, but for some reason, CD holders are still around. That's probably because those slots are the perfect size for all your wandering plastic lids. If you don't happen to have one hanging around, you can find them at thrift stores for practically pennies, or pick up a new one for about $13.

Your knees just can't take it anymore. Every time you make your famous chili, they scream in agony as you dig waaay in the back to extricate your beans.

Image: Hip2Save.com

If your knives are a jumble in a drawer, you're not only risking your skin, but your knives will get duller faster. Save your skin — literally — by picking up a knife dock, such as the one pictured (Deluxe Bamboo Knife Dock, about $50) that you can store in a drawer. Plus, it's customizable to accommodate a variety of knives, everything from your biggest chopper to your tiniest steak knife.

Image: Magic Base Cabinet by KitchenCraft Cabinetry

Pull-out drawers to the rescue! You can retrofit yours by buying the hardware for about $300, or if you're remodeling, you can get cabinets with pullouts already in them — like the MasterBrand Cabinets one pictured here.

Stuffing your spices into a cabinet makes cooking even more complicated. Your chicken curry needs paprika, and you know it's in here somewhere. Beside the black pepper? No. Hiding behind the thyme? Gah...

Image: The Delish Dish LLC Image: Western Custom Cabinetry, designer /

Like the pullout solution above, you can retrofit a drawer with a spice drawer insert (starting around $15) or go for custom, like this spice drawer from Western Custom Cabinetry. Never lose your lemongrass again.