Plan on Making a Difference in your Community for your New Year’s Resolution

Donate to charities you believe in

A little money could end up doing a lot of good for a lot of people. Donating to reputable charities is a great way to change the world—even if it’s just a few dollars at a time. Identify causes that are meaningful to you (the environment? education? ending hunger? human rights?) and research organizations in your area. Short on cash? You don’t necessarily have to donate money. Some nonprofits accept educational materials, clothing, or other supplies. Call or email to ask what they need.

 

Volunteer

Volunteering with a local charity is a great way to improve the world around you. You’ll be able to do the most direct good and see the impact on the people that you help. If you have a practical skill (such as construction or medical expertise) or can learn one, consider putting it to use for your community by volunteering at the Humane Society in your neighborhood.

Tutoring disadvantaged kids, working at a local soup kitchen, or volunteering with a charity like Habitat for Humanity are just a few ways you can make a difference in your town.

Besides the obvious benefits of donating your time and energy to a cause you believe in, volunteering has been associated with improved physical and mental health and lower levels of loneliness.[4]

 

Promote awareness of important issues

Educate others about the things that matter. Set a good example for your friends and family members and educate them on the issues so that they can make good decisions too. Help them to understand why these things are important so that they’re also motivated to change their lives. By changing a few minds, you can double or triple your positive impact on the world.

 

Be positive

Hold onto hope. Trying to change the world can be discouraging because change happens at such a small pace that you may not notice it for a long time. But staying positive and keeping a smile on your face is a great way to make others feel good and encourage them to help out too. By finding the upsides in tough situations and working hard to fix problems, you can positively impact the people in your community.

 

Be kind to others

Do favors and help out where you can. We can get so caught up in working to improve the world as a whole, we forget there are lots of things that we can do every day at home that have a positive impact too. One of the best things you can do easily and every day is to treat others how you want to be treated. Do something nice for someone as often as you can.

This can be small things like making someone a birthday present or big things like driving someone around until they get their car fixed. When we work together, everything runs more smoothly and we’re better able to further invest those gains in benefiting the rest of the globe.

 

Get to know your neighbors

How well do you know the people who live right next to you? If you haven’t exchanged more than a few sentences (if that) with your neighbors, you’re not alone:  most people in the United States don’t know their neighbors very well. However, being familiar with the people who live in your neighborhood has been associated with lower levels of loneliness (for you and for them!) and increased feelings of “usefulness” and respect within the community. Introducing yourself to your neighbors, chatting with them when you see them, or even inviting them over for a neighborhood gathering can increase morale in your community. Bonus: it’ll make you feel great, too!

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