At long last, the year 2020 is on its way out the door. While you’ve probably been looking ahead for quite awhile, it’s now time to think about how you’ll spread kindness and love in the coming year. To help keep yourself on track, develop an altruistic game plan to follow in 2021. It’s easy, effective and will help you keep what matters most top of mind. Check out these five ways to keep doing good at the top of your to-do list next year.
1. Find Causes You Love
Your altruistic plans for 2021 have a much higher chance of success when you truly care about the causes you support. Often an interest in supporting 501(c)3 organizations stems from a personal connection to the mission. Think about what matters to you most and look into different organizations’ missions. Chances are that there’s a nonprofit out there working toward a cause you love. If you can’t find the perfect fit, this year could be the time to start your own organization!
2. Make a Commitment
While 20 hours of volunteerism next year may sound daunting, breaking it down to only 38 minutes of each week makes the goal sound far more reasonable. Setting up a plan for the year to come and separating it into hours volunteered per week or month makes a lofty goal more manageable. The same logic works for making donations. Determine how much you’d like to volunteer or donate in the coming year, then break down into smaller chunks. Small, frequent contributions add up over time.
3. Involve Your Loved Ones
They say if you want to go far, go together. It’s easy to get sidetracked from your goals without an accountability partner. Tell your friends and family about your altruism goals for 2021. Ask if they would like to join you in volunteering or coming up with a donation plan. That way, you can both keep each other accountable in the new year. Plus, it’s fun to have a partner to help you tackle your goals.
4. Set Reminders
All goals and game plans need a few reminders along the way to stay on track. Set a calendar reminder each month to put in your volunteer hours or make a small donation. That way, you’ll get a notification to remind yourself to keep up with your goals. Obviously life happens, so if you are unable to donate or volunteer that month, don’t sweat it! The same notification will come in the following month and you can choose whether or not to contribute at that time.
5. Remember Small Acts of Kindness
Not every plan has to be a huge gesture. A little bit of kindness adds up to a larger impact along the way. Your altruistic giving plan could consist of a reminder to do one small act of kindness for a stranger each month. Even this small gesture has the power to turn around somebody’s day. Even better, encourage the strangers you help to pay it forward.
Now is the time to think about what you’d like to accomplish in 2021 as far as giving back to make our world a better place. Even small goals can make a huge difference. Choose various causes you love or set reminders to do small acts of kindness. No matter what your plans, you’ll feel great knowing that you’re making a difference.
