Rather than making new year’s resolutions that are destined to fail – and leave you feeling like a failure – here are 5 better ways to jump-start the new year, and actually make change

Being strong isn’t about strength – it isn’t about powering through the hard parts of being human, hoping to skip past them before anyone notices or suspects anything. Being strong is about being brave enough to be vulnerable.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what my fears have prevented me from doing. The fun times I’ve passed up on because I was too concerned about what I feared people thought, the talents I’ve never uncovered because I didn’t give them time to develop, the opportunities I’ve missed out on to learn, develop and grow.

Giving yourself – and your brain – a break by getting out and having fun can actually give you the clarity you need to move forward. And, at the very least, having fun feels good – and who doesn’t need a little more of that in their lives?

For some, life changes so gradually it’s imperceptible. For others, it’s changes so little it feels stagnant. For me, there’s a single day that became the start of my entire life changing. A day that brought a thought so powerful, it marks the pivot point where life has since become “before” and “after”.

My goodbye letter to Google to reflect on my time there and give thanks for all I learned and experienced in the 12 years working there.