A New Year is upon us and brings with it a possibility of renewal. Looking back on the previous year, which resolutions did you manage to keep, and which ones fell by the wayside?

What are your goals for the year ahead? To exercise more, eat less, make more friends, be more successful? Do you have an internal goal too — to be happier, perhaps? Isn't that what we all ultimately want? We tend to assume it will come from everything we do out in the world, but is that really true?

For real change to happen, our mind needs to change — otherwise we'll simply repeat the same patterns of thinking and behaviour in the year ahead. Here are 5 tips for renewal, and for being happier in the year ahead.

1. Find Out What Happiness Means to You

Happiness means different things to different people.

Is happiness pleasure? The short-lived burst you get from a meal out, some praise, or achieving something? Each time it ends, we're left feeling a little empty, chasing the next source of pleasure. Over time, this constant stimulation dulls the mind, making it less sensitive to people and to the beauty of the world.

Is happiness the absence of unhappiness? Some people feel happy simply because they aren't unhappy. Life ticks over day to day, focused on what needs doing. The routine feels safe, but inside we can feel bored and lose the joy of living.

Or is happiness peace? A deep sense of contentment that comes from connecting with your own silence, wanting nothing more? A mind at peace tends to be more sensitive — to what your body needs, to your own moods, to others and what they may not be saying, and to the beauty of the world.

To find out more, explore the modules on Happiness, Pleasure and Peace in the app.

2. Realise That Happiness Is an Inside Job

Our mind is wired to look "out there" for things to make us feel good "in here." If we don't get what we want, we become unhappy. If we do get it, we become anxious about losing it — and suffer when we eventually do. Chasing happiness out in the world can quietly lead to suffering inside.

Each thought has the power to make us happy or unhappy, and it's a revelation to realise that we can choose what we think. We can choose how we look at people or situations — generously, or with the glass "half empty." We can choose our actions too, becoming aware of old habits that don't serve us — being on the phone constantly, or eating more than our body needs — and starting to change them.

We can reframe a negative thought about someone with a more positive one (we rarely know someone's full story, or what they're going through that day). Or we can focus on what we have, and be grateful, rather than on what we lack.

To find out more, explore the Awareness exercises section.

3. Be Curious, Keep Learning About Yourself

Our mind responds in predictable ways, and if we want the New Year to bring real renewal, we need to be curious about what we think and feel — and why.

These are useful questions that lead to fresh discoveries about ourselves: "What's going on in my mind to make me feel this way? Or behave this way? Or think this way?" Questions like these open the door to learning about the hidden patterns that drive our thoughts, feelings and actions.

For example, realising that every opinion we hold so strongly is a product of our conditioning — influences we may not even be aware of. Understanding this lets us explore how our conditioning shapes our life, and let go of opinions, beliefs and prejudices that no longer serve us. It helps us understand other perspectives better, and feel closer to others rather than clinging to old stories and beliefs. Throughout, it matters that we can look at ourselves without judgement — without justifying what we see as right, or criticising ourselves for being "wrong."

To find out more, explore the modules on Conditioning and Asking Questions.

4. Make Kindness Your First Instinct

We often assume kindness is something we do for others, as a favour to them — not realising it contributes to our own happiness too. That's because kindness is the glue that holds our relationships together, and those relationships are the foundation of our own happiness — nourishing us daily, and sheltering us from life's storms.

Being kind can be as simple as offering someone a smile, a hug, or making the morning cup of tea. It takes conscious effort, because by default our mind tends to be preoccupied with itself — and to be kind, we need a mind that's at peace with itself; a mind in turmoil is even more caught up in its own suffering.

To find out more, explore the module on Kindness.

5. Be Sensitive to Beauty

As we go through life, our minds can grow more and more dull — focused on accumulation and achievement, driven by a hidden fear of not having enough, or a desire to be someone "important." Chasing success, pleasure or praise (and even getting it), we can be oblivious to what we're losing along the way — our sensitivity.

In our preoccupation, we can become insensitive to the beauty of the world — the light in the trees, the touch of the breeze, clouds moving across the sky, or the detail of a flower if you really look at it. Life offers so many joys every day, but we need to open our heart to receive them.

Pause a moment to look at the sky today, be awed by its beauty and the millions of stars beyond. Go beyond your mind's habitual preoccupations, and know you're an integral part of the unbounded universe. Feel a sense of peace inside, and carry it with you as you explore fresh perspectives and new ways of being in the world.

To find out more, explore the module on Nature Meditations.

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Understand your mind. Live a happier life.

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