Tips to help you become a wiser, better you in 2017

A Saturday morning sunrise
Photographer Christine Fagerlie is a believer in big dreams. When her daughter was young the phrase "dream big" was part of the family's bedtime ritual. "Dream big was always something I'd say to her," Fagerlie said.
Courtesy of Christine Fagerlie

The beginning of the year is a time of reflection. What went right? What went wrong?

But it's also when we look ahead at how we can make the next year better than the last. And the Innovation Hub has the tips to help you get there.

The first: cook at home more.

In the age of instant food, writer Mark Bittman said he's seeing more people cooking at home than he did even 10 years ago.

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Like anything else, "with practice (cooking) becomes easy, then it becomes second nature," Bittman said.

You should not be afraid to rely on good recipes, especially when baking, he suggested, there is room for creativity and innovation but the most important thing is to make sure what you're making tastes like what it's intended to.

Being able to cook is not only an important skill to have, he said, but home cooked meals are usually a lot more healthy than any fast food you might pick up.

Next: find a balance between your day job and creative work — then strive to make them one and the same.

Megan Tan, host and creator of the "Millennial" podcast originally used the project as a way to show radio stations she could produce audio. When she was finally hired to a station, she realized she liked making her podcast more.

Making your passion work along with your day job requires lots of sacrifice, Tan said.

"There's the part of, we don't stop working," Tan said. The freedom that comes with creating your own business seems like it will be all fun, but while you're being creative you also have to think about how you're going to live, she added.

It's important to take the occasional break and reevaluate how to meet your goals without sacrificing your health and well-being.

To listen to the whole program, click the audio player above.

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