The end of December brings a lot of excitement with it. After all of our various winter holiday festivities, we anticipate the new year while celebrating the one we just had. Some of us do one or the other by throwing a party and/or making resolutions. The general belief we all have about New Year’s resolutions is that they’re difficult to stick to and people rarely complete theirs. This must just mean that we’re making our New Year’s resolutions way too unrealistic to pull off.
Resolutions like “learn a new language,” start the year off with the pressure of an unachievable goal that will almost certainly lead to eventual disappointment. A person can only achieve large goals like that if they’re willing to take some serious time out of their day to day lives. I don’t think New Year’s resolutions were ever meant to alter our lives. Rather, New Year’s resolutions should be gentle nudges in a positive direction that will slowly improve our lives in a year’s time. Here are 50 ideas for New Year’s resolutions that fit the bill:
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Eat less sugar
- Add vegetables to every meal
- Eat two pieces of fruit a day
- Buy more local produce
- Go out to eat less
- Bring healthy snacks to work
- Drink more water
- Read more
- Find a new hobby
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Be considerate
- Clean more regularly
- Less coffee, more tea
- Write thank you notes sooner
- Call loved ones more frequently
- Wake up earlier
- Floss teeth more
- Live more sustainably
- Live/shop more efficiently
- Listen to more new music
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Cut back on a bad habit
- Cut back on meat
- Drink less soda
- Watch more documentaries
- Find a new healthy snack
- Say yes more
- Do more “just because” things
- Be more punctual
- Make/create more things
- Practice positive thinking
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Find a new podcast
- Learn how to make your favorite condiment yourself
- Take the stairs more
- Make your bed more
- Dress nicer for yourself
- Go outside more
- Watch more classic movies
- Learn a new word every week
- Watch more TED Talks
- Visit more museums/galleries
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Have more experiences
- Find a new anti-stress activity
- Get rid of things you don’t need
- Organize your room/home
- Stick more closely to your budget
- Practice patience
- Listen more
- Plan ahead for birthday and holiday gifts
- Stretch more
- Smile more
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Learn new jokes
What did you think of the list? Take the ones that feel right, leave the ones that don’t, and remember to only make resolutions that you’re actually interested in achieving. Otherwise, you might just get overwhelmed and give up on them all.
Let’s make a resolution to at least do one item from this list. Happy new year, everyone!
