The holiday season is in full swing and 2023 is right around the corner. Many of us typically engage in retrospection and reevaluate some of our life choices during this time of the year. New Year’s resolution ideas provide an excellent opportunity to make the changes that we’ve ignored for far too long.
Well, now’s your chance to sit down and draft a list of important lifestyle changes you want to make. Seeing how I’m pretty charitable and not a total scrooge, I’ve decided to shell out some free, unsolicited advice! If you’re wondering why, well, the answer is actually quite simple. The majority of people fail to stick to the resolution(s) and basically need all the help you can get. The following post contains a list of 50 common New Year’s resolution ideas.
Each entry offers a healthy sampling of advice. More importantly, there are plenty of links to helpful articles that deal with each individual issue in greater depth. If you’re looking for meaningful ways to change your life for the better, then you’ve come to the right place.
This post provides tons of useful information and advice.
Ready? Let’s go!
New Year’s resolution ideas to help achieve the best version of yourself
Get in shape (most popular of all the New Year’s resolution ideas)
The United States is the 16th most obese nation in the world. Upwards of 36% of American adults tip the scale more than they should according to BMI standards. With that in mind, losing weight is among the top overall goals for many Americans. Combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit & health” it is a resolution that more than 33% of Americans strive to achieve. It’s wicked easy to start an exercise and diet program.
However, the trick is to find a program that yields steady results. Furthermore, you want one that will be easy to stick with for the long term. Here are a handful of tricks, hacks, exercises, and mistakes to avoid in order to make the best of your resolution. While this is one of the most popular New Year’s resolution ideas, it is also one of the most challenging.
Start eating healthier foods (and less food overall)
This is essentially an extension of the previous New Year’s resolution idea. Transitioning to a healthier diet can be a real struggle when we’re surrounded by inexpensive junk food. However, with a healthy dash of determination and some basic advice you can develop healthier eating habits with time. It is essential to learn how to curb emotional eating and understand why so many diets ultimately fail.
Stop procrastinating (and focus on selecting a few New Year’s resolution ideas!)
The biggest hurdle that prevents people from achieving their goals is the desire to do something fun and/or relax. I mean, common, watching re-runs of your favorite sitcom is 10x more appealing than cranking out an MBA paper…right? Once you all procrastination into your life, it’s wicked hard to escape its influence. Procrastination is a difficult habit to break. This means that you’ll need to put in the work to make it a thing of the past. There are a lot of tips out there to help you stop procrastinating. There are also a lot of tools available to help you get the job done.
Improve your concentration & mental skills
Humans have sought out ways to improve their focus and cognitive capabilities for thousands of years. Most ancient civilizations employed some sort of combination of mental exercises and herbal medicines to achieve this goal. Today there are countless apps to ancient meditation techniques to help boost concentration and improve our mental abilities. If you commit to it, you’ll learn to control your mood, learn faster, and solve problems with greater ease.
Meeting new people should be among your top New Year’s resolution ideas
When you fall into a rut, you’ll end up staying at home most of the time. This means that you’ll miss out on interesting opportunities for networking and having fun. Meeting new people is not only beneficial to your mental wellness, but it can also further your career. That being said, don’t be afraid to get out there and make some new friends! Overcome your shyness and get to know new and interesting people.
Become more active
Some people don’t really have a weight problem. In fact, they actually exercise a few times each week. However, they still sit around most of the time at work and at home. This can have a negative impact on an individual’s posture and overall health. If this is true for you, all you need to do is find new ways of moving around more throughout the day. I mean, does anyone really enjoy spending all day hunched over their computer? This new habit is even more fun if you share it with family and friends!
Increase your confidence & take more chances
Confidence is one of the easiest traits to exhibit and for others to notice. Furthermore, it makes it easier to share your opinions, ask people out on dates, and get ahead at work. A healthy dose of self-confidence will help you lead a much happier overall life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your peers for advice on ways to boost your confidence!
Earn more money
Let’s be honest…everyone wants to increase their inbound cashflow. Billionaires and common folk alike constantly seek out ways to increase their income to make life a bit more comfortable. Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there, such as side jobs, working as a freelancer, or using the internet to your advantage. So, that being said, go find a new source of income and stop suckling off the government teat! Furthermore, it wouldn’t hurt to increase your financial literacy.
Improving your manners should be one of your New Year’s resolutions ideas
Acceptable manners have always played an important role in any civilized society. They flat out make it easier to connect with other people. It should go without saying, but you should avoid offending people at all costs. Doing so ensures that others perceive you as an overall good and trustworthy person. So know the ins and outs of proper etiquette. If you’re up for it, learn how to behave in the company of other cultures.
Reducing stress is a great New Year’s resolution idea for everyone
I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but we live in a wicked stressful world. Let’s be real, stress is…well…it’s stressful. It can have a destructive effect on both your relationships and overall health. Sadly, it’ san unavoidable side effect of our hectic modern lifestyles. However, it is possible to effectively manage most stressors. There are plenty of useful, unconventional & easy to practice tricks to manage our day-to-day stress.
Learn to be happier with your life
Even people who are in decent shape, make a good living, and manage their stress can still be unhappy. You’re likely not going to like the following. However, happiness takes time. Furthermore, it all boils down to appreciating the simple things in life and not letting the little things bring you down.
Getting more sleep is a phenomenal New Year’s resolution idea
We live in an age of massive TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets…basically screens, on screens, on screens. Our constant exposure to these digital screens can make it difficult to get enough sleep at night. In an ideal world, we should all strive to get 8 hours of sleep every night. However, this may be a real struggle for some of us. Thankfully, there are a number of fairly simple ways to hit this sleep goal via science and everyday hacks.
Quitting smoking is one of the best New Year’s resolution ideas ever
Smoking is a terrible habit. There’s no getting around it. Not only does smoking endanger your health, but it also burns a nasty hole in your wallet. You’ll need to dedicate a lot of willpower in order to give up cigarettes once and for all. After all, who wants to kiss an ashtray when the ball drops in Times Square?
Watch less TV
The average person wastes upwards of 5 hours in front of the TV every day. Think about it – that’s roughly 20% of every calendar day…that’s A LOT of wasted time. You can most definitely find better ways to spend that time. You can develop new skills, expand your knowledge, or exercise! These are just a few of the ways you can better spend your so-called “spare time”.
Read more (the most intellectual New Year’s resolution idea)
This is an extension of watching less television. Books are a great way to improve your knowledge base on any one of a number of topics out there. Reading is also a great way to exercise and flex your mental muscles. Just about everyone is capable of reading 20+ books every year (here’s my reading list!). It’s just a matter of making reading a daily habit and discovering which type of books you enjoy most.
Find your other half
We all need someone to hold at night, talk to, and share our deepest secrets with. However, finding the right person isn’t a scientific process – it’s a matter of trial and error. We all need to go out and experience a bunch of different potential partners before we can find “the one”. Here are a few sources of inspiration that will help you meet people, ask someone out, and experience a stellar first date.
Have better sex
Any healthy relationship requires a healthy dose of intimacy. Furthermore, sex can actually help maintain our mental and physical health. The core idea is to make it a fun and rewarding experience for all parties, which will come with practice and exercise.
Become a more tidy person
There’s really no nice way of putting this…but a lot of people are just flat-out slobs. They simply cannot get their stuff organized by any measure. A cluttered desk or a chaotic home can negatively impact your productivity and even your mood. That being said, clear out the clutter, clean your home, and lead a tidier and more organized life!
Learn how to dress to impress
The threads you wear say a lot about you. Wearing the right clothes can make you seem powerful and confident. This, in turn, can help land a job, get promoted, or catch the eye of a lovely guy or girl. Regardless of gender, know the dress code and live with style.
Spend more time with those who matter
Life is simply too short to spend it with toxic people. We need to focus on the people who we deeply care about and who genuinely care about us. This is one of the best ways to live a happy life!
Learn to drink in moderation or quit drinking altogether
It’s totally okay to have one or two adult beverages per day. However, not a lot of people can honestly say that they stick to this guideline. Getting your drinking under control has lots of benefits, but it can be difficult.
Destroy any and all debt
Debt is one of the few things that can really keep you from moving forward in life. The road to financial freedom isn’t always a smooth one, but it is certainly manageable with some planning and self-restraint. It’s essential that you first understand that time truly equals money, so pay off your debt ASAP. Check out these debt reduction tactics that’ll help you demolish any debt you may have on your plate.
Invest in yourself & start saving money
Once you have your debt under control, it’s time to start putting money aside for later. A rainy day fund can go a long way. Think about it…some extra cash allows you to travel, fix up the house, or buy a new car.
Learn a new language
Learning a new language is a great way to improve your communication skills. Furthermore, it also looks great on your resume and can even open some doors for you. There are plenty of resources these days that allow you to learn a new language in your spare time.
