The year is coming to an end. You've sat down and reflected on your actions and accomplishments - it’s not much. So, you decide that next year will be a better year and start thinking of a list of your next New Year's resolution, but what’s the point? They always fall through anyway...
Does this sound familiar? Maybe.
But this coming year, things will be different. Don’t let your New Year’s resolutions stay as empty promises again. This is the year to break that pattern and commit to your goals. But how?
In this article, we’ll share with you the three best tips that you can use to make sure you achieve your New Year’s resolution and some examples of New Year’s resolutions that you can work on in 2023.
Get specific with your goals, and track progress.
Your New Year’s resolutions should come with absolute clarity - paired with a strategy for success.
Instead of a vague goal like “I want to be healthier,” try giving yourself something more specific like “I will work out four times a week” or “I want to run 5 miles in 45 minutes for a marathon in August.”
For example, if your goal is to wean out coffee, then your strategy could be to replace your second or third cup of coffee with water. That way, you won’t send your body into a shock by quitting coffee cold turkey, but actually, allow yourself time to adapt to consuming less coffee.
To stay on top of your resolutions, use an app to keep track or a calendar to check off the days you worked on your goal. For example, use a budgeting spreadsheet to help you stay focused on your financial goals. If it’s a fitness goal, take progress pictures every month.
Giving yourself a specific target and a way to keep track of your progress can help you stay on the right path.
Focus on one goal at a time.
We want to work on many aspects of our lives, but it can get overwhelming trying to tackle so many things at once. Establish one New Year’s resolution that you want to prioritize. That way, you can channel all your energy into that one goal.
Only when you’re feeling good about progress after a few months, maybe then can you consider adding another goal you can work on.
Even if only one New Year’s resolution was achieved by the end of the year, it’s still a win.
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Chances are, you will mess up your New Year’s resolution more than once. But that’s completely fine and even expected of it. Change takes time, and progress isn’t linear.
The least helpful thing is to throw the entire resolution out the window just because you missed a day or two at the gym. Allow yourself to make mistakes sometimes.
There’s a lot of pressure to launch your New Year’s resolutions on January 1st. Guess what? You don’t have to. Start when you’ve tuned into the right mindset and feel ready (But know that you’ll never be 100% ready). Take the leap of faith and a sense of discipline, then go for it.
Remember: If you make a mistake, that’s okay. Just keep moving.
Our top five New Year’s resolutions.
Now that that’s out of the way, here are five New Year’s resolutions that are most popular (for good reason). Pick one – or if you’re feeling ambitious – pick two that you can work on in the next 12 months.
Add a healthy habit to your life.
The number of healthy habits is infinite; it can be anything. Here are some examples you can start with:
Get 10,000 steps a day
Drink a glass of water before every meal
Floss twice a week
One serving of fruit each day
Have an extra serving of vegetables for your sandwiches
Full 8 hours of sleep every night
Read a chapter of a book every night
Compliment a stranger once a day
Laugh once a day
Limit alcohol intake to once a week
Visit at least one foreign country or city.
They say that travel feeds the soul and keeps your spirit for adventure alive. Be it a quick escape from reality or pushing you out of your comfort zone, it’s great to venture into the unknown for a dose of culture, history, and a new perspective of the world.
Plus, you can add to it your list of cool things you’ve done.
Pick up a new hobby.
Young female potter making earthenware vase on pottery wheel with senior man helping by annastills, 123RF
If your weekends and time off work are looking a lot like binging TV series and endlessly scrolling through social media, this might be the one resolution you should work on.
Hobbies are great and aren't something limited to kids. Adults should have hobbies too! It’s proven to be better for physical health, reduces stress levels, gets you a more diverse social network, and of course, give you a greater sense of purpose and meaning.
Try something new. It could be pottery, contemporary dance, rugby, or rock climbing. Your choice. Who knows, it might be just one of your new favorite pastimes.
There’s so much knowledge to be found in books. The expertise and inner workings of someone’s brain and lifework are all compressed into a book. It's also great exercise for the mind.
Get a better grip on your finances.
Okay, but what does this look like? It can look different for each person.
If you’ve just paid off your student loans, congratulations! Perhaps your next financial milestone would be to hit your first 100k. How to do that? Start a budget, change your spending habits, invest a small sum of money every month, and eat out less. We’ll leave the specifics to you.
In general, it’s a good start to look back at your old bank and credit card statements and see if there are any patterns in your spending habits or financial mistakes. From that, you can assess which expenses you want to cut out and how to utilize that money more efficiently toward your goal.
Spend quality time with loved ones.
Invite your mom over for a glass of wine sometimes. Take your dad to a soccer match. Give your long-distance friends a call to catch up with their lives. Put away your phone during dinner dates with your partner. Be a cheerleader for your best friend’s accomplishments.
Spending time with family and friends doesn’t have to be expensive or take a lot of effort. After all, it’s the company that counts, right?
Turn your resolutions into actions, and don’t let the year go to waste.
Everyone strives to be a better version of themselves, and it’s great! But it takes a good deal of discipline and commitment to achieve difficult things.
Commit. Celebrate the journey. You've got this.