This post is all about 25+ New Year’s resolution ideas that you need to add to your list.
Is it getting close to January?
Do you not know what your new year’s resolution is gonna be?
Well, stop looking because I’ve got 25+ really good New Year’s Resolution ideas for you to think about adding to your list.
It’s that time of year again where everyone tries to become their best self and create new habits.
I am definitely included in that bunch of people.
What is a New Year’s Resolution?
A New Year’s Resolution is a goal that someone has for the upcoming year. Maybe they aspire to learn something new, try something new, or have a new routine in their life.
Overall, the new year is just added motivation for people to start working towards and reaching their goals.
You’ve all heard the saying “new year, new me”.
Are you interested in participating in this yearly trend?
This post is all about 25+ New Year’s resolution ideas that you need to add to your list.
Disclaimer
I am not affiliated with any of the people or places that were mentioned in this blog post. I only speak based on my experiences and my opinions. If you decide to try any of the food suggestions that I mentioned below, I recommend you check the ingredients before trying them to avoid any potential allergic reactions. I am also not trying to offend anyone religiously. This list is merely suggestions that are not meant to offend anyone or put anyone out on the spot to be exposed or to put anyone else down.
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Let’s begin.
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25+ Really Good New Years Resolution Ideas That You Need To Add To Your List
1. Rekindle Relationships
I feel like a lot of people feel shy to reach out to the people they used to talk to.
They are mainly worried about “what if they think I am annoying them” or “what if they secretly hate me is why we don’t talk anymore” or something along those lines.
I love rekindling relationships because most of the time, the other person was thinking of reaching out to you again too.
I have had so many instances where old friends of mine are so excited to hear from me again and want to hear all my stories.
But there are also the old friends that forget who you are or just don’t respond (hehe, but who cares about them if they don’t care about you right?)
The new year is a great time to rekindle your relationships with former people because this is the time where most people attempt to transition their mindset and better themselves.
Reaching out to past relationships is a great way to kickstart your new year and plan for future adventures with them (if your rekindling is that successful).
2. Go to the Gym
I would think that going to the gym is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions to exist if not the most common New Year’s resolution idea.
Almost everyone has this on your list. No doubt.
So why not join in on the fun and add going to the gym to your list too?
(You could even be that one person that doesn’t give up and goes a full commitment to it. You’ll come out with this super nice, strong, and muscle-toned body that you always wanted.)
Also, I want to add that if you do decide to go to the gym, forget about what other people are thinking and whether they’re judging you or not.
They’re probably too busy thinking about how you might be judging them instead. They are definitely not judging you at all (unless you’re using the equipment wrong so figure out how to use it correctly by asking for help).
Just don’t worry at all!
Do your thing. Get fit. Get healthy. Everyone else is going to the gym to become a better version of themselves just like you.
3. Travel to 5 New Locations
I don’t know about you but I want to eventually work with a travel agency with whatever career I go into just so I can travel a lot (even if it means I am going there to work, not sightsee.)
I say to travel to 5 new locations because 5 seems like a number that isn’t too little and isn’t too much either.
You could go to 5 new locations in your state, in your country, or in the entire world.
For my new year’s list, I plan to go to 5 new locations throughout the U.S outside of Florida (where I reside.)
(I really want to go ziplining through a bunch of trees and see some mountains in Colorado.)
You might also like 6 Proven Ways To Get Homework Done While Traveling
4. Travel Abroad Once
Traveling abroad is one of the best experiences you could ever have. I’ve only done it once.
It was five years ago and I still remember how I felt while I was there and the lasting effects it had on me afterward.
My first trip abroad was to Germany and this trip is the reason why my goals are what they are today. That trip is also how I became so self-motivated.
It’s also partially because of the people I went there with too but you know.
Being in a new place with a bunch of new people was such an eye-opener. I wasn’t worried about judgment or weird looks because I knew after 10 days, I would never have to see those people ever again (or at least for a long time.)
Along with that, we didn’t even speak the same language as the residents in Germany so the trip was just me and my family doing as we pleased with little to no worries.
It was awesome.
I highly recommend adding traveling abroad at least once to your New Year’s resolution.
If you don’t want to add it to your New Years’ resolution list then add it to your bucket list.
Traveling abroad is one of the best experiences you could ever have.
5. Travel Solo At Least Once
I plan on doing this in the next coming year for sure. But I’ll do it to a place that I have been to multiple times.
I want to start small and work my way to traveling solo to foreign places.
You might have already guessed it but I plan to make my first solo trip to Universals Orlando.
“Why there?”
Because I know it’s a decently safer place than if I were to go to a place that I have never been to before.
I also know that the theme parks have security and I will be traveling by the Universal Orlando hotel shuttles so I will hardly ever be completely by myself.
I’ll have lots of stranger families with kids around.
A lot of people recommend traveling solo at least once in your life too.
So, if you have never traveled solo before, make this your sign to start planning one right now.
6. Sleeping 8+ Hours a Night
I know you definitely do not get 8+ hours of sleep. You can’t fool me.
You’ll try to convince me that you pretty much get 8+ hours of sleep but 7+ hours is still not 8+ hours.
Think of all the benefits of getting 8+ hours of sleep.
You won’t be tired all the time. Your body will naturally start shedding excess fat (assuming you’re also eating a decently healthy diet), and your mind will be so much clearer to help you complete difficult tasks.
Don’t consider adding this to your list. You HAVE to add sleeping 8+ hours on your list. MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
7. Drink More Water
This one should also be a priority on your list because your body is mostly made up of water.
If you don’t have enough water, you won’t exist anymore. Simple as that. You need water.
Also, water naturally gives you more energy and cleanses your body of toxins.
I believe that water can solve almost all of your problems.
You’re hungry? Drink water. You’re tired? Drink water. You’re bored? Drink water (but not like a bunch of cups at once cause you could pretty much drown yourself from drinking too much water too).
A couple of years ago when I started making it a priority to drink more water, I downloaded an app to remind me to drink water every hour.
I don’t want to tell you which one because I don’t know if the app is still up and running when you read this.
Any water reminding app should do. I am sure there are a lot of them.
8. Being A More Positive Person
This world of ours is filled with so much negativity. I blame social media, and technology in general for that.
Most of us are impatient, comparing ourselves to other people, and sharing negative gossip like it’s what we were created to do.
We also know that negativity is easily contagious. It’s like a domino effect.
You’re all happy and giddy one day and all of a sudden you accidentally bump into someone.
Then they yell at you, and now you’re grumpy about how you hate people.
Then your grumpiness gets pushed on to someone else and the cycle continues.
For your new year’s resolution, you should strive to not be affected by that domino effect.
Don’t be a reactor and let go of the negative events.
Most of the time, someone else’s behavior has nothing to do with you. The other person is going through issues of their own and felt the need to take it out on you.
If you know you can go about your day despite whatever anyone else says or does, then you should choose that path. Help make your day be what it is meant to be, positive.
Your life will feel so much more fulfilling and easy this way.
You may also like Why You Need To Delete Social Media Right Now
9. Waking Up By 6 AM Naturally (Or earlier!)
Waking up at 6 am is one of the best feelings in the world.
You’re awake before a majority of the people on the planet. This means that everything is quieter.
You’re not getting constant texts, emails, or any notifications this early in the morning.
Waking up at 6 am gives you the entire morning to spend for yourself.
The early morning is a great time to practice your ideal morning routine. There won’t be anyone to interrupt you. It’s just you doing your own thing.
Who doesn’t want that? Strive to wake up early!
Also, if you do some research, you’ll find that a majority of successful and happy people practice waking up early on a daily basis.
10. Arrive 15 Minutes Early For Everything
At one point, I was able to arrive at almost everything 15 minutes early.
I would show up to work 15 minutes early.
I would show up to school 15 minutes early.
And I would show up to all my social events 15 minutes early.
But now, I have slacked off and I am only 15 minutes early for my classes.
It was pretty great those times when I was early to everything. It was much more relaxing.
I also noticed that I wasn’t a rushed driver anymore. I was fine being in the slower lanes and driving under the speed limit. This was because I knew I had a lot more time to spare.
The biggest effect of this habit was turning me into a safer and more patient driver.
11. Stop Procrastinating
As a student, procrastination is so difficult to avoid doing.
My excuse is that I have so many other things to do that keep me from completing assignments on time with what I had planned.
But if I want to be honest with myself, I wouldn’t feel the need to procrastinate on anything if I had just been on time for everything in the first place (shocker).
But you know, I’d like to have a decent social life and make money from my part-time job.
So sometimes, procrastinating is the only option.
My method of approaching my issue is to actively get started on the thing I need to start instead of thinking about whether I should start it now or later.
If you’re already thinking about it, you might as well just do it, right?
If you’re a hardcore procrastinator, this is a really good New Year’s resolution idea for you to add to your list.
You may also like 11 Realities You Need To Know About When Blogging As A College Student
12. Initiate More Social Activities
Maybe you’re feeling lonely all the time. Maybe you’re sad that people don’t invite you to places. You’re probably experiencing a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out).
If I were you, I’d just start making my own plans.
If you make your own plans, then you know the activity is going to happen and you’re not going to be worried about missing out anymore.
I guess if the people you invite don’t show up, then you should take that as a sign of them not being worthy of your time anymore.
I’m incorporating this New Year’s resolution idea into my personal list because I feel like waiting for people to go to events with me is wasting my time.
95% of the time, the people I invite can’t go and I end up not going at all.
Imagine if I had just gone to all those events I wanted to go to alone.
I could’ve had more fun, met new people, and had fewer regrets.
I want you to remember that you’re the only person you need in your life. You are the only one that will always show up.
Don’t ever forget that.
13. Cook A Full Course Meal From Scratch
Honestly, you don’t have to wait for a holiday to come around to make a full course meal.
I bet if you did it on a random weekend and fed your family members, they would all appreciate your effort. You’ll be so proud of yourself (assuming it turns out edible and tasty lol.)
Have you seen that one movie that was on Netflix about Julia Child?
It’s a really good and simple movie that will get you motivated to learn how to cook.
I’m pretty sure that movie would be the reason I even attempted to stuff a Turkey. (Or was it a chicken she stuffed and cooked at the end?)
Anyway, the full course meal that I am talking about is making an appetizer, a main entree, 2-3 sides, and dessert. Maybe even add a glass of wine to give it a little fancy.
That’s a lotta prep work I admit. But one day, if I ever have the time to do that, I most definitely will.
(As a college student, I don’t exactly have the necessary space, equipment, and time to get that accomplished so… that is not a resolution for me to add yet. What about you?)
14. Save Up $5,000 By December
I don’t exactly know why I wanted to add this to a New Year’s resolution list but saving money is never a bad idea.
If you want to make it easier to do, you can add a goal to it. Why not save up the $5,000 to go on a week-long vacation somewhere.
You could use the money to buy a fancy couch for your (new) home.
Or you can be a super-duper responsible adult and put it into a retirement account and start accruing that interest *wink wink* (lol, but that’s boring!)
But in all seriousness, that’s not a bad idea. You don’t want to be at 65 years old only living off of social security.
Social security is just not enough money to live the rest of your elderly life in luxury.
So take advantage of 401k and company matches any other forms of retirement accounts that are offered.
You may also like 8 Easy Ways To Save Money now
15. Incorporate Vegetables Into Every Lunch And Dinner
I’ll make this short cause I know a lot of us don’t like to think about vegetables.
For all my unhealthy eaters out there, this one is for you.
I’m gonna treat you like children if you act like children. Eat your vegetables.
But don’t worry. You don’t have to eat every vegetable that exists.
Do a bunch of taste tests and see which ones you like.
If you hate all of them, then start adding some seasoning to them or any sauces that would help you be more likely to eat them.
You need veggies in your life! They’re good for you and your insides!
16. Eat Fruit Once A Day
We all prefer fruit over vegetables, right?
I think you’re weird if you don’t like fruit (lol, just kidding, but also why???)
All the varieties of fruits are so yummy.
You have the grapes, the berries, the watermelon! Ooo I love watermelon.
Eating fruits are a perfect way to snack, a perfect side to any dish, and are perfect with dessert too!
I actually consider fruit as a dessert in itself.
When I was growing up, my family and I always ended our dinner meals with exotic fruit like dragon fruit, or the more common fruits such as oranges and grapes.
Instead of candy, eat some fruit instead because they have a natural sweetness already and they’re healthier for you too.
You can never go wrong with fruit (unless you’re allergic, then don’t eat it, duh).
17. Having a Cleaned Kitchen Sink Every Night
I am so bad at this one.
I prefer to do chores during the morning hours up until 2:00 pm and that time frame includes the dishes. After 2:00 pm, I start relaxing, winding down, and get lazy.
That’s not good though because I still have meals at 5:00 pm and those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.
This pretty much means my dirty dishes sit in the sink overnight for 8+ hours until I wake up again to clean them in the morning.
I know, I know, gross. But that’s just how I am and this is the system that makes me happiest while also getting chores done.
Why not use the dishwasher, you may ask?
Honestly, I don’t know how to use a dishwasher. I wash everything by hand.
Whenever I move to another house (when I’m done with school), then I’ll learn *wink wink*.
If you don’t clean your sink every night, you should totally make this a resolution for yourself because you have no idea how much bacteria can build up and grow overnight and over time in general.
18. Read 10 Books By December
Lol, this one is definitely only for the people that love to read books. (This does not include me, unfortunately.)
I can barely finish one book in a year!
I started 2 books within the last two years and I am only 100 pages in for both of them. And they’re both about 300-500 pages long so you can see why I have been lazy with them lately.
(I started Jane Eyre and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue if you were wondering. I will get to them eventually.)
There are a lot of people that strive to reach a certain number of books read every year (I know some of them) so maybe you’d be interested in starting having this as your New Year’s resolution too.
19. Learn A New Skill
You can learn so many skills for both funsies and future advantages.
The more skills you have, the more likely you are to be exposed to more opportunities. So, learn while you can!
The skills that I want to learn are baking, cooking, and learning a new language.
But there is also learning how to play an instrument, learning arts and crafts, learning how to knit, and so many more.
I guess you’ll need a lot of downtimes to learn a new skill though.
(Or you can just manage your time wisely. Then you’ll always have time to do anything your heart desires.)
20. Drawing Your Thoughts And/ Or Feelings Weekly
Drawing can be therapeutic for many people.
It’s a way for you to release your creative side and jot down your emotions but in picture form.
One time in art class when I was in middle school, our teacher had us draw a self-portrait with a lot of abstract designs in our hair and whatnot.
My self-portrait ended up with my person looking sad.
Maybe I was sad at the time and my emotions naturally showed through my drawings.
I didn’t realize what I had done in my drawing until my stepmom pointed it out to me and asked me if I was sad about anything.
Obviously, don’t spend your time drawing if you don’t like it or don’t think you’re skilled enough (but you can make it a resolution to learn how to draw!)
21. Writing Your Thoughts And/ Or Feelings Weekly
You could write a book. You could write in a journal. Writing can take you to so many places!
I started writing to my time capsule years ago and strive to write in it every year.
There were some years where I only wrote to my time capsule a couple of times a month.
So, every year I try to remind myself that I need to write more.
I know that the longer I wait to write about my experiences, the harder it will be to remember them and write about them later on.
You could also use writing as a way to release your frustrations.
Maybe you want to say something mean to that one person that got on your nerves.
Instead of taking your anger out on them and causing more problems, you could write it all down to gather your thoughts, let out your emotions, and be able to see the situation with an objective outlook.
I’d say writing is fun. You could make it a new years resolution to write letters to all your distant family members too.
Writing lets you do and say whatever you want!
22.Getting Comfortable With Public speaking
I’m sure this resolution is a tough one for a lot of us.
To overcome the fear of public speaking and get better at it, we have to actively put ourselves out there, talk to new people, and feel confident in what we share with the world.
Most of the time, it’s ourselves that are holding us back from getting better at public speaking.
If you are a student, I highly recommend you add this to your list of New Year’s resolutions because you have a lot of presentations to do in your future.
You’ll also need good public speaking skills to network and promote yourself to potential employers (like the interviews).
23. Learn How To Negotiate
Negotiation is another good resolution to add to your list.
You’ll want to learn how to negotiate better to maybe get a better salary or to reach a ground of common interest with someone that you may be disagreeing with.
I don’t know.
I can’t speak much about negotiation because I am terrible at it myself and am unsure of how it works.
Just know that a lot of successful people have this skill under their belt and it takes them far.
Buy a book about it or something. Negotiation 101.
24. Attempt To Dress Nice Every Day
Despite the photo of a person in business attire, I definitely do not mean dress like you’re going to work every day.
I mean to just dress more presentable. This could mean not going out in joggers and a t-shirt anymore. At least attempt to think about what you’re going to wear and how you’re going to look.
I don’t care what anyone else says, the way someone dresses can say a lot about who they are.
It is very commonly known that people who dress well are more respected and approached.
If you are not dressed well, you appear as a lazy bum who doesn’t have a care in the world. (or at least that’s how you appear to me.)
A well-dressed person looks like they are responsible and know how to get things done.
I try not to judge people by the way they dress but most of the time, when I meet a not well-dressed person, their personality and attitude are what I expected before I decided to meet them and know about who they were (lol, am I shallow.)
But hear me out. I did take the time to meet them with an open mind, but when I realize they are not a person I would not normally associate with (based on personality), then I leave it at that.
Yes, this was mainly about poorly dressed people but this attitude can be applied to the people that dress nicer too.
If I decide to meet a well-dressed person, but our personalities are not compatible, then that is not a connection I am willing to pursue.
Overall, I’m just saying I am more like to make an effort to meet someone if they appear more presentable.
Being well-dressed just shows overall self-respect and maturity.
25. Say Yes More Often
What I mean by saying yes more often is to say yes to invitations when you are invited to a social event or dinner out. You need to say yes to more opportunities and say yes to having more experiences.
Don’t know why you need to say yes more often? Lucky for you, I already covered this topic in a separate post.
Check out my blog post: This Is What Happens When You Say Yes More Often.
You’ll even get some insights into how saying yes more often has slowly changed my life too *wink wink* (if you’re interested.)
Anyway, adding the act of saying yes more often to your New Year’s resolution list will set you up for a more adventurous and fulfilling year.
26. Celebrate Tonya Leigh’s Way
A lot of the items on this list are resolutions that I strive for almost every year and somehow manage to always fail by slacking off, “forgetting”, or just straight up making excuses for why I couldn’t commit.
Does this sound like you too? Maybe there’s another way for us to approach our issues.
One of my favorite influencers to follow is Tonya Leigh who hosts the School of Self-Image.
If you want to forget about making a list of goals only to never follow through, you can try to do what Tonya Leigh does every time the new year comes around.
Tonya Leigh likes to choose a word of the year.
For example, you can say that your word of the year is glamorous.
This means that for the entire year, you want to be glamorous and feel glamorous. You’ll do everything you can to make it happen.
It sounds much simpler than having goals like exercising every day, eating healthier, or learning a new skill, doesn’t it?
But guess what? It’s pretty much the same thing as having your traditional New Year’s Resolutions!
Saying that you want to be glamorous for the year is pretty much you saying “I want to look better and feel better” for the year.
Eating healthier, exercising, and learning a new skill are all part of how you can make yourself feel glamorous.
Make it easier on you and pick a word of the year and strive to make it come true.
Ending Note
I think I should start incorporating Tonya Leigh’s way of doing New Year’s traditions.
I don’t know what word I would do though. There are so many options.
I don’t know. I guess when the time gets closer I’ll start thinking.
What a long informational list of New Year’s resolutions I created though right? (Hehe yeah, I write well.)
I hope you found this post both informational and enjoyable to read.
Which resolutions are you going to add to your list?
Which resolution do you think does not deserve to be on this list?
What other resolutions could I add to this list?
Honestly, I know that there are hundreds of resolutions for the new year that people could try out but these are the ones that I think are most beneficial for someone’s everyday life (because they would be beneficial for my everyday life. They also interest me the most too.)
Tell me everything that you think about this post! Have a good day!
This post is all about 25+ New Year’s resolution ideas that you need to add to your list.
Jackie says
Thanks so much for sharing these ideas! I am excited for a fresh start in 2024. Currently working on putting together my resolutions. I want to start with scheduling a professional carpet cleaning this month haha. Love a clean house to start the new year!
Lily-Anne says
That’s good to hear!! I’m so excited for you!!!