15 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Easily Achieve for a Better You
My blissful friends! With grace, we’ve made it to a New Year!
Now that we’re at the top of the decade, now is the time to take inventory of our lives. We’ll need to ask, in what area does an opportunity exist to achieve a better me for the New Year?
The advent of a new year, for many, is a time for change. Let’s use this time wisely. I know I’m taking the time to make better choices to make sure this is a fruitful year.
The New Year’s Resolution Mistake
A common mistake made by many is creating resolutions that are, quite frankly, too hard to keep.
Let’s take one of the top resolutions as an example; weight loss. Most people want to lose a bunch of weight in the beginning of the year.
Instead of setting a resolution to lose (just throwing out a number there) 20 pounds, rather, break this goal down to easier to achieve, separate resolutions. An example would be, work out at least 20 minutes per day or eliminate fried foods.
By creating easier resolutions, you are increasing the likelihood of sticking with them.
15 Easy New Year’s Resolution Ideas
Drink Water!
This is a simple resolution to keep and there are so many benefits to drinking more water. Adults are made up of 60 % water and our blood is made up of 90%. Looking at these numbers, you see how important it is to stay hydrated. In addition, water flushes body waste, helps maintain blood pressure, boosts skin health & beauty and helps to keep the digestive system working properly.
Incorporating more water into your diet doesn’t have to be boring. Amazon sells the Venture Pal Large Free Fitness Sports Water Bottle with Motivational Time Markers. I have this water bottle in pink (they come in several colors) and I love it! The bottle makes it fun and encourages you to get your water in-take in for the day.
Get Active
Incorporating more activity into your routine this year doesn’t necessarily mean joining a gym. In fact, a common mistake people make is enrolling and not attending.
Start small – commit to running or walking once a week. If you’d prefer to stay at home, there are plenty of free resources like Fitness Blender TV on YouTube where you can find a simple 20 or 30 minute to do once a week.
Save Money & Create a $1,000 Emergency Fund
Financial experts recommend having an emergency fund with three to six months worth of expenses. For many, particularly those living paycheck to paycheck, saving may feel impossible. However, despite your situation, you can save money to start an emergency fund.
The key is saving in small increments. Overtime the $1 and $5 you put away, will add up. Money saving printables such as this from one the budgetxbabe makes saving money easier. They start small and lessen the anxiety of feeling like you can’t “afford” to save. You can also automate your savings where a certain amount of money is transferred to your savings. To save $1,000 for the year, that’s about $42 per pay check!
Learn How to Create a Budget
If you don’t already know, then learn how to create and follow a budget. A study shows that in 2019, less Americans were creating a budget. This is unfortunate. I can tell you from my experience, budgeting has been a life saver. In fact, if it wasn’t for learning how to budget and save, I wouldn’t be a blissfully single homeowner. Budgeting gives you control over your money and overall finances. Start small, create a spreadsheet. List your expense amounts. Subtract your expenses from your income from that period; adjust the number until all expenses are accounted for. Once your budget is done, do your best to follow it!
Break a Bad Habit
We all have bad habits. This year, choose one not-so-good habit and focus on breaking it. If you look at my life as a pedestrian post, I list tips on how to change behavior to break out of bad habits.
Book Yearly Appointments
This one is at the top of my resolution list. Instead of waiting, which often leads to procrastination, schedule all your annual health and wellness appointments all at once.
Cook a New Meal Monthly
I can tell you from my own experience. Life tends to get quite busy and as such, things get VERY boring in the kitchen for myself and my boys. This resolution is one I’m following. Pick just one new meal every month to prepare. Pinterest is an amazing resources for every kind of recipe you can imagine.
Make More Money
Can we all use more cash? Of course we can! Making more money doesn’t necessarily mean getting a traditional second job; that’s only one of the avenues.
Do you write or are you a digital marketer? You can make money online by freelancing on websites such as Upwork or Fiverr. Are you a dog lover? Walk dogs for $15 – $20 an hour. Are you good with cleaning? You can make $25 an hour as a house keeper. If you want to make more money in the longer term you can start a blog are look into making money with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Program. There are many ways to open a second stream of income.
Start a Hobby
Life tends to get stressful. Picking up a new hobby can help alleviate stress. In addition, a hobby is a good way to challenge yourself to learn a new skill. Starting a hobby can also help you extend your friendship circle by connecting you with other, like minded people.
Revamp Your Wardrobe
As a former self-proclaimed fashionista, I can tell you that since having children, I haven’t spent much money on clothes for myself. I don’t like it. I feel like I’ve let myself go. My name is Bean, I’m in need of a wardrobe revamp. Whether you are a man or woman, a solid wardrobe that speaks to who you are is essential. Make the resolution to buy just one outfit a month to help revamp your fashions for the year.
Remodel a Room
It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or house, there’s probably a room that can use a remodel. A fresh coat of paint or a piece of furniture to help organize, a room remodel can help brighten a space and give it the appearance of being larger. Set up a plan and budget; this is a great project for the year.
Read
Yes, read. In this fast paced, Reality TV laden world of present day, leisurely reading is becoming a lost hobby. An easy resolution to set is reading at least 2 books for the year. I had the pleasure of reading Gabrielle Union’s “We’re Going to Need More Wine.” This was such a raw and funny book! I had a better insight into who Gabrielle Union is as an actual person, not just a persona. It was nice to be able to come home, put my feet up and enjoy a good read with a nice glass of red wine.
Invest
Investing isn’t exclusively for the rich. No matter the income level, everyone should make the effort to set money aside with the sole purpose of allowing it grow. Fortunately, there are several ways to invest that do not require a large upfront amount. Apps like Acorn allow you to invest by using spare change – that’s right, change. When you make a purchase, Acorns will round your purchase up to the next dollar and invest the difference for you.
Volunteer
Every New Year we get to experience is a blessing. Pay it forward. Make a resolution to give back by volunteering. Not only would you be providing a service to your community, but the feeling you get giving to others is priceless.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
There are so many benefits to incorporating more fruits and veggies. A diet high in fruit and vegetables can help protect you against cancer, diabetes and heart disease. If you’re a person who doesn’t particularly like fruits and vegetables; try fruit and veggie smoothies like the ones on The Little Epicurean blog. Smoothies are a fun and easy way to start eating or increasing your fruit and veggie in-take.
The Blissful Lesson
Most of go into a New Year with the best of intentions. As such, we tend to set unrealistic expectations wrapped in a “Resolutions”. Disappointment follows when we fail to follow through.
Instead, let’s set smaller goals for the year and conquer those. Winning the smaller battles will give us the determination and character we need to win the war.
Blissfully Yours Friends,
