I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, but here’s some suggestions if you’re into that sort of thing:
- learn a new language
- talk to strangers more often
- visit 12 museums (one per month)
- step away from your devices once a week (increase the duration every time)
- read at least 12 non-fiction books
- read at least 12 physical books
- write a poem; maybe write 12 poems
- walk in the rain
- travel somewhere alone
- learn to draw
- stop a fight
- walk two thousand kilometers
- make more puns
- find something you can change in your local community and try to change it
- figure out what it means to be happy
- start twelve new side projects
- finish one side project
- once a week, throw out a few things you no longer need
These aren’t things I’m committing to, but they are examples of the sort of NYRs I’d be likely to take on.
I’m also not a fan of big lifestyle changes like going to the gym or quitting smoking as NYRs, I feel like those things need a completely different approach and level of discipline/commitment than just deciding to arbitrarily switch over on a certain date. I prefer incremental life improvements as NYRs, similar in scale to the above. Also consider: Instead of one resolution for the entire year, try 12 30-day challenges instead. The smaller scale makes the goal less daunting and a bit more achievable. Sticking to something for 30 days is way easier than a whole year.
See Also