25 inspiring New Year’s resolution ideas you’ll want to keep

Another way to resolve to use social media better this year is to make a goal to post one picture each day of something in your life you find beautiful. It can be as simple as a leaf curling on the sidewalk or the pattern raindrops make on your window. Simply taking a moment to look for something beautiful and capture it on camera will give your spirit a lift. Posting it will inspire others to look for the beauty in their lives as well.

“Exercise more” probably already made your resolution list, but if that’s all you wrote, then you’re destined to fail. The more specific and doable your goal, the more likely you are to, you know, actually do it. Walking is a great exercise to start with. Not only can nearly everyone do it, but it’s free and you can multitask by listening to a podcast or talking with a friend. Add in the great outdoors and you’ll get some fresh air and sunshine.

A man who committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge left behind a note that read, “I’m going to walk to the bridge. If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump.” That story had a heartbreaking ending for that man, obviously, but it shows the power of a little human kindness. Smiling at a stranger on the bus, in the store, at the gym, or on your way to work costs you nothing but could have a powerful effect on someone’s life. Make a resolution to give a smile, every day. Best part? You’ll probably get one in return too.

Dancing is good for your body, mind and soul. It’s fun; it’s a great way to meet new people; it improves memory, balance, coordination and flexibility; it helps you lose weight, and it’s a great way to start an exercise routine. The best part is you don’t even have to be good at it to reap all these benefits! Sign up for a type of dance lesson that intrigues you – ballroom, tap, ballet, hip hop or whatever – and simply show up with an open mind. Paying for a whole course will keep you going at least for the duration of the class.

Quick: Can you name your next-door neighbours? What about the ones next to them? Everyone on your street? The more interconnected we’ve become online, the less connected we’ve become in real life, particularly to those we don’t have a reason to get to know. So make a reason to meet the people in your neighbourhood by inviting a new person or family over for dinner, dessert, or a game night, once a month. At best you’ll make some great friends, at worst you don’t ever have to do it again, and you’ll still have one more person you can ask to bring your garbage in from the kerb when you’re gone.

Getting enough sleep can be one of the best things you can do for your health. Getting a solid seven to eight hours of shut-eye boosts heart health, helps with weight loss, improves memory and reduces depression, among other health benefits. Yet good intentions are easily derailed by phone games, Netflix, work e-mail or other distractions. Invest in your health by giving yourself a firm bedtime that will allow you to get eight hours of sleep, say 10pm, and stick to it.

Still struggling with your shut-eye? Here are the 9 best vitamins for sleep. 

Making a mental note to count your blessings simply isn’t enough. To reap all the benefits of daily gratitude, you need to make a conscious effort to record everything you’re grateful for. Start off on the right foot this year by buying a fun journal, just for the purpose of recording three things each day you’re grateful for. Looking for things to be grateful for will give you a boost in the moment and re-reading them later will help you realise how great your life really is.

Practising gratitude is one of the things that healthy people have in common. Here are 17 others.  

If Dr. Seuss were writing today, his next book would likely be Screens On Things – those screens, we see them in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse. Those screens we see them here and there, we see them everywhere. And for good reason, they’re fun! But technology overload can cause depression, isolation, lack of social skills, compulsive shopping and poor health. Take a brain break by setting aside one (or more) hours a day to unplug. Read a book, take a walk, work on a hobby, volunteer, or simply use the time to think your own thoughts, uninterrupted. You’ll sleep, eat and feel better.

Chores are called chores for a reason – no one loves scrubbing out the toilet or loading the dishwasher, yet they are all things that must be done for life to run smoothly. But sometimes you procrastinate doing them (no judgment here, we’re all guilty of this!) and they pile up. Keep your personal (and mental) space clean by creating a daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedule. Doing a little each day will make sure the garbage never overflows into the next room again.

Follow these tips to make sure your New Year’s resolutions stick. 

We’ve all been there: You see a good friend in passing, yell “We need to get together soon!” as you sail by, and then…nothing. Even if you really mean it, setting aside social time can be difficult. But maintaining close friendships is worth it. So make a resolution that this is the year you make time for your loved ones and schedule a time each week or month to see them. If you write it in as an appointment, your brain will think of it as non-negotiable and you’ll make those good times happen.