Looking for New Year’s Resolution Ideas? Consider One of These for 2019!
Whether you are a student trying to stay ahead of school or a mom staying on top of her wellness, there are plenty of reasons to set a New Year’s resolution for 2019. Having (and keeping) a New Year’s resolution, however, comes back to goal setting. Setting SMART goals that you can achieve (in something you WANT to achieve) will line you up to successfully hit your resolution.
For this post, though, we wanted to focus on some ideas that are not just “losing weight”. Of course, this is a noble pursuit and there are many benefits to hiking or doing yoga – but there are also lots of other great ideas out there. Over the years, we have gotten better at setting non-health related goals – and most of the time we have achieved them.
So, we wanted to list off a few different ones here! Some of these are certainly more unique New Year’s resolutions – but that means they are something different for you to try! We’ve got a few examples of each so you can have a think about what works best for you.
Try Out Your Green Thumb
This is definitely one that we have struggled with in the past but have been better with as of lately. Simple gardening can go a long way in your home. You can grow your own vegetables or herbs to cook with, plants can help filter the air, or you can add some green to make a space more tranquil. Whatever your reasoning, getting more into gardening is definitely a worthwhile resolution.
We struggled for the longest time but then we realized that there are plants that are hard to kill. We bought some, and they have stayed alive! It’s honestly motivated us to try to grow more difficult plants/keep them alive. We’re thinking basil – but we will keep you posted.
While you are at it, you might consider changing up the decor in your home to go with the plants. So, we guess “change your decor” can also be a resolution? There are minimalist design tips and awesome geometric designs for that. But, that would make this list 8. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone!
Spark Your Inner Writer
This is one that we have both set out to improve at one time or another. The good news? Now we blog – so we must have gotten somewhere with writing more, right?
In all seriousness, Bruce has always loved writing but wanted to get even better. Lisa has struggled with finding her creative edge – and we think that’s what blocks many from writing more: overthinking it!
We’ve learned a lot over the past few years about writing and actually have a few tips on how you can inspire your inner writer. You don’t have to set out to become an award-winning novelist – even just jotting down ideas when they pop into your head in your personal notebook or journal is enough to get the ball rolling. We call this writing in your very own “workshop”.
Having those little brainstorms each day – and letting them happen without thinking “my ideas are stupid” is the key to success. Go listen to a few podcasts for bloggers if you aren’t convinced – they usually cover writing!
Try a Lifestyle Trend
Now, with this one we want to stress that you tread lightly. This is because this one might be interpreted as “try a fad diet” which is what we absolutely are not saying to do.
What we mean is, there are plenty of things that you can do to “live outside the norm” but for good reasons. Even the simple things like choosing to bike instead of driving can be enough of a nudge it the right direction to a healthier lifestyle that works for you.
The example we had in mind was “no poo”. This is the term used to describe the act of NOT washing your hair with chemicals or shampoos. Instead, people choose natural shampoos or water-only to cleanse their hair.
In fact, Bruce has been doing no poo this for over 5 years while Lisa has been doing it coming up to a year now, too! We think our hair is healthier and definitely doesn’t get as oily as quickly. Whatever lifestyle shift you make, just do your research to determine if it’s for you or not!
Get Yourself Organized
This one is pretty self-explanatory but people still have a hard time achieving it. “Getting organized” can mean plenty of different things for different people. For you, it might be referring to your work or your home office. In this case, get a great desk organizer!
For others, it might be more of a lifestyle things to order/manage their daily tasks. In this case, check out these great list-making apps to help you tackle the daily to-so list. Another example of this one is doing much needed and overdue cleaning – maybe a room in your house or your car? We’ve got a post on tips to clear the clutter – because we know how hard it can be to get rid of stuff!
Get Better at Cooking (Healthy)
Again, this is one that we intentionally left super broad. That said, cooking is a big part of life and it never hurts to get better at it. Whether you are in it to cook more healthy or just looking for the most delicious recipes out there without caring about the nutritional value, that’s for you to decide. You do you!
We, personally, have been trying to eat/cook healthier in recent months. We eat a salad every day (honestly), and have a whole ton of healthy snacks we like to prep. However, we understand if you want to create the greatest brunch items like morning waffles or you need to impress a dinner party with fall recipes. Whatever your motivations, take a class, read a cookbook, follow an online video – improving your cooking skills is SO easy these days.
Increase Your Productivity
This one is loosely linked to “get organized” because your organization at work or with your personal projects might be the thing holding you back from maximum efficiency.
All that we mean for this one is that you can aim to be more productive in whatever it is that you already have going on. If you immediately thought about your business/work life, then that’s fine. There are loads of great productivity tools that we love that keep us focused, organized, and on-task.
If you immediately thought about a hobby you do already and want to “take to the next level”, then think about the things that are holding you back. Guaranteed there is something you can do to turn your side-hustle hobby into something that gives you greater benefits (like side income?).
Read a Book (or Two)
Full disclosure, we love reading but we do not do enough of it. That said, we think that reading at least one book a year should be on everyone’s resolution list. Reading keeps your mind sharp and helps you be more open to different ideas. In today’s world, this last point is VERY important.
That said, we think that people go about “getting into reading” the wrong way. The trick to reading is CHOOSING A BOOK YOU LIKE/INTERESTS YOU.
Lots of people just grab what is on the New York Times Bestseller List because “it’s popular, so it must be good”. Yeah, sure – but if YOU aren’t interested in the topic or story-line, are you going to keep reading? Likely not.
Go into a bookstore, grab a few titles, read the back, and read the first 2 pages. Guaranteed you will know whether the book meshes with your interests in the first two pages. If you want to stick to the New Year’s theme – there are some great self-help books that continue to inspire years after they were written.
You can also try to build a routine around reading so it becomes a habit. Perhaps reading can be part of your morning routine checklist?
And there you have it – 7 New Year’s resolution ideas that are not losing weight. What do you think? We kept them broad and gave a few examples so that we don’t make you do something you didn’t want to do. This post was just supposed to inspire a few ideas or give you that extra push. Let us know what you end up choosing and keep us posted on the progress in the new year!
As always, Stay Curious,
-B&L