15 New Year’s Resolution Ideas For a Successful Year

New Year’s Resolutions may be cliché, but they’re also be an effective way to start off a successful year. Here are 15 of the best New Year’s Resolution ideas to try this January.

 

15 New Year’s Resolution Ideas For a Successful Year

 

1. Track Your Goals

There’s no point setting yourself goals you’ll never achieve. Make it your first resolution to write down each of your goals for the year, and track your progress as often as possible.

You can find free printables to help you track your goals in our free goal setting guide and workbook. 

 

2. Take Some Classes

If there’s a skill you’ve always wanted to learn – whether it’s a sport, a language, an instrument, or something else entirely – now’s the time to learn it.

Not only can you attend in person classes, but with so much free content on the Internet you can also teach yourself most skills at home. My go to websites to learn new things are SkillShare and YouTube –  click here to get your first 2 months free on SkillShare.

 

 

3. Start a Blog

Launching a blog will teach you valuable life skills, as well as allowing you to build a community and meet other people online. With some hard work and dedication, you can even start making an income from it.

I recommend buying some cheap web hosting (I use and recommend  DreamHost ) since it’ll give you the most control over your blog and the most room for growth. But you can also start a blog for free, making it a great New Year’s Resolution for anybody.

 

4. Start a Business or Side Hustle

It’s easier than ever to set up a small business and start making some money on the side. If you’ve always dreamed of owning your own business but haven’t yet found the right time to start, let this be your sign to start now.

 

 

5. Read Books

Reading is a fun yet productive hobby, and makes for a great New Year’s Resolution, whether your goal is to read 1 book this year or 100.

 

6. Clear Out Your House

How many times have you put off clearing out your house this year? Decluttering at least once a year will upgrade your living space and help improve your stress levels, making it a great goal to set yourself this year.

 

 

7. Do The 52 Week Savings Challenge

This is a challenge where you save $1 in your first week, $2 in your second week, and continue until you save $52 in the final week of your challenge. At the end of the year you will have saved up $1378 that you can spend on whatever you like.

Of course the rules aren’t set in stone – you can do the challenge backwards or adjust the numbers to suit your current budget, making it a good challenge for anyone.

 

8. Use Positive Affirmations Every Day

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool that can help you build confidence and overcome negative thinking patterns. 

The more you repeat positive affirmations to yourself, the more you’ll reinforce these new positive thoughts, so using affirmations daily is an easy yet potentially life changing New Year’s Resolution.

 

 

9. Spend Less Time at Your Computer

How much time did you waste staring at a screen this year? It’s important to get some time away from your screens, since it’ll give you more time to spend doing things you truly love.

Make it a New Year’s Resolution to find a relaxing, screen free hobby that you can do instead of scrolling Instagram for hours each day.

 

 

10. Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude every day is a simple yet powerful way to become a happier and more care-free person. Make it a New Year’s Resolution to write down at least one thing you’re grateful for at the end of every day.

 

11. Volunteer

Volunteering for a cause you care about is a great way to spend your time and meet new people. Most organizations allow you to offer as much or as little time as you like, making it a great commitment for the New Year.

 

12. Meditate

Regular meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety, as well as promote a longer attention span.

If you’re unsure of where to start, then apps like Calm and Headspace or even free meditations on YouTube can help you on your mindfulness journey.

 

13. Make Your Commute More Productive

If you commute to work every day, try switching out your usual music for an audiobook or podcast. Over time this little habit will add up to hours of learning about things that interest you.

 

14. Do Things That Scare You

If you felt stuck or stagnant this past year, then this could be the perfect New Year’s Resolution for you.

Commit to doing something that scares you every day, every week or every month. It’ll throw you out of your comfort zone and help you on your journey towards personal development.

 

15. Spend Less Time on Social Media

Social media sites are addictive by design, so you’re not alone if you feel you waste too much of your life on social media.

Make this year the year you make a real effort to kick your social media addiction. Downloading these  6 free Chrome and Firefox extensions can help towards this.

 

Comment and Subscribe!

Are you setting yourself any New Year’s Resolutions this year? Let us know what they are in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to The Violet Journal for similar posts sent directly to your inbox!