Many people reach the end of the year and hope that the next year will be better than the last; many of them even make new year resolutions, hoping for a change. According to a 2019 survey by Finder, 72.4 million American adults felt that they could follow through with their resolutions in the next year. However, many others reported that they weren’t confident in themselves and thought they would fail.
Instead of setting yourself up for defeat, why not set a simple resolution that you’ll actually enjoy pursuing? Setting more practical and rewarding resolutions can help you prioritize the activities you love and boost your confidence. Or why not set goals that make your life a little easier?
Instead of creating overly-challenging goals you can’t realistically reach, try one (or more!) of these New Year’s resolutions you will want to keep:
- Treat Yourself (When You’ve Earned It)
Some people need a little motivation to form new habits. If incentives help you stay on track with school, work, or other responsibilities, try creating a self-reward system to keep you engaged with self-improvement all year long.
- Socialize More
Although you may feel tempted to stay at home after grueling workdays, make it a point to go out with friends more and socialize. Being around other people has plenty of health benefits, such as reducing symptoms of depression and improving self-esteem, confidence, and brain health through communication.
- Care For Your Skin
Many people want better skin but think they don’t have the time for it. This year, make feeling and looking good a priority by developing a regular skincare routine. Clean and clear skin will boost your confidence. Plus, washing and moisturizing your face is a relaxing way to start and end the day.
- Supplement Your Efforts
A New Year’s resolution should make your health-related goals more manageable, and taking supplements can add to your efforts. If you find it challenging to get enough vegetables, consider taking vitamins or multivitamins to get your daily requirements. If you want to boost your energy or workout endurance, you can try drinking brewed collagen coffee early in the morning. You can also consider protein powders, such as whey protein, to build muscle mass.
- Reduce Multitasking
Many people think that multitasking is a special skill that saves time. Although it can seem efficient to work on multiple things at once, multitasking may reduce productivity, lower your IQ, and even cause lasting damage to your brain. Try to limit multitasking throughout the day and focus on specific tasks individually.
- Take Days Off
If you find that you’re stressed at work, it may help to take a day off to recover, especially when your body gives you all the signs. You don’t need to be productive on your days off, and you can take a complete break by spending the day in bed with your favorite book or spending time at home with your family.
- Sleep More
Sleep shouldn’t just be a necessity to power you through the next day—you should enjoy it. This year, make it your mission to get more, higher-quality sleep. That may mean setting a standard bedtime, limiting screen time in the evening, or practicing meditation to calm yourself before sleep.
- Wear What Makes You Feel Confident
Rather than wearing whatever is clean, consider wearing clothing articles that make you feel confident enough to conquer the day. You don’t necessarily need to wear stylish clothes, but need to feel comfortable in your clothing and with your body.
- Go On More Mini Vacations
You may not always have the ability to go on a two-week-long vacation, but you can always go on vacations that last for a few days or just the weekend. These short breaks can help you relax and tide you over until your next big trip or holiday.
- Call Your Friends
Even though socializing is essential, you don’t need to go out every day or every weekend. Instead, you can take the time to call your friends more often. Not only will these calls lift your mood, but they’ll also help you maintain meaningful, life-long friendships.
Start Small and Stay Strong
There may be dozens of resolutions that you want to set this year, but it’s in your best interest to start small and stay focused on just one or two goals. But if along the way you find that your resolutions have already become habits, why not start another?