New Year Resolutions For 2024

Thought of your New Year Resolutions for 2024 already? Here are the best from which you can pick and make your list.

“No matter how hard the past was, you can always begin again.” – Buddha.

The last couple of years have taught us that life is unpredictable, and all we can do now is value the time that we have.

Setting heavy goals often make us feel overwhelmed, and we end up not sticking to any of our resolutions as the months pass by!

But this year, how about setting small, achievable goals that’ll not just brighten up your days, but also make your journey meaningful.

Let’s take a quick look at these New Year Resolutions that are perfect for 2024.

1. Start journaling.

You must have thought about this quite a few times and ended up procrastinating, but this year make sure to keep a regular record of your personal thoughts and feelings, nurturing your wellbeing.

Write about the things that make you happy, as well as those that trigger anxiety. Express gratitude for the little things in life and trust me when I say this, you’ll love looking back on your musings later in life. Your future self will thank you for this!

Read also: 5 Reasons to start journaling

2. Send out handwritten notes.

Enough of virtual communication over Whatsapp and Emails – this new year, take the pledge to spend more time on writing handwritten notes.

Pick up a postcard, or just make one. Ask for the address to those you want to write to, and drop them a snail mail.

Send notes on special days – like birthdays and anniversaries. Or maybe just to say Thank You!

It will make a difference not just to the receiver, but you’d also feel good. Needless to say, handwritten notes are usually treasured by all.

3. Take a break from social media.

According to research, people who took a break from social media have lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, than those who ended up spending hours scrolling through other people’s feeds.

Even Instagram has now introduced a new ‘Take A Break’ feature that will ask users to step away from the app after they’ve been scrolling for a certain amount of time. The company believes the new feature will ’empower people to make informed decisions about how they’re spending their time’, as per reports.

4. Read more books.

As you shift your focus from social media, you’ll find that you have ample time to indulge in doing other things – like reading books maybe! The practice of reading books creates cognitive engagement which improves lots of things, including our vocabulary, thinking skills, and concentration.

It also can affect your level of empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence. Make sure to read at least one book every month – and to keep yourself accountable all year long, you can link up with your friends and peers, connecting with the best books that you’ve read. You can also try out book exchange – encouraging others to get into the habit of reading.

Read also: 21 Books to read before you die

5. Clean your space.

If you are living in a cluttered space, you will probably not function as much as you can in a clean space. As you walk into the new year, make your mind to clean your home regularly – and I’m not talking about deep cleaning every day, but just dusting your things, arranging them in order, and keeping things aesthetically will majorly impact your life.

Throw away all that junk you don’t need, give away old clothes, etc that can be reused. In case you have a work desk, tidying it up on a daily basis will not just help you focus, but it’ll also be easy to find your things.

6. Practice saying ‘no.’

A lot of times, we end up saying ‘yes’ to things we don’t really feel like doing – but just for the sake of others. If you are a people pleaser, you’ll mostly have a lot of difficulty in saying ‘no’ to others.

However, learning to politely set your boundaries can actually improve your relationships with yourself and the people you care about, and it’ll also free you up to focus on the things that really matter to you, whatever they may be.

7. Get some plants at home and indulge in gardening.

Take some time out and try your hands in gardening. It has been proved that people who are surrounded by plants are happier than those who don’t.

Just the presence of indoor plants can lower your stress levels, and actively caring for plants will automatically calm your nervous system and lower your blood pressure. It’ll also add some soothing vibes to your home.

8. Go for more vacations.

Yeah, I know the pandemic has pushed us all indoors, but now with the vaccination drives and the things getting better – you can surely plan for your next holidays. People who vacation at least twice a year have a lower heart attack risk than those who do so rarely.

And researchers have found that even thinking about an upcoming trip can boost happiness for weeks. In case your office is allowing you to work from home, you can simply work from anywhere in that case! Just pack your laptop, find a place by the beaches or maybe around the mountains, and just enjoy a workation!

9. Consider going for therapy.

As our lives are getting faster by the day, we all experience stress, anxiety, mood swings, and other forms of emotional distress at certain points.

We often don’t consider going for therapy even when we struggle with our fleeting thoughts and can’t mind adequate peace of mind.

We all lean on friends and family for emotional support, but this year you can finally make a move to pay extra attention to your mental health and reach out to a professional.

It is essential for every human being to engage in therapy at some point in life, and this is the best time for you to get started.

10. Spend some time volunteering.

It has been proved that doing something for others selflessly can lead to less stress and lower blood pressure. Also, it adds unconditional happiness to your life when you see that your little efforts are showing results. This year, how about spending some time volunteering for a cause that you feel connected to?

You can share a hand in cleaning the environment or planting trees, or go out and teach the underprivileged kids over the weekends. Not just that, but you can also motivate your friends and family to join in – as they say, the more the merrier!

11. Reduce your single-use plastic consumption.

It’s high time that we get aware of the global warming crisis and check our moves on a daily basis. When you step out for grocery shopping, carry your own bag and avoid taking those single-use plastic bags.

While traveling, carry your own bottle so that you don’t need to buy packaged drinking water. Shift to reusable straws, cutlery, etc – and do your part to help reduce plastic usage as well as check your carbon footprints. If we don’t act now, our Earth will suffer in ways we can’t even imagine!

12. Give yourself a new look.

Try that haircut which you always wanted to get. Buy that dress you eyed at the mall. Accept your body and wear that bikini that has been lying at the corner of your wardrobe.

Drape a saree for the next dinner date. Working on a new look will brighten up your mood and also change your perspective to look at yourself. This year, try to fall in love with yourself.

13. Get into the habit of writing to yourself.

I already mentioned about maintaining a journal, but you must also try your hands at writing to yourself. It will clarify your thoughts and nurture your self-awareness.

Write a letter to your younger self, narrating what you’ve learned over the last couple of years. You can also write to your older self, mentioning your dreams and goals.

Keep a small diary that you can carry with you, and keep jotting down your thoughts. The more you write, the more you’ll be able to connect to your own self.

14. Get healthier.

I know that you probably add this to your list of resolutions every year – to exercise, to hit the gym, to avoid eating junk, so on and so forth.

Trust me, I’m in the same club as yours and I too give up very easily! This year, rather than making a resolution, set a goal to just get healthier.

You don’t have to hit the gym or avoid that pizza, but just make sure that you compensate those junk meals with an adequate amount of salads and fruits. Go for running, or dance until your sweat!

A healthy lifestyle is a choice we should make, rather than a resolution to follow.

15. Do one thing at a time.

Get into the habit of doing one thing at a time, and avoid multitasking as much as possible! According to a study by Stanford, people who multitask are putting their brains in trouble, as they switch from one task to another and never fully immerse in what they are doing.

Honestly, multitasking doesn’t make you more efficient, but it does stress you out. It is humanely impossible to concentrate on more than one thing at the same time – so when you tend to multitask, your productivity and efficiency also suffer.

16. Say goodbye to toxic relationships.

We all have such friends and relatives who are hard to deal with at times. They impact our social lives, making us feel low at times and often, we end up overthinking a lot about those relationships.

It might seem impossible to break up with them – but it’s time you let go of those toxic relationships slowly. Have a conversation and let them know how you feel, rather than ghosting – which is a little inappropriate.

To quote a popular saying – “The fewer people you chill with, the less bullshit you deal with!” So you better know who your real people are, and stay closer to them.

17. Start investing your money, thoughtfully.

From a financial standpoint, it’s never too early to invest, and now is the best time to put your money into some good deals.

Read about the market before you buy those shares or spend on Mutual Funds. You can also choose to invest in Cryptocurrency – which is becoming quite popular these days.

I would suggest you take proper advice from someone who has knowledge about it and start investing your money.

18. Make time to meditate.

Take at least 5 minutes out of your daily schedule to sit calmly and meditate. Know that your mental health is as important as your physical well-being.

It’ll also help you to have better focus and concentration, improve your self-awareness and boost your self-esteem, reducing your levels of stress and anxiety.

Undoubtedly, meditation is the first step we take towards a good life – and it’s better to embrace this habit as early as possible.

19. Learn a new thing every month.

Learning something new is always fun – and imagine how wonderful it would be if you get to learn 12 new things by the end of the year!

Sounds amazing, right?

It’s time to set new goals and try something different each month – from learning to cook a new dish, to trying your hands at something creative like pottery or embroidery, or maybe learning to play a musical instrument or a new language – the options are endless!

20. Put a pause to procrastination.

Whether it’s about completing some pending work or planning something that has been on the pipeline since forever – now is the time to set aside the procrastination.

As humans, we think that we have enough time – and that’s a mistake we make! This year, say ‘no’ to procrastination and push yourself to make the best of the time that you have.

21. Smile more.

There would be enough reasons to feel low – things wouldn’t always happen as per your plans, a friend might cancel that much-awaited trip, your partner might forget your birthday, you might not get promoted this year – but in spite of everything, you’ll sail through if you have a smile on your face. Let nothing bring your spirits down.

22. Love yourself a little more!

There’s no greater joy than indulging in self-love, and I know that you care for your loved ones a lot, but now is the time when you should start caring for yourself as well.

Nurture your wellbeing (physical, mental, spiritual) and do things that make you happy. Go for a solo trip and fall in love with your own company.

Take yourself out on a date. Eat without thinking about how many calories you’re intaking. The more you’ll spend time with yourself doing things you love – the better bond you’d have with yourself.

23.  Set your boundaries

Being good to someone is always appreciated, but sometimes your generosity is taken for granted. So to live practically we need to set some boundaries for ourselves in every aspects of life. Value yourself first!

If there’s anything that I’ve missed out, but you think it’s important to add to our list of resolutions, do write to us in the comments below.

We wish you a very happy & prosperous New Year 2024 🙂