20 totally achievable New Year’s resolutions

Volunteering is a great New Year’s resolution that can be achieved early on in the year. You can sign up to do something regularly, or you can volunteer for a single event. Organizations are always looking for people to help and make whatever they’re asking of you super simple. 

You can easily achieve a resolution to journal throughout the year. If you don’t want to do it every day, set aside a few minutes every week to get your thoughts out. And you don’t have to write them, either. You can doodle your thoughts, if that works better. 

Drinking less alcohol is a good resolution because “less” is highly personal and can mean so many different things. Maybe drinking less means participating in Dry January. Maybe it means cutting out alcohol during the week. There are lots of effective ways to consume less alcohol. 

Creating a budget is easy. Sticking to one is hard. Thankfully, there are many modern ways to make sticking to a budget achievable. Downloading an app and setting limits on your cards are two great places to start. 

You can absolutely try new recipes this year. Maybe you want to try a new one each week. Maybe you want to try a new one each month. Maybe you want to frontload your year with a bunch of new recipes that you can add to your meal rotation throughout the year. 

Deciding to read more as your New Year’s resolution is a fabulous idea because there’s so much to read. If you don’t love to read books, read a magazine instead. Get a subscription to a publication. Subscribe to someone’s newsletter. Pick what you like best and get to reading. 

Getting rid of clutter is an achievable goal because it can be done in just a few sessions. Set aside a few hours for each room in your home, and within a couple of months, you should have a much more organized space. 

Prioritizing your health is always a good resolution. If you’ve been avoiding going to the doctor, make it your New Year’s resolution. Get a head start by scheduling your appointments before the year starts. 

You can definitely achieve going somewhere new in the new year because it doesn’t have to be a big to-do. It certainly can be, but you can also achieve your resolution by going to a restaurant you’ve never eaten at or walking around an unfamiliar neighborhood. 

If you want to drink more water in the new year, buy a new water bottle. Start your day with a glass of water. Keep your water bottle with you at all times. Keep track of how much water you’re drinking. There are tons of ways to increase your water intake in the new year. 

Spending more time with family is a good resolution that can easily be achieved by deciding on an activity together. Maybe you want to implement a weekly family game night. Or maybe you want to see a movie together once a month. Pick something you all like to do and do it together. 

Learning a new skill is easier than ever thanks to the internet. If you want to learn a new language, there are apps for that. If you want to learn to play an instrument, there are lessons online. And there are plenty of ways those apps and online lessons will hold you accountable. 

Decorating a room in your home is another resolution that can be easily achieved because it’s not an ongoing goal. Decide how you want to decorate, purchase the necessary items, and arrange them in the space. 

Picking up a new hobby is an easy resolution to achieve when you choose something you like to do. If you like to keep your hands busy, try knitting. If you like to get creative, try painting. Pick a new hobby you know you’ll stick to out of pure enjoyment. 

If you want to keep your home cleaner this year, focus on one thing: vacuum more frequently, wipe down your counters every night, and even make your bed every morning. 

Exploring your city is a fun New Year’s resolution, especially if you live somewhere new or your town has recently grown. Try some new restaurants or visit some shops in neighborhoods you don’t frequent. Get to know the other sides of town. 

Eating out less is totally achievable. Figure out exactly how much you eat out, and eat at least one more meal at home. Do some reflection to figure out why you eat out so much, though, and work to address that problem so you can continue to eat out less. 

Spending less time on your device can be daunting, especially if you frequently use it for work and other important communication. But your phone itself can help you limit screen time, and there are dozens of alternative activities that can help you ditch your device more. 

There are lots of little tricks to employ to help you take more steps. Dedicate yourself to a daily walk around your neighborhood. Take the stairs. Park far away from the store. It’s easier than it seems. 

Everyone is guilty of waste, so don’t beat yourself up about the ways in which you’re wasteful. But if you want to reduce your waste this year, pick one area you think you’re particularly guilty of and find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.