19 New Years Resolution Ideas That You Will Actually Keep

It’s a new year and time to make some new goals. Whatever your New Year’s resolution turns out to be, I hope it’s focused on making this next year your best year yet!!

What’s your New Year’s resolution going to be?? Do you need some New Year’s resolution ideas? I’ve got a list of 19 easy ideas that you can use to start living the good life!

We might not all stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve but almost all of us will make some type of New Year’s resolution. However, only a small number of us will actually stick to it.

Why is this??

Nobody makes a resolution planning to fail at it. Nobody plans to fail, they simply fail to plan.

Don’t set yourself up for failure before the new year even starts. Let’s create a plan to make this new year your best year ever!!

Here is a list of things you can do to make this year AMAZING!!

19 Super Simple New Years Resolution Ideas To Improve Your Quality Of Life

1. Take Time for Yourself

I know, this is easier said than done. We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to take time for ourselves.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom since my kids were born. The words “time to myself” didn’t used to exist in my vocabulary but with both of them in school now, I’m finally getting some “me time” and I’m loving it!

I honestly don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner. Probably because the kids wouldn’t let me be alone for more than a minute.

I love having full days to myself now. It gives me time to exercise, work on Living Low Key, take care of things around the house, and really do whatever I want.

Let me tell you this has been a game-changer in my life. I’m not saying you need to find 7 hours to be by yourself, but just finding a 20 to 30 minute break is really helpful.

Start taking time for yourself, make it a daily habit. Even if its only 20 minutes, do something for yourself to unwind.

2. Read More Books

I’ve heard this many, many times, so I feel like there has to be some truth to it. The most successful people read at least 15 minutes a day.

So why not give it a try?

Even if you only have a few minutes to spare each day take some time and read an inspirational book. Taking time to learn something new this year is going to benefit you in so many ways.

My favorite time to read is when I first wake up in the morning before any distractions arise. 

Here are a few of my current favorite reads:

3. Make A Budget

If you’re not already living on a budget, you need to be. Budgeting is what enabled us to have so much success with our finances.

It seriously is the best way to take control of your finances and set you up to be financially free. Wouldn’t you like to be in total control of where all your money is going each month? You can if you start budgeting.

Making a budget isn’t as hard as you might think and it’s totally worth the effort. If you need help getting started with your new budgeting lifestyle we’ve got you covered. 

We created a Budget Binder for you that covers the entire year!! All you have to do is print it out and it’s ready for use. You can learn more about our Budget Binder Here!!

Check out our Guide to Budgeting to get started. You can also learn more about the Cash Envelope System we use for our budget. The Cash Envelope System is so easy to use and it really does work. You have to try it.

Related Posts:

• 13 Of The Best Budget Planners
• 30 Things To Do On A No-Spend Weekend
• How To Budget: The Cash Envelope System
• 50 Easy Ways to Save Extra Money

4. Learn Something New

I am a firm believer that we should always strive to learn something new. Whether you decide to take up drawing, a new language, investing strategies, or cooking, it is good to learn new things. 

Your brain, much like any other muscle in your body, needs to be exercised to stay sharp.

For the new year, find something that you want to learn more about. Once you know what you are going to focus on, create a plan to accomplish it.

Do some research and find out if there are any good books to read or software programs that can help you learn. Make sure you create milestones to track your progress. 

Most importantly, have fun with this. Choosing to learn something new is all about bettering yourself, so keep a positive attitude and an open mind.

5. It’s Okay To Say “No”

Learn to say no! Say no to spending money on ridiculous things. Say no to working long days and lots of overtime at work. 

Whatever it is, say no to the things that aren’t going to make you happy. If it’s not going to add value to your life or it’s going to cause you more stress, try saying no.

For something that sounds so easy, why is it so hard? Why do we always feel so guilty after using the word “no”.

It’s time to take control of your life. Stop feeling obligated to say yes to things you don’t want to do and start saying no! Give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.

6. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Start saying yes, to new experiences that is!

It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and try things you normally wouldn’t. Be spontaneous, break out of your normal daily grind and start living life. 

Whatever it is, try saying yes to things you would normally say no to and see where it gets you this year!

7. Get Outdoors

Ahh, the great outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you are deep in the backcountry of the Cascade Mountains or taking a stroll through the park near your house, just get outside!

This coming year, make an effort to spend more time outside and you won’t regret it. Put down the cellphones and Xbox controllers, it’s time to get some fresh air.

Going outside has a profound effect on your well-being. Getting natural sunlight, fresh air, and a little exercise will really improve your mood.

There is so much in this world to see and appreciate, you can’t possibly enjoy it if you spend all your time at the office or on your couch. Get outdoors and enjoy everything around you!

8. Travel On A Budget

This one is a personal favorite for us. We love to travel and wish we could do more of it. 

Our favorite thing about traveling is not just seeing beautiful places and scenery, but it’s also about experiencing the different cultures around the world. You can learn so much by immersing yourself in different cultures than your own.

This coming year we challenge you to try traveling. You don’t have to fly out of the country or travel around the globe, it could be as simple as going somewhere close to home that you have never been before. Whatever works for your budget!!

Start out small and work your way up to bigger trips. If you need tips for keeping your next trip from getting too expensive you should read how we manage to Travel on a Budget. It’s loaded with our tips to make trips more affordable.

There are so many cool things to see in this world and looking at them through a computer screen isn’t the way to do it. Get out there and explore, go see things for yourself!

9. Learn How To Save Retirement

It’s never too early to start investing in your retirement. It’s a scary statistic but one out of every three people in America has no money saved for retirement. Don’t be a part of that statistic.

Start saving for retirement now. With all the money you are saving you are going to want to invest it in one way or another. Take advantage of compounding interest and make your money work for you.

Our nest egg has averaged nearly a 12% return since we opened the account. That’s much better than a traditional savings account. 

Investing has been a big factor in how we were able to Save $100K in 5 Years.  Take some time this year to learn about investing, you’ll thank yourself when you hit retirement age.

10. Learn How To Declutter You Home

How much time do you spend cleaning your house every day when you could be doing something else? What if I told you that by decluttering your home, not only would you decrease your stress levels, but you would have more time to do things you love.

Our recent post 4 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Life has a step-by-step guide on how to declutter your home and simplify your life. I recommend decluttering one room at a time. 

Decluttering your home isn’t going to happen overnight. If you’re looking to start ASAP, start with a smaller room first, such as a bathroom. If you are ready to dive right in, start with the basement or a storage room.

Other rooms to declutter:

• Garage
• Bedrooms
• Kitchen
• Toy Room
• Computer Room
• Closet

11. Turn Off Your TV

This is another favorite on this list. Turning off the TV frees up so much time for you to try other things on this list. 

We cut ties with the cable companies in 2015 and we won’t go back. Yes, it takes time to get used to not having a TV. Once you get past the first few months you’ll realize it’s so nice not wasting time staring at the TV.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics conducted a survey in 2016 which found that people, on average, are spending at least 2 hours per day watching TV. That’s more than 14 hours per week!! 

Imagine what you could do if you had over half a day to learn something new or to spend time with your friends. We love not having a TV in our house. I really think you should try cutting ties with television this year.

If you aren’t wanting to cut TV out completely, Netflix and Hulu are great alternatives. These are great options for those of you who love TV but want to drastically decrease your cable bill.

12. Get Healthy, Stay Healthy With Exercise

To make next year your best year yet, it’s time to start exercising. There are so many wonderful benefits to exercising! Let’s get healthy and stay healthy with a simple workout routine.

Science has proven that regular exercise helps you control weight, reduce diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and it helps boost your immune system.

What most people don’t realize is that physical exercise has just as many mental benefits as it does physically. Exercise releases chemicals in your body that improve your mood and can leave you feeling relaxed and happy.

Have you ever had a workout that you regretted? Probably not..  In order to start this new year off right, find a workout plan and stick to it!

Here are some great benefits you might experience when you workout regularly.

• Less Stress
• Sleep Better
• Improves Endurance
• Confident Booster
• Increase your Energy Levels

13. Wake Up Early, It Has Benefits

Some of the most successful people in the world rise with the sun, if not before the sun. It’s a pretty simple idea, get up early and you have more time to get stuff done. 

Studies conducted by Harvard University professors have shown that people who rise early are also more proactive.

One thing you might not have thought about is that people who get up earlier are generally in better moods. The reasoning behind that is there are fewer distractions early in the morning. 

The first hour of your day will shape the outcome of the rest of your day.

If you wake up and have to rush to work your likely to have a stressful day.  If you get up early and have time to relax before going to work, or waking up your kids, you’re probably going to be in a better mood. Nobody wants to wake up and be rushed.

This coming year you should try to wake up early. Get into a routine of going to sleep a little earlier and getting up earlier. The key will be to stay consistent with your bedtime and the time you wake up.

14. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Keeping good company is going to make this year your best year yet. The people you surround yourself with can really change the way your next year plays out.

This year you should really think about the people who you have around you. Think about the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Do these people encourage you to achieve your goals? Do they empower you to be a better person? Are they positive? Do you feel energized and happy when you are around them?

If you answered yes to those questions you might already be surrounded by great people. If you read that and found yourself thinking your friends don’t have any of those traits, it’s probably time for new friends.

Make it your goal this year to surround yourself with positive and happy people. If you find yourself surrounded by good people you will be happier and have less stress in your life.

15. Put Your Phone Down

Finish reading this article before you put your phone down but this is an important piece of advice.

Do you spend countless hours every day on social media? I too am a victim of the social media time warp.

Some days I wish I had a timer that showed me how many times I peaked at my social media outlets. I think I would be scared to see the outcome.

One easy way to limit your amout of social media is to put your phone down. We all seem to be attached to our phones, if you put it down and walk away, you won’t find yourself on Facebook and Pinterest all the time!

Social media affects us negatively in ways we aren’t even aware of. It can lead you to have negative thoughts about yourself and others. 

A lot of what you see on social media platforms are staged to some extent, so please stop comparing your house, body, and life to someone on Instagram or any other account. 

Chances are what you’re seeing isn’t real. Disconnect from social media, focus on the here and now, and make the life you live, the life you love!

16. Make A New Friend

This is going to one of our areas of focus this coming year. We are going to put a lot of focus on meeting new friends.

Even if you have lived in the same area for your entire life, you should always try to make new friends. I think you’ll find it really cool to make new friends and learn all about them. 

You might even learn something new from them, so take a chance and go make a new friend!

17. Your Family Matters So Spend Time With Them

Who doesn’t love spending time with their family? Even when they drive you a little crazy, you should spend as much time with your family as you can.

Watching your son take his first step, or your daughter play in the sprinkler… These are big moments and you only get one life.

You don’t want to miss that because you had a late meeting at work or a business trip. To make next year your best year yet, do your best to be present and spend more time with your family.

18. Buy Experiences Not Things

This year I want you to focus on buying experiences, not things. Stop wasting money on stuff you won’t use in a couple weeks. Create memories that will last a lifetime!

When you were younger where do your favorite memories take place? Is it a trip you took with your family, or the night you got to stay at grandmas and turn her whole living room into a blanket fort? 

Or is it the toy you got for your 6th birthday?

Yea, your right… I can’t remember what toys I got at my 6th birthday either.

Chances are you remember a trip you took or the memories you made at grandmas house. If you want to have the best year yet, spend your money on experiences, making memories, not on an object you’ll forget about a month from now.

19. DIY Projects At Home

We really love to do our own DIY projects at home. There is just something about doing work around the house that David really enjoys.

It might have to do with not wanting to pay someone to fix things but he won’t admit that 🙂

Find something that you can build or create and just go with it! For some ideas, you can check out this Farmhouse Table we refurbished. We bought the old table on Craigslist and gave it a brand new look.

YouTube is a great resource for learning how to do DIY projects at home. Just search for videos on the project you need to complete. You’ll be surprised by how easy some things can be!!

I really hope that this list inspires you to try something new next year. We really want you to have your best year yet!!

Feel free to tell us about your New Years resolution ideas in the comments below! We LOVE hearing from you.

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