12 New Years Resolution Ideas to Increase Health, Peace and Happiness
What if today you could be changing your life for the better?
What if today you were beautiful, fit, and healthy?
What if today you had more peace in your home and family?
What if today you were happier and had more love and friendship in your life?
Don’t join a gym only to never go. Don’t resolve to lose weight only to get discouraged when it doesn’t go according to plan. Instead, make some life altering new years resolutions that you can actually follow through on. Below I’ve shared some ideas for new years resolutions that will bring your more peace, health, and happiness:
1. Go to bed on time, and not so you can get up earlier. Just give up some of your evening so you can be more rested.
2. Eat more green stuff.
3. Read to your kids more. Not just listening to an audiobook but actually sitting with them and reading a paperback book. If you want some suggestions, my Book List for Boys is a good starting place. (Don’t be fooled by the title as many of the books are loved by girls as well.)
4. Spend at least 20 min outside each day. Yes, even on cold days. (Speaking to myself here as I tend to avoid the cold like the plague.)
Until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy.
–Napoleon Hill
5. Drink more water or milk and less coffee, juice, soda, or whatever your poison is. Just try drinking a cup of water or milk before your next cup of coffee.
6. Cook more often. Eating premade meals gets expensive and is often not as healthy. For an easy dinner to add to your meal rotation, feel free to read how my easy meal plan helps spaghetti saves my sanity.
7. Compliment someone daily. You will learn to look for the good in people which will improve your day and many people go for years without recieving a genuine compliment so you can change their life too.
8. Put less unnatural products on or in your body. You don’t actually need all the hair products, face goop, or lotions. You don’t need all the treats or takeout. Trust me, you’ll be fine without them. Plus you’ll save money!
9. Say no more often. Practice in front of the mirror. Practice different methods of saying no (ex. I would love to help but I just can’t make it fit in my schedule at this time.). Start by saying no to small things. Like your children… really. They don’t need to have or do all the things. Nothing bad will happen if they don’t experience everything as a child.
10. Declutter. Less stuff means less stress which leads to better health. Plus it will be less to clean up. Ideas to declutter: CDs or DVDs (almost everything is digital these days), clothing that doesn’t fit or you dont even like anymore, extra or unused kitchen utensils and gadgets, old cell phones and chargers.
11. Make a family photo album. How many of your photos are sitting on a smart phone or computer harddrive? Start by putting them all in one place. Then pick some to print out and put them in an album. It doesn’t need to be a fancy scrapbook. Just slide them into the photo sleeves so the kids can flip through their history. (Talking to myself again here: no fancy scrapbook needed, digital or otherwise!)
12. Beautify your home. It does not necessarily have to be Pinterest worthy, but personalize it. Make it your own. I am a minimalist when it comes to decor and much of what I have is things people thought I would like that I put up to appease them and never took down. But I have two pieces I really love: my calla lillies and my clock. So they hang in living room where I see and appreciate them every day. Find one or two things that speak to your heart.
Drop your email below to get access to my Habit Workbook which you can use to figure out exactly which resolutions you should make for your life to have the biggest impact. You should also read my my article on how to succeed at your for New Years resolutions with some easy to follow steps to help make these second nature.
These are really great ideas for resolutions. They are all easy to do and thus you have a better chance of seeing them through. I don’t make resolutions, instead I make yearly and monthly goals – the monthly goals help break down my bigger yearly goals. I’m like you and avoid going outside when it’s cold, but I’ve been doing my best to get out there every day – but let’s be honest, if it’s -40 I ain’t going outside.
I do life, annual, and monthly goals as well. Then break them down into what do I need to do today or this week to get there. I’d say the baby steps toward bigger goals are resolutions.
I love the way you break down your goals. I have not been organized enough lately to organize mine on paper but I hope to do that sometime this month so I can make my resolutions from them.
As for -40, I do not envy my husband for having to work on the farm in that! I used to do it with 2 little kids when we first moved to this farm. I do not miss it!