The articles, blogs and TV shows urging you to make New Year’s resolutions this time of year are inescapable, as are discouraging statistics about how many people stick with them.
To achieve success with New Year’s resolutions, the experts say to set smallish and specific goals. And, keeping a positive mindset throughout is key.
Below we have a few general suggestions you can customize to your needs and schedule:
Eat more superfoods — There is no universal definition, but these generally are unprocessed, relatively low-calorie and include considerable amounts of important nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Some of the most readily available foods that tend to make these lists are carrots, spinach, avocado, berries (especially blue), tomatoes, walnuts, eggs and salmon.
Spend more time walking/running — Getting and keeping fit may be the most frequently made resolution, given how stores tend to replace holiday-bound inventory with yoga mats, barbells and treadmills, plus the bikes left over from Christmas. But if you’re sensing these might be space-takers instead of calorie burners, then start out incorporating more walking or running into your routine, either at a designated time or by expanding your modes of transportation for work or errands.
Reduce clutter/clean — Once you have a hard time finding what you need or feel too drained by the mess around your house to even think about doing anything about it, it’s time for an intervention, hopefully by yourself. The fresh start of the new year may be the best time to change your habits in this arena. Set aside a little time each day to wipe things down and throw out incidental trash so it never gets overwhelming.
Learn a new skill — Think of something you’ve always wanted to learn or something that’s come up recently that would help you get ahead at work or in leisure. Your options for online classes grow broader by the day through MasterClass, Coursera, Udemy and many more platforms. You can even use them to help you keep on track with your resolutions by taking a walking or running course or a class on decluttering!