There’s no getting around it, 2020 was a rough year for New Year’s resolutions. Were you going to socialize more? Lose weight? Start wearing lipstick in public? Those things may have gone down the drain this year, but we’re about to get another chance. Here are 4 ideas for New Year’s resolutions you can actually keep in 2021.
1. Step-Up Your Virtual Socializing
Hopefully, as the year progresses, we’ll be able to move our digital social lives out into the real world. For now, there are several ways to start meeting new people and getting your daily dose of social interaction online.
Meetup.com is a great site for those looking to meet new people who share their interests. Pre-Covid, most groups on the site focused on in-person meetups, but now there is a mix of digital activities and in-person activities (depending on where you live.) If you identify as an introvert, you might find talking to people online less intimidating than meeting a bunch of strangers in person. After you’ve gotten to know the group, you’ll also have a better idea of whether you want to stick with it and meet them in person when that becomes safe again.
Discord.com is a place for social groups and fandoms to hang out online. They are a great option during quarantine because they offer video call and screen sharing services so you can physically distance, and still feel like you’re part of your friends’ lives. People have to be invited to join a group, so you don’t have to worry about strangers crashing your party.
2. Get on Top of Your Appointments
The pandemic has made all kinds of appointments challenging, including important medical appointments. Many kids and adults have fallen behind on vaccinations or skipped getting their teeth cleaned. Medical offices are taking every possible precaution to keep you safe, and in many states, health care workers will be vaccinated for Covid-19 before spring of 2021. Taking a day in January to get all your appointments made for the year can help you organize your time and prioritize self-care.
Before you make your appointments, take a moment to think about your health goals. Do you know you need to go to the chiropractor regularly but never seem to get around to it? Making your appointments for the year all at one time will ensure you get the regular care you need to feel your best. When you call your doctor, ask her what vaccinations or preventative screenings you need, and then get those lined up as well. Having these appointments already made will make you much more likely to keep up with your healthcare goals.
3. Organize Your House
Being at home 24/7 can really make you see your clutter. Several studies have shown that living in a cluttered environment causes stress, and one study even associated cluttered environments with overeating and weight gain. Organizing your cluttered areas might seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s usually quicker and easier than people expect.
Start by sorting through the items that are causing the clutter. Put them in three piles: Stuff that has to stay in the area, stuff that should go somewhere else, and stuff that can be thrown away or donated. Once you know what items you are keeping, you can buy some storage solutions to keep things organized.
You don’t have to get fancy or expensive. A small table with a bowl for keys and a box for mail can help keep an entryway looking neat. There are all kinds of innovative gadgets that can help you organize cupboards, drawers, and closets, and many of them are inexpensive.
Need some inspiration? There are fantastic organization ideas all over the internet. Try typing “kitchen organizing” into Pinterest, or check out sites like Organise my House (yes that’s how it’s spelled)–the perfect website for those who are feeling overwhelmed. They break down big organizing projects into bite-sized pieces. Apartment Therapy is an excellent site for those trying to organize small spaces.
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can check out the hit show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. She shows viewers how to decide which objects are important enough to keep and how to organize them to make your home a more serene place to live. These are just a few examples of places to get inspiration. There are several other TV shows and even podcasts on the subject. Each show tackles the problem from a different angle, so whether you want quick tips or are ready to dive into minimalism, you can find out how to achieve your goal.
4. Make One New Habit
Resolutions like “lose weight” or “make more money” may seem exciting, but they often require substantial lifestyle changes that can’t be made all at once. An easier and more effective way to create change in your life is to pick one step that can lead to your end goal and make it a habit. For instance, if your end goal is to “lose weight” and it’s been a while since you worked out, try to get in the habit of working out three times a week for thirty minutes.
You have more control over whether you work out than you have over whether your body loses weight or how much weight it loses. When you get to the end of 2021, and you’ve met your goal of staying on a workout schedule, you’ll feel motivated to take another step towards better health. You will probably lose weight as a result.
If making more money is your end goal, you could break that down into steps for 2021, such as taking classes or coming up with a business plan and starting your side-hustle. This advice can be applied to almost any goal. Think about the steps you’ll need to take to accomplish the goal and make one or two of those steps your resolution for the year.
New year’s resolutions are often abandoned after a few weeks of effort because the goal required massive, sudden changes to established routines. Breaking things down into reasonable steps will make you more likely to accomplish your end goal and give you something to feel good about in the meantime.