New Years Resolution Ideas

Well, friends, 2024 is upon us. It’s time to say goodbye to last year and step into a new year. This year will be full of adventures, challenges, hope, pain, magic, and growth. This year will be an important year in your story. The story of who you are and who you are becoming. God is going to work in you this year, believe me. 
    Every year, many of us make a list of goals and resolutions. Things we want to do and do differently in the new year. It can be hard to make these goals stick, and it can also be hard to pick goals that are actually attainable. 
    I wanted to share with you a list of goal and resolution ideas, and some tips on how to make your goals stick.

Goals don’t have to be only about health or finances, they can be about your creative life, your job, your relationships, or yourself.  The point isn’t to make hundreds of goals and get weighed down by your own expectations. The point is to make your dreams more accessible, better your life, and grow in your faith. When you approach goals in this way it makes things a lot easier.

Fitness:
    Almost everyone has made a fitness goal at some point in their life, it is great to stay healthy, but it’s also okay to not make a fitness goal, I personally don’t have any fitness goals this year. That being said, if fitness is something you want to pursue in the new year, here are a few ideas to get you started practically.

• Make your exercise goal easy and achievable.

    Set a simple schedule for yourself, start small, by prioritizing to get up a little early a few days of the week. Try using short workout videos or go to the gym with a friend. Have a reason for why you want to get fit and remind yourself of it. 

• Make a goal to get outside every day (or almost every day).

Getting outside is so good for pretty much every part of your body and mind. One of my favorite ways to exercise is to take walks. Motivate yourself to get outside by looking for specific things outside, like the first flowers, or five different kinds of birds.

• Getting to bed at a better time.

I’ll be honest, I struggle with this one. My best advice to make this work though, is to set an alarm for when you would like to go to your room to get ready for bed. Estimate this based on what your ideal bedtime is and how much time you think it will take for you to get ready for bed.

• Eat better.

Let’s be honest, this time of year we all eat really badly. It can be easy to jump straight into a super healthy diet, and then let it slip away. The best way to be consistently healthy is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I like to make sure I get at least one at every meal. Also, hydration is super important, when you drink water you are less hungry.

Faith:
    Getting closer to God is the best possible goal you could have for the new year. I think this is something that we all should be doing. Even if you do read your Bible and pray often, it’s always a good idea to pursue Jesus even more. 

• Bible reading.

Make a goal for yourself to read the Bible every day (I prefer to do it in the morning.) It can be hard to get started or stay motivated, so try starting with a reading plan. The YouVersion Bible App has great plans to get you reading the Bible, whether you choose to read just a book or the whole Bible in a year.

• Prayer

I always want to spend more time in prayer. A great way to make this work is to pick something that will always remind you to pray. Maybe every time the dog barks you take a moment to talk with God, or every time you get in the car you let that prompt prayer.

• Listening for God

Silence can be hard to come by. We fill our lives with so much noise, that maybe this year choose to spend quiet time in the presence of God. Every day in the morning, I set a timer for five minutes, maybe put on some worship music and just listen to try and hear what God has to say to me. 

• Serve

Another great new year's goal is to get involved in your church or with another organization you believe in. Serving is a great way to worship God and grow in a community with other believers.

Mental Health:
    Our mental health is such an important thing, especially in the winter when less sunlight means we feel worse. Taking care of your mind can be a struggle, it’s a process that takes a lot of time and effort, but it is very beneficial. Here are a few ideas to help you in your mind.

• Gratitude Journal.

This is something I have started doing this year, keeping a journal of all the things I am grateful for. I have been making this a daily practice, and so far, I love it! Gratitude is scientifically proven to change your mood and relieve anxiety, and even without the health benefits, it is so good to thank God for all the things he has done.

• Start a fitness or faith goal.

In my mental health journey, I have found that both being in God's word every morning and exercising helps me tremendously. If you deal with negative mental health, anxiety or depression maybe you should make a goal in one of these other areas. 

• Get help.

If you struggle with your mental health, 2024 is the year for you to get better. God has called us to live full and beautiful lives, he cares about every inch of you including your mind, so don’t neglect getting help if you need it. 

• Be Gentle with yourself and let go of perfectionism

This was one of my goals for 2023. It wasn’t perfect, but I’m getting better. You live such a happier life when you give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and allow yourself to make mistakes.

Creative:
    As a creative person, every year I find, myself making creative goals. This is such a good way to propel yourself forward, especially if you want to grow your audience or be more productive.

• Set a firm goal for yourself

Maybe this is to finish your novel by a certain date, start taking commissions before the end of the year, start a YouTube channel before your next birthday, or finish your album. This goal needs to be attainable (not variant like a subscriber count), and you need to put in the effort day by day. But write out your plan of attack and stick to it.

• Start a new venture

Maybe it’s time to take a step outside of your comfort zone, write the book that has been on your heart, start a blog, social media, or YouTube. Submit your manuscript to a publisher, reach out to a big-time creator about a collaboration, or start your small business. Take that step. It may be hard, you may not gain from it, but trust me, it will be worth it. Last year I took the step to start this blog, and although it’s slow in growing and it’s a lot of work, I haven’t regretted it at all!

• Give yourself time each week to create without expecting anything.

A little time to just doodle, or write a story, or play around on the piano. Let creating be fun, even if it’s only for a little.

• Talk about what you love

This goal may seem a bit strange, but it’s something that as a creative I often find really hard to do. It’s easy to feel like you’ll be judged or considered a nerd, but take the step to talk about your art, and share it with the people close to you. You may find that people are way more excited about your work than you thought.

Reading Goals:
    This is the time of year when all the bookish people start making reading goals. I just started doing this last year and it’s been a lot of fun! Here are some ideas.

• Start a reading journal

There are a lot of great videos on YouTube about starting reading journals. Mine is basically just writing down the book name, author, genre, a few thoughts, and a rating, though this year I’m getting a little more creative with it. This has been such a great way for me to actually keep track of my reading.

• Set a big goal

How many books do you want to read this year? If you counted how many you read last year add a few onto that. If you’re looking for a starting place I’d say 50 is a good place to start. Who cares if you don’t meet your goal? Just try to read.

• Start a book club

    I can’t tell you for how long I’ve wanted to start a book club. Get a group of people together choose a book and discuss it! It can be in person, online, on a zoom call. It can be with a big group of people, or just you and a close friend talking books over text.

• Read books outside of your comfort zone.
  

​Make a goal to read one book in different categories you normally don’t read in. For me this last year it was YA (young adult), and Indie (independently published.)

Fun Goals:
    Who says that goals have to be boring??

• Movie Log

Log every movie you watch this year, and rate it like you might a book.

• Start a collection

What’s something you love? Why don’t collect one thing for your collection each month?

• Buy random gifts for people

I love gift-giving. This year I want to pick a person to treat every month and try to spread some joy.

• Set a big goal to save towards

Do you want to travel? Want to buy a first-edition copy of Harry Potter? Take all your friends out to afternoon tea? Save for it!

• Decorate your room for every season

Enjoy the seasons more by buying, making, or finding fun seasonal decorations.

• Cook new recipes

I think it would be so fun (especially in the winter months) to pick new foods you’ve never tried before and cook them.

• Plan fun outings

Go crazy with it, make a pintrest board, save up, then do it. What do I mean by a fun outing? Pick a friend or two and go to the mall and get boba, or drive around trying different ice creams, or splurge on Venti Starbucks drinks and go to Barnes and Noble.

• Pick up an old hobby

I know you have one of those. It could be really fun to get back into something you once loved.

• Create a mood board on your wall

Make a collage of pictures, postcards, comic strips, whatever, and add to it throughout the year. 

• Don’t make any goals at all.

I know this may seem silly since this whole post is about setting resolutions. But seriously, don’t push yourself to make goals you don’t want to keep. If you have been feeling stressed or pressured about your resolutions, take this as permission to do nothing at all.

What are your goals for 2024? 

Belle Thomas

​Belle is the writer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about Jesus, good books, and living a beautiful life.