7 Unconventional Ideas of New Year’s Resolutions
I am sure you all know the “traditional” New Year’s resolutions. For this reason, we won’t cover them in detail today. We will focus on more non-traditional ideas that can help us bring a more meaningful life.
First, let’s look at standard resolutions and goals.
According to researcher John Norcross and his colleagues, who published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, approximately 50% of the population makes resolutions each year, primarily focused on weight loss, exercise, smoking, money management, and debt reduction.
According to a recent ComRes poll, the most common New Year’s resolutions, in order of popularity, include:
We all know the benefits of these changes, and we will cover many of them in more detail in future posts. However, today, I want to draw your attention to more non-traditional and often neglected ideas that can significantly benefit our lives.
1. Improve Self-Care
Chronic or sustained levels of high stress can negatively affect our physical health and well-being. When we don’t take time for things we enjoy, or neglect basic self-care needs like getting enough sleep, we often experience mental or physical pain and fatigue.
Self-care is about finding what reduces stress in your life and then doing more of it. Some of the most common stress relievers include meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, sauna, swimming, massage, and yoga. Music therapy, playing with animals, or even improving your work-life balance can also make a big difference.
2. Simplify Your Life
During the recent pandemic, many physical stores were closed, which limited our ability to purchase certain things. Yes, internet shopping was at an all-time high, but more people tried to refrain from purchasing new material things. Uncertainty was huge, we didn’t know if we’re next to be fired, or what will happen to us. Consequently, more people saved the money they had. And what did we realize? It is not that hard.
Maybe this year you can try to simplify your entire life. Throw away or donate unused things, non-fitting old clothes, various knick-knacks around the house that don’t add to aesthetic beauty or serve a specific purpose, clean your car (seriously, when was the last time you actually checked your car inventory), throw away duplicates, etc. You are more likely to find additional peace in an uncluttered environment.
3. Try A Capsule Wardrobe
As you simplify your life, you probably have the hardest time cleaning closets and shoe racks because they are overfilled with garments and footwear in all styles and colors.
This year give a shot and try a capsule wardrobe. Courtney Carver on her website: Be more with less, writes about Project 333, where you’re wearing only 33 items for 3 months. But you don’t need to limit clothes to 33 items, it can be 50 or 60 or more if you find value in it. Try it for a month or two and see how it feels. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.
4. Put A Shopping Ban on Yourself
A shopping ban is where you don’t spend any money on certain items for a set period of time, such as a weekend, week, month, or even a year. There are many rules and different forms of shopping bans, but that we will cover in one of my future posts. For now, just try not to buy anything for at least a week. Or better yet, a month.
This isn’t as long as it sounds, trust me. I tried a shopping ban for an entire year. I failed 6 months into the experiment, but I got some incredible benefits and realizations. The most important include:
- a shopping ban prevents impulse spending
- all spending problems will be uncovered
- it will prevent us from adding more stuff/clutter to our homes and lives
- the amount of money we can save is unbelievable. We can use that money for debt reduction, further savings or investing, or once in a lifetime trip (experiences always bring us more value and long-lasting happiness than stuff)
- more creativity with stuff we already posses
Obviously, you’re not putting a shopping ban on necessities like food and hygiene products. (P.S.: extra pair of shoes to match your shirt or belt is not a necessity).
5. Make Your Life Easier by Using Fewer Beauty Products
Do morning and night routines last too long? Dozens of expired products are trashed away every year? Too much money spent on vanity products? 10 perfumes of which we use only one or two favorites? If this sounds familiar to you, try simplifying your entire beauty routine this year.
Use only a few products that can bring the most benefits. Sunscreen, a good antioxidant-rich moisturizer, cleanser (optional because we can always use water), and maybe retinol serum or cream if you’re concerned about aging. Honestly, you don’t need more. Women can add a few makeup products but don’t overdo it.
The purpose of this change is to show that we don’t need as much as we think we need to look presentable and beautiful. And our skin will be grateful to us, trust me.
6. Digitize Part or Your Entire Life
In today’s world, there is really no excuse for a ton of paper clutter in our lives. I don’t count books here – just all those non-important papers we all have around the house.
Scan them if you think they are necessary, and save only the most important paper documents, such as birth or death certificates, wedding certificates, last will, deeds and ownership forms, social security, insurance documents, important bank papers, etc. You will know which ones when you see them. Trash everything else.
Still have VHS tapes, CDs, or DVDs? Hellouuu, it’s 2021.
7. Incorporate More Multifunctional Tools and Reusables into Your Life
You don’t need a scanner, printer, fax (who still uses that anyway) as a separate device. You can have only one device doing all the work, or even better – use your phone. It can do all that and more (still can’t print the papers, but who knows one day, maybe… anyway see suggestion No. 6).
You don’t need to have a big home theater, TV setup, audio equipment, projector, Apple TV, Roku, etc. For most of us, having a smart TV is enough. Maybe, just maybe, add extra speakers if you’re a true audiophile. Or better yet, trash everything and go outside and explore. The world is a magnificent place.
Reusables – buy a reusable glass bottle and carry it wherever you go. Same for shopping bags. We already have too much plastic in our oceans and land fields. Don’t add more. There are thousands of examples of this, so we won’t cover them all now.
One additional tip:
Carry Less Weight Within You
Drop all emotional weight, regrets of the past, burdens, fears, anger, worries, stress, frustration, unimportant obligations, unfinished tasks, etc.
Drop it and take care of yourself, your mind, and your heart. Rest. Enjoy the sunset, hug loved ones, talk less, listen more.
Be lighter on your toes. Smile and be free.
Remember: If it’s too heavy, put it down.
Have some additional non-traditional ideas? Please leave them in the comment section below, so we can all try them out.
Cheers!
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