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January 15, 2021
Happy new year 2024 with nature background. The concept of Goal achievement and success in 2024
2024 New Year's Resolutions
If you have never made a New Year’s resolution before, this year is a great time to try it out. Coming up with resolution ideas can be tough on your own and you don’t want to take on more than you can handle. Be sure to pick out resolutions that are achievable for you. We all have our own different comfort zones and skills, so everybody’s resolutions will be different. If you are having a hard time coming up with your own resolutions but want to make some, not to worry! We have put together a great list of 2024 New Year’s Resolutions.
Check out these awesome ideas to start your year off right!
1. Shop Local
2. Try a New Recipe Once a Week
You could pair this resolution along with the one above if you want! Try out new restaurants with different cultural foods than you would normally eat. Or, you can try making a new dish at home. If you want to try something really unique, why not try making a new meal once a week! This will be a fun way to keep things interesting and learn new recipes!
3. Read a New Book Every Month (or every 2 weeks!)
Whether you like to read on your Kobo or you like the feel of a physical book with the pages under your fingers, reading is such a fun pastime! You can learn so much from a book or get completely lost in fiction! Perhaps you really dislike reading, you can always try out an audiobook instead. Audible has a ton of books and you get a new free book every month! Up the ante by reading a new book a month, or every two weeks… whatever your pace is! What better New Years Resolution than to learn new things!
4. Start a Journal
Writing in a journal is a great way to reflect on your day and better understand your day to day situations. It can also make you feel better to get feelings out of your head and onto paper (or a computer). It is also great for holding yourself accountable. A few fun things to journal about can be: what are you thankful for? What did you eat today? What did you accomplish today?
5. Work on Your Mental Health
Unfortunately, our mental health often gets overlooked. After the crazy pandemic years, we could all use a little time to work on our ourselves. Take a day for yourself or go for a walk outside. Studies have proven that getting outside and enjoying nature can help to reduce stress and anxiety and put you in an overall better mood. Mental health affects us all and maybe 2024 is the time to do something about it. Try speaking with a therapist or talking to a friend. It all starts with you.
6. Build a Budget
This New Year’s resolution will make you richer! Well, maybe not quite but if you haven’t built a budget yet, 2024 is a great time to do it! There are lots of great apps and programs that will make budgeting easier so you don’t need to use a pen and paper or a spreadsheet. Mint by Intuit is a great program that will allow you to see exactly where you are spending money, how much you are saving per month, your current credit score and so much more!
7. Volunteer
There are so many not for profit organizations that could use some help with daily operations. Helping out with one of these organizations will not only do good for your community and a cause, but it will also make you feel good. It can be all too easy to get wrapped up in only doing things that financially benefit you. But, if you stop and take a moment to help someone else in need, you will feel joyful and fulfilled.
8. Lift Weights Every Day
Hate the treadmill or outdoor jogging? Why not try working on strength training instead of cardio. Lifting weights can be hugely beneficial. Some of the major benefits include improved posture, better sleep, increased bone density, boosted metabolism and lowered inflammation. Lifting weights will also help to fight off chronic diseases. Pair your weight training with cardio and you will be in shape in no time!
9. Print Photos
Isn’t it fun to look at old photos? The memories are priceless and they make you happy. Wouldn’t it be great to be surrounded by these happy memories? Nowadays many of our photos live on our phones and computers rather than on our walls and photo albums. Why not try printing and framing some great family memories this year so you can see your loved ones smiling faces and be reminded of them daily!
10. Donate
You know what will really make you feel good? Knowing that you have done something to help someone else in need. There are so many organizations that are in need of your generous donations. Donating your money… or time as a volunteer will make you feel like you are a part of something larger. You can really help to change lives when you donate. For a great list of local charities you can donate to, click here.
11. Drink More Water
We all know that we should drink more water. But do you know why? Water can help maintain the balance of bodily fluids, it helps support kidney function, enhances athletic performance and cognitive function as well as helps to promote weight loss. Health professionals recommend that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day, This equals about 2 litres every single day. An easy way to make yourself drink more water is to buy a water bottle. Many of them have a measuring system on the outside so you can easily track how much water you have drank for the day.
12. Implement Positive Self-talk
It may seem silly to pat yourself on the back and say you did a good job. But, studies have shown that positive self-talk and having a generally optimistic outlook on life can have amazing health benefits! Anything from better cardiovascular health to less stress, reduced pain and even reduced risk for death! Being positive towards yourself can be difficult sometimes but it has great impacts on your life! So next time you do something that you are proud of, get excited about it and tell yourself you did a good job!
13. Start a Plant Collection
If you don’t have any plants yet, get ready to become addicted to this new hobby once you start! You can never have just 1 plant! You can start off easy with plants such as cactus, succulents, ferns, snake plants and more! Check out this great list of easy to care for plants to get started. Once you have an idea of which plants you want, you can check out some local plant shops to buy some! Ottawa has a ton of great plant shops including Terra Plants & Flowers, Aquatopia, Talisman Flowers, Plant & Curio and Flowers Talk Tivoli!
14. Try Out a New Hobby
Are you feeling like you are getting into a bit of a lazy rut? Feeling like there is nothing better to do than flip through shows on Netflix and Prime Video? There is so much more to life, so get up off the couch and explore some new hobbies! Some great ideas for new hobbies include photography, crafting and DIY’s, gardening, camping, painting, drawing, learning an instrument, doing yoga, writing dancing, reading and so much more! There are a ton of new hobbies you can try out! Check out this list for even more inspiration!
15. Catch up With an Old Friend
Remember Sandra from high school? Ever wonder what she’s up to now? Facebook and Instagram are great tools for staying in touch with old friends. But just because you have someone on your friends list, it doesn’t mean you connect with them often. Why not reach out to someone who you used to be close with and see what’s new with them! There is always positivity that can come out of reaching out to people. You never know, they might be going through something and in need of a friend right at that moment.
16. Walk More
Getting up off of your chair and walking is hugely beneficial to your health and well-being. Sitting in an office chair all day is bad for your back and your health. Get up and walk around the house or office a few times per day or once an hour. Set up the reminders on your Fitbit or smart watch to let you know that it’s time to move. Go for a walk on your lunch break or walk to the grocery store instead of driving.
You will feel so much better!
17. Purge Your Stuff
Another huge benefit to your well-being is getting rid of unnecessary items. This could be anything from old clothing that doesn’t fit or you don’t wear, to small trinkets that are just taking up space and collecting dust. Remember that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! You can take 2 things off of your resolutions list by also donating the items to a local charity! If you are not sure where to start when it comes to purging your things, we have a great article that will help!
18. Be Thankful
Shouldn’t we be thankful and grateful more than 1 time per year? We should be thankful every day! Sometimes it is easy to be overwhelmed by life’s problems and stress but in the big picture, we are all very lucky to be alive! Try going around the dinner table in the evening and asking each family member what they are thankful for. This is a great exercise for making your family feel good. You may even be surprised at some of the things your family members have to say!
19. Stop Procrastinating
Have you ever had a case of the “I’ll do it tomorrow’s”? We can all be a little guilty of this from time to time, but if it’s becoming a problem for you, now is the time to stop! Next time you are feeling like you should do something later, try getting up and doing it right at the moment you think it! This won’t allow for your brain to come up with reasons why you should do it another time. Those dishes in the sink aren’t going to clean themselves, why not clean them now!
20. Work on Your Posture
As you are reading this, are you slouching? Did you automatically sit up straight as you read the word “posture”? I know I did! It is all too easy to forget about our posture and where our shoulders and back are sitting. Those of us who sit in a desk chair all day long really need to be aware of this! (Yes, that is me too!). Set reminders on your phone to sit up straight every few hours if that helps. It may be hard at first, but after a while, it should start to come naturally!
21. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
You know what is great for the mind, body and soul? Trying something new that you may have never thought about trying before! We aren’t saying you need to jump out of an airplane – though if that’s what you want to try, go for it! Did you know that there is a skydiving training centre just outside of Ottawa? Check out Parachute Ottawa! Getting out of your comfort zone can be as simple as trying a new food you have always been afraid to try! Remember, if it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. – Seth Godin
22. Be Yourself
Out of all of the New Year’s resolutions on this list, this may be the most important one! Every now and then we change ourselves depending on our atmosphere, who we are hanging out with or if we are trying to impress other people. Try not to worry about what other people think and be confident in just being you! If you need to spend a little bit of time alone to rediscover who you are and what you enjoy, then try that as well! Always be who you are and don’t be ashamed of it!
23. Buy a House!
What better New Year’s resolution than to buy your first house! It may seem difficult at first but once you start saving up your money, it can be accomplished! Want some tips on how to save your down payment? Check out this great article for ways you can start saving now! Once you have money saved up, speak with your mortgage broker to see how much you can afford. Once you have your finances in order, give us a call! We would love to help you find your dream home!
In conclusion, setting some New Year’s resolutions is sure to help you make the most out of this new year! Something to look forward to and work on and make yourself a better person. What a great thing to do! We hope you were able to find some unique and fun ideas for your New Year’s resolutions.
We wish you all a safe and exciting 2024, Happy New Year!
