12 Realistic (and Achievable!) New Year Resolutions for a Better You in 2024

Raise your hand if you've ever vowed to "get fit," become a "morning person," or finally start trying those delicious recipes... only to have those dreams fizzle out by February. We've all been there. But what if this year could be different? What if your resolutions weren't just pie-in-the-sky wishes, but realistic as well as achievable steps towards a brighter, better 2024?

This blog is your personal cheerleader to guide you through the world of actionable resolutions. We'll ditch the pressure and explore practical goals that fit your lifestyle, from boosting your health and finances to unleashing your inner creative genius. Forget crash diets and language-learning marathons – we're talking small, sustainable changes that add up to big-time results.

So, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s dive into 12 resolutions you can actually achieve and turn this year into your most triumphant yet!

Do New Year's resolutions work?

Before we come to our main topic, it’s important to find out if New Year's resolutions really work. I mean seriously if most people don’t even keep New Year’s resolutions, why bother making them? The fact is, our life would be pretty boring if we didn’t hope for anything new and so setting new goals is part of what keeps things interesting. 

And even when don’t archive everything on the list, setting goals is helpful for you even when you don’t accomplish them. But how? Sometimes what we assume as failure actually teaches us resilience and helps us to grow in unexpected ways. 

So, yes New Year's resolutions do work, even when you don’t keep them all. As Zig Ziglar's saying goes  “If you aim at nothing, you hit nothing.” Making goals tends to help us build momentum and keep us more focused as we pursue personal growth.

What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?

According to a Statista survey, more than half of Americans set goals related to weight loss or eating habits each year. Another large percentage of people set career or financial goals. Another group focused on personal goals, such as renovating their homes, spending more time with their loved ones, or cutting back on social media.

As you may have noticed, there’s a wide range of New Year’s resolutions out there, but they all have one thing in common, they have to be personally meaningful. A good New Year's resolution is about what you want for your life. It will keep you motivated and inspired to work towards them, even when you don’t feel like it.

12 New Year’s resolution ideas for 2024

Now comes our main and most exciting part of this blog, New Year’s resolutions ideas for 2024. It doesn’t matter what area you’re working on or how many times you have already tried to achieve in the past, this year is another chance to make progress on your goals.  Here are 12 achievable New Year’s resolution ideas that will help you grow personally, professionally, and everything in between.

1. Make time for family

In the hustle and bustle of your daily lives, it can be challenging to prioritize spending time with loved ones, especially if they live far away or have hectic schedules themselves. But in 2024, make a conscious effort to make that one-on-one time, whether it's by planning monthly family dinners or simply FaceTiming once a week to check-in.

2. Practice mindfulness.

Anxiety can be disturbing for anyone during any season and in all aspects of life.  In such conditions, it can be easy to let the idea of the future or past influence both positively and negatively your reality of the present. 

Practicing mindfulness is nothing but doing everything you can to be grateful for what you have in the moment, where you are in life, and who you are right now. Many experts say committing to mindfulness can help you become a better person in less than a year.

3. Build a better budget.

What will be a better New Year resolution to vow to save more money? It’ll be a most helpful idea in the long run.  Before you restart your office in January, outline a rough budget that works for you and make a plan for how you'll stick to it. Many budgeting apps can also help you do this as painlessly as possible. Aside from this, supercharge your shopping habits by rethinking when and how you buy items for your home and family, because we often buy things that we don’t really need. 

4. Read more books.

As we’re about to start a new year, January is the perfect time of year to start a new book. Reading more books will improve your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills as well as will reduce your stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. You can also join an online book club to keep yourself accountable all year long.

5. Cook something new each week.

While everyone wants to eat healthier in this new year, you should also try to eat more diverse foods. This year, choose an easy dinner recipe for your family and friends that you've never tried before at least once a week.

6. Create a cleaning schedule.

Keeping your home clean and neat without doing what feels like a deep clean every week can feel like a big ask. You may indeed be undercleaning some tricky spots, but it's also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere.

7. Drink less alcohol.

We all know somewhere that one doesn’t need to drink to have fun, so why not make this year the one you cut back and join the sober curious movement? It’ll ultimately help to improve your mood, sleep, skin, and your immune system. Plus, it'll also help you save a lot of money that you spend on drinks in the long run. 

8. Join a club.

Starting a new hobby is always interesting but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. You can find a group of people with similar interests online and you can work on creating meetups with new friends in the process. 

9. Learn a new skill.

When you develop a new skill, you gain courage and confidence, which helps you override fear and anxiety. You'll feel more empowered and of course, it can also help you keep yourself healthy. Whether you’re 20 or 60, learning is great for your brain at every age.

10. Stop procrastinating on a tough decision.

The stress that comes with major life decisions often causes us to freeze in our tracks. While mental capacity has been known to be reduced by stress and anxiety, a major change requires a fair amount of brain power to navigate.  The ironic part of this is that prolonging what needs to be done can further exacerbate stress and restart the vicious cycle. So empower yourself to begin making hard decisions this year with the B.R.A.V.E paradigm, which can help you cut away from this endless loop.

11. Invest in your skincare routine.

While many people think investing in a skincare routine is a waste of money, investing in your skin will pay off in many ways; you will be healthier, age more gracefully, and feel better. Follow your daily routine to allow yourself some time to add products that replenish your skin, not weigh it down. Rather than focusing on covering up, use tips and tricks to help you bear it all and feel good about it.

12. Say goodbye to toxic friends.

You may think that it is impossible now to break up with a once-friend turned frenemy without imploding your social life. Sometimes, ghosting works, but more often than not, approaching the situation with a structured conversation can help you get the closure you need to grow.

To create a new life, you must build a new life by letting go of the people, and things that contributed to the addiction. Toxic friends are one area that must not be ignored.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q. How can I write my New Year's resolution?

To write a New Year’s resolution you can consider the following points:

• Think of something you really want to improve, such as getting healthier, learning new skills, or spending more time with your family. 
• Make it realistic for instance don't say "get super fit"! Maybe start with walking for 15 minutes daily. 
•  Split it into small steps, walking 15 minutes feels easier than "getting fit," right? 
• Track your progress, while you’re committed to making big changes don’t forget to celebrate each step.

These are just a few of my personal suggestions, feel free to make adjustments according to your needs. 

Q. What is a new resolution?

The new resolution is a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year. Such as giving up on smoking or starting to do yoga. 

Q. How many more days until New Year's? 

As of December 29, 2023, there are only 3 more days until New Year's Eve, which falls on December 31st!

Q. What does new year's resolution mean?

A New Year resolution means making a promise to do something differently in the new year.