New Year's Resolutions: 5 Easy Ideas To Help Better Yourself

It's that time of the year again when people say goodbye to the past year and get ready to usher in a new chapter with the start of a new year. And the one thing almost everyone is certain to do is have a resolution for 2023.

The arrival of a new year tends to bring a flood of emotions, from nostalgia for the year that passed to excitement for new days ahead. Often, along with the hope of a fresh start is that determination to make the incoming year better than the one gone by.

However, not everyone can stick to their new year's resolutions, with many ending up abandoning their goals in the first few months.

So how can people stick with their resolutions and make their year just a little better? Whether it's living healthier, which was the top resolution people made in 2022, to improving one's social life, perhaps starting small could be the way to help make the year better, even if it's just one step at a time.

Here are some simple and easy ideas for New Year's resolutions for the year ahead. (Courtesy: Country Living, Lifehack and the Cleveland Clinic)

Healthy Living Made Simpler

Living healthier is understandably one of the most common resolutions. It might not be easy to go from having zero health and fitness experience to trying to be a fitness enthusiast all in one year, so perhaps it would be better to start small and easy rather than going in all at once.

For instance, perhaps one can start by trying to squeeze in a few more minutes of walking or some other physical activity each day to replace sedentary time. This could be an easier way to fitness than suddenly aiming for an intense and longer workout time.

And when it comes to food, one can start by increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables instead of going all in on a completely new diet or suddenly avoiding certain less-healthy foods completely.

Research shows that starting a behavior is easier than stopping old ones, according to the Cleveland Clinic, so focusing on the little things one can start with and do could help build healthier behaviors and habits in the long run.

Don't forget to be flexible though, and don't be too hard on yourself. Otherwise, it might be easier to get frustrated faster.

Improve Your Social Life One 'Yes' At A Time

Socializing and being with other people is beneficial to people's mental well-being, but not everyone is keen on going out and socializing, whether it's because they're especially shy or they're just more introverted.

If your goal this 2023 is to breathe new life into your social life, then perhaps start by saying "yes" to meeting with a friend. Doing so may, in the long run, help you reconnect with old friends or perhaps even help you meet new ones.

Be A Better And Brighter Person Bit By Bit

It's inspiring when someone decides that they want to be a better and brighter person than they were before, but it's not exactly an easy task. After all, people are complicated, so being "better" encompasses quite a few layers of personality.

Well, one can begin with something as simple as smiling to brighten someone else's day or perhaps paying them a genuine compliment. Whether it's for a loved one or a stranger, or even for something as simple as complimenting a barista for a good cup of coffee, those simple gestures could brighten up the day for both the giver and the recipient. It could even begin a chain of cheer that started with a simple smile.

Be Tidier, And Start In The Morning

Keeping one's space tidy is certainly easier for some people than for others. And in some cases, just the thought of the sheer amount of things one needs to clean up could be downright exhausting.

One easy way to begin would be to simply make the bed in the morning. Starting from that simple act, one can begin the day with a bit of neatness that could spread onto the other tasks for the day. After that, instead of leaving out the cup used for morning coffee in the sink, why not take a minute to wash it off after usage?

Starting with these small habits every day could eventually lead to cleaner tidier ones that you could also adopt for other things and tasks, from laundry to a complete decluttering of one's space.

After all, it's a lot easier for unsustainable goals to fizzle out, but setting goals that one can achieve each day, no matter how small it is, could set the stage for long-term habits.

Try A New Hobby... And Another

Those who are looking to take more breaks from their phones or simply looking for something new to do could perhaps consider new hobbies to engage in. There are so many fun and simple activities out there that people can do, from knitting and reading to pottery and trying out a new sport.

Even something as simple as gardening could be a refreshing hobby that's even beneficial for one's health.

No matter what one chooses, the point is to find something that one can enjoy and relieve the stresses of life with. And no rule says you could only try one new hobby. With so many fun activities out there, you could even try a new one every month, even if it's something as simple as listening to new music that one can enjoy.