Graphic by: Nancy Aneke
We’re only a few weeks away from welcoming 2024. A new year always calls for a fresh start and making some resolutions. These resolutions are the goals and targets for a new year that could help bring about a positive change in our lives.
However, for many people, these resolutions only seem to be applicable till the end of January. As time passes, we tend to forget about the ambitious resolutions we vowed to fulfill from January 1.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some common and not-so-common resolutions, healthy habits for people to take on as their resolutions and how to ensure that we enact them throughout the year rather than just a few weeks or months.
As per Forbes, the top resolutions for 2024 are to improve fitness (48%), improve finances (38%), improve mental health (36%), lose weight (34%) and improve diet (32%).
On the other side of the spectrum, the least common resolutions for 2024 seem to be to travel more (6%), meditate regularly (5%), drink less alcohol (3%) and perform better at work (3%).
Let’s see some alternative resolutions for the new year that add to your list and that are beneficial for you:
Resolution: Read More Books
Besides pursuing it as a hobby, reading has many benefits. Not only does it improve your mental health, but it also helps in reducing stress.
The good thing about books is the vast variety to choose from. You have the option to read short stories, novellas or full-length novels, whatever suits your preference. You can choose to read books on topics that interest you as well, which can help you increase your knowledge.
Additionally, if you’re a tech-savvy person, you can read eBooks online or buy a Kindle and enjoy the unlimited options of books to choose from. Here is a great website to browse some eBooks for free.
If you don’t like to read books, you can listen to them instead, thanks to audiobooks. You can let the audio play in the background as you do your daily chores and tasks. An alternative to this could be listening to podcasts, available on digital platforms like Spotify or Youtube. Podcasts are also a fun way to gain knowledge if reading doesn’t float your boat.
How to implement this resolution?
The first step to this resolution should be to set yourself a reading goal. Whether it be five books, 10 books or even 50 books, set a target.
Once you’ve set a target, you can calculate how many books you’ll have to read each month on average to reach your reading goal.
Resolution: Learn A New Language
Adding to your skill set is always a smart idea, especially as a college student. Learning a new language can give you that edge over other people when you seek jobs after you graduate because it is an added value to the organization.
Out of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world, there must be at least one language that fascinates you and makes you eager to learn it. Make 2024 the year you tick that resolution off your list!
Here is a list of websites and apps where you can learn a new language for free!
How to implement this resolution?
The way to implement this resolution is similar to the reading resolution above. After you find the language you want to learn, you can decide how much of the language you want to learn, whether it be limited proficiency, intermediate or advanced.
Next, you should set yourself a date by when you want to finish learning the language so that you know how much time you’re supposed to spend each day learning. Apps like Duolingo also send reminders for you to study every day and you can customize the duration of your lessons based on your mood and availability.
Resolution: Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is a great way to implement an optimistic perspective in life. To ensure that 2024 is all about positivity and good vibes, try being more introspective and mindful of the things that you are thankful for.
Here are some ways you can show how much you are thankful for all the blessings you have in life.
How to implement this resolution?
If you like writing, buy yourself a new journal and call it a gratitude journal. In it, you can write one thing you are grateful for each day, and even stick pictures of the things and people you are thankful for.
An alternative way to fulfill this resolution can be to make a gratitude jar. You have to write one thing that you were grateful for at the end of each week on a piece of paper, fold it in and add it to your jar. By the end of the year, you would have a jar full of pieces of paper, each of them with something meaningful in it.
Resolution: Become A Plant Parent
Something interesting that you can add to your resolutions list is to become a plant parent. Buy any sort of plant that you like, whether it be a flower, a fruit or a vegetable.
You can choose to either start from scratch by buying the seeds of your chosen plant or if that seems too daunting, you can buy a grown plant. Your responsibility should be to keep cultivating it and growing it.
Not only will this give you something to do in your free time, but it can teach you how to be more responsible and accountable by taking care of another living thing.
How to implement this resolution?
A fun way to implement this resolution is to treat the plant as if it were an actual human being, by giving it a name and a date of birth (the day you buy it). This way, you can celebrate its half-birthdays and talk to it every day as it grows.
Resolution: Join A New Club
If you want to meet new people, make more friends, add something valuable to your resume and wish to spend more time doing what interests you, find a new club or organization to join at UH. There is something here for every student. And if there isn’t, then your resolution can be to create a new organization to fill in that gap!
How to implement this resolution?
Visit Get Involved and choose an organization you’d like to join. To make the whole journey more fun, you can ask a friend to sign up with you so that you feel motivated to attend the organization’s events and perform your responsibilities.
For every task you accomplish or for any contribution that you make to your chosen organization, you can reward yourself with something that you want to act as an incentive to keep you going.
Hopefully, by now, you have a few more resolutions to add to your list for 2024.
Always remember that nothing changes if nothing changes! At the end of the day, if you really want to achieve something, you’ll make sure you find a way to fulfill it. Choose your resolutions wisely and challenge yourself to complete them all. Make sure to make the new year count!
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