Lifestyle

40 Best New Year’s Goals for a Wonderful and Successful Year!

10 Best New Year’s Goals from goodhousekeeping:

1. Build a better budget. 

If there’s one New Year’s resolution that will help you the most in the long run, it’s making a vow to save more money. Before you head back to the office, outline a budget that works for you — and make a plan for how you’ll stick to it. Apps like Mintand You Need a Budget (YNAB) can help you do this as painlessly as possible. One of the many Best New Year’s goals!

RELATED: How to Actually Keep New Year’s Resolutions, According to Real People (Source)

2. Cook one new thing each week. 

Everyone wants to eat healthier in the new year, but you should also try to eat more diverse foods. After all, variety is the spice of life. This year, choose an easy dinner recipeyou’ve never tried before at least once a week. Pick up a copy of our Easy 30-Minute Dinners cookbookfor 85 new ideas that you can try every week this year. (Source)

Best new year's goals

3. Read more books. 

January is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a new book. Keep yourself accountable to this New Year’s resolution by opening a Goodreads account and reviewing each book you read. By next year, you’ll have a clear snapshot of how well you accomplished this goal. 

RELATED: The Best Books for When You Don’t Know What to Read Next (Source)

4. Join a club. 

Starting a new hobby is one thing, but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. Sites like Meetup can help you find a group of people with similar interests, and you can work on creating digital meetups with new friends in the process. (Source)

Best new year's goals

5. Create a cleaning schedule you’ll stick to.

Keeping your home tidy without doing what feels like a deep clean every week can feel like a big ask. It’s true that you may be under cleaning some tricky spots, but it’s also true that you may be overdoing it elsewhere. Carolyn Forté, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab, created a printable checklist to make sure keeping the house neat doesn’t suck up endless hours of time on weekends anymore. 

RELATEDThe Ultimate Cleaning Schedule for Your Day, Week, Month, and Year (Source)

6. Drink less alcohol. 

You already know you don’t need to drink to have fun — and so why not make this year the one you cut back and join the sober curious movement? Doing so could improve your mood, sleep, skin, and immune system. Plus, it’ll also help you save money. 

RELATED: 7 Major Dry January Benefits, According to Experts (Source)

7. Quit smoking.

Cigarettes are extremely harmful for your health, particularly your lungs — but tobacco products in general (including vapes!) pose a serious threat. There are so many resources to help you get a jumpstart on ditching tobacco: Many are outlined by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’ve tried before but need a bit more help, experts at the American Cancer Society outline a few tools that you can turn to this year. (Source)

Best new year's goals

8. Eat veggies regularly. 

Whether you’re slimming down or just staying healthy, vegetables are your friends, says Mehmet Oz, M.D.One woman who appeared on his show — Tiffany, who lost 31 pounds — says, “I sauté onions, peppers, mushrooms, corn — whatever I have in the freezer — and toss that on a bed of baby arugula and spinach.” Sounds delicious. (Source)

9. Share your resolutions one-on-one. 

“Some research shows that telling others your goal makes you feel like you’ve already achieved it,” says Dr. Oz. But other studies indicate that sharing progress can help you keep going, he adds. Dr. Oz’s advice: Confide in one friend, “then share achievements with others when you’re on the road to success.”

RELATED: 15 Awesome Things to Do on New Year’s Day (Source)

10. Try a new diet plan.

There are so many wonderful diet programs for you to explore in the new year, with the best options emphasizing more wholesome plates packed with fiber, essential nutrients, and plenty of greens. While they’re not perfect for everyone, Keto diets have become majorly popular for those wishing to shed a few pounds, and fast. But dieters need to know how to do Keto right to avoid packing on the pounds when February arrives, which is where this essential guide (and meal plan!) comes in. (Source)

Best New Year’s goals

10 Best New Year’s Goals from lifehack:

1. Get in Shape

Losing weight is the top resolution for Americans, and combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit and healthy” it is something that over a third of the population wishes to achieve. It’s easy enough to start an exercise and diet program, but the trick is to find a decent one that will give you steady results and will be easy to stick to in the long run.

Have a look at these tricks, hacks, exercises, and mistakes to avoid to make the best our of your resolution. (Source)

2. Stop Procrastinating

The biggest barrier that keeps most people from reaching their goals is the desire to relax and do something fun instead of working hard. Once you get used to procrastinating, it’s difficult to snap yourself out of it, so you’ll need to put in a lot of work to change this bad habit.

There are many useful tips out there to find your way to stop procrastinating, but the best advice is to make a to-do list each day so that you know exactly what you need to get done. (Source)

3. Learn How to Dress With Style

The way you dress can say a lot about you, and wearing the right clothes can make you seem powerful and confident, which in turn can help you land a job, get promoted, and catch the eye of a lovely guy or girl. No matter if you’re male or female, find clothes that make you feel good and stand out in a crowd. (Source)

4. Improve Your Concentration

People have been trying to find ways to improve their focus and cognitive capacities for thousands of years, and most ancient civilizations had some combination of mental exercise and herbal medicine to help them reach this goal.

Today, we can use anything from apps to ancient meditationtechniques to boost concentration and hone our mental skills. If you go through with this, you will be able to control your mood, learn faster and have an easier time solving problems. (Source)

5. Meet New People

When we get stuck in a rut, we usually end up staying at home most of the time, missing out on a lot of interesting opportunities for networking and having fun. Meeting new people can be beneficial to your mental well-being and help your career[1], so don’t be afraid to get out there and make some friends.

This is a good New Year’s resolution, but it can be difficult for shy people. Start by just saying yes when a friend asks you to go out one evening. This is a great first step toward meeting new people. (Source)

BONUS! Here’s a wonderful written post about good habits and also can be some of the best New Year’s goals: https://hellobombshell.com/good-habits-for-women-to-start/ .

6. Be More Active

Some people don’t really have a big weight problem, and they even get some exercise a few times a week, but they just sit around the most of the time at home and at work, which can have a negative effect on their posture and health.

In that case, all you need is to find ways of moving[2] around more throughout the day instead of staying hunched over the computer. It’s even more fun if you share your activity with friends and family. (Source)

7. Develop Confidence

If you are confident, other people notice it, and it is much easier to have your opinions heard, ask people out on dates, and get ahead at work. A good dose of self-confidence will help you lead a much happier life overall.

Building confidence involves positive self-talk, focusing on your achievements, and seeing failure as an opportunity. (Source)

8. Be More Polite

Good manners have always been an important part of a civilized society[3]. They make it easier to connect with others, avoid offending people, and will ensure that others perceive you as a good and trustworthy person.

So know the etiquette, deal with rude people in the right way, and learn how to say no in a way that won’t offend the other person. (Source) This simple task is wonderful to achieve. It’s another one of the best New Year’s goals.

9. Reduce Stress

They say that stress is one of the biggest killers out there, and it can have a very destructive effect on your relationships, as well as your health, making this one of many good New Year’s resolutions. It may be an unavoidable side effect of our hectic modern lifestyles, but it can be effectively managed with the help of useful and easy-to-practice tricks for stress management[4]. (Source)

10. Learn to Be Happier

Even those that are in decent shape, make a good living, and have stress under control can still be unhappy. It takes time and patience to learn how to find joy in the little things and not to let problems bring you down.

Showing gratitude can be a great way to build happiness. Try starting a gratitude journal to help you focus on the good things in life. (Source)

BONUS! Here’s a video on some of the best New Year’s goals:

10 Best New Year’s goals from parade:


1. Do Random Acts of Kindness

Norbert, the famous therapy dog, reminds us that anyone can be kind, and it costs you nothing.

“I may be only 3 pounds, but it’s not the size of the dog, it’s the size of the heart that counts. Through social media, I love to bring joy into people’s lives by making them smile with my photos and videos … I think acts of kindness and generosity make the world a better place. We call my community of nearly two million followers worldwide the ‘Norberthood.’ We encourage caring and compassion and believe it is better to be thoughtful and kind than to bully. Let’s spread smiles together! As I say, you don’t have to be big to make a BIG difference in the world.” (Source)

2. Travel on a small budget.

Traveling on a budget is all about flexibility and being willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort and luxury in favor of seeing the world and the life-changing experiences that travel comes with,” says Eli Solidum, The Partying Traveler. “A lot of people have the idea that travel needs to be luxurious and holidays need to be expensive for them to be fun. My experience over the last three years of budget backpacking says otherwise.” (Source)

3. Be kind on social media.

“I think everyone who uses social media should strive to empathize more with strangers and respond to others on the internet with kindness,” says Julia, also known as itsblitzzz. “Don’t let hate or bullying be motivation for interacting on social platforms.” (Source) Spreading positivity is one of the best New Year’s goals you can have!

4. Keep a journal.

The University of Rochester Medical Center says that journaling can help battle anxiety, stress, and depression. Even if you write only a few sentences, you can reap the benefits. (Source) This is another one of the best New Year’s goals you can have. It helps you keep your thoughts in place and to have peace of mind.

Best new year's goals

5. Stop multi-tasking.

Multi-tasking can lead to memory problems, it reduces our brains’ grey matter, it hurts productivity and efficiency, and it can even increase stress, anxiety, and depression. Focus on one thing at a time. (Source)

6. Drink more water.

You’ve probably heard that your body needs it. 75 percent of us are chronically dehydrated. Drink up! (Source) This is one of the best New Year’s goals you could do!

7. Reduce your waste.

Some research says that the average American produces over 2,000 pounds of trash every year. Gross. Reduce your waste by ditching paper towels in favor of rags you cut up from old towels and clothes. Another easy switch is reusable grocery bags. It makes a difference! (Source)

8. Focus on a Passion, Not the Way You Look

Influencer Mik Zazon, who’s on a mission to “normalize normal bodies,” tells Parade, “… I want to inform readers that resolutions are in fact NOT an invitation to start a diet or a workout plan but a beautiful reminder that a new year can bring new life to our passions.” (Source)

9. Work out to feel good, not be thinner.

Instead of obsessing over the scale, obsess over how amazing you feel since you started being more active. Numbers don’t mean much. (Source)

10. Craft Something Yourself

Even if you’re not the most artsy, DIY-type of person, the satisfaction you get from making something with your own hands is undeniable. It can be as small as a candle or as big as a coffee table. (Source)

Best New Year’s goals

10 Best New Year’s goals from daringtolivefully:

1. Eat Fewer Calories.

There are many reasons why most of us should set a resolution of eating fewer calories. The most obvious reason is to lose weight. After all, carrying excess weight puts us at a greater risk of a whole range of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

With all of the contradictory information out there on what to eat, sometimes it’s hard to decide what to do when you want to lose weight. I try to keep things simple. When I want to lose weight, I just eat less. I recommend you do the same. If you gained weight in 2019, resolve to eat smaller portions in 2020.

In addition, as I wrote in my post 17 Ways to Slow Down Aging and Live Longer, people eating a restricted diet live longer and endure fewer age-related diseases. Try eating until you’re satisfied, instead of full. Also, eat more slowly to allow your body to send you cues about fullness.

Other reasons for eating less are ethical–that is, social justice, animal rights issues, and environmental concerns–but we won’t go into those here. (Source)


2. Learn Something New Each Day.

Set the resolution to learn something new every day in order to have a better understanding of the world and how it works. Fortunately, the internet makes it incredibly easy to learn new things. Here are three sites you can try:

  • Subscribe to Wikipedia’s Featured Article mailing list – you’ll receive an email each morning containing Wikipedia’s featured article for that day.
  • Watch a CrashCourse video on YouTube. CrashCourse is an educational YouTube channel started by the Green brothers, Hank Green and John Green. Each video is about 15 minutes long and they cover subjects such as literature, biology, history, economics, and so on.  The cherry on top is that the videos are fun to watch.
  • Watch a TED Talk every morning while you eat breakfast. Here are the 20 Best Ted Talks to get you started. (Source)

3. Pick Up a Hobby.

Did you know that having a hobby is good for you? Hobbies can lower your stress levels, boost your brain power, improve your ability to focus, and more. Therefore, in 2020, start a new hobby. If you’re looking for ideas for hobbies to try, here are 16 Hobbies That Will Improve Your Quality of Life. (Source)

4. Play More.

Play is an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults. In addition, it can make you more creative and productive. Bring more play into your life by making it a New Year’s resolution.

In case it’s been so long since you allowed yourself to play that you’ve forgotten how, here are 10 Ways to Play More and Have More Fun As an Adult. (Source)

Best new year's goals

5. Be  More Grateful.

If you haven’t climbed aboard the gratitude bandwagon yet, this is the year to do it. There are studies that show that gratitude can make you 25% happier. Think about that for a second: you can be 25% happier simply by taking the time to count your blessings and think of all the good things in you life!

Being grateful will also help you to overcome adversity, improve the quality of your sleep, and allow you to get along better with others. For next year, resolve to be more grateful. Here are some gratitude exercises to get you started. (Source)

6. Set Aside On-Hour-A-Day to Achieve Your Dreams.

Stop telling yourself that you simply don’t have the time to work on your dreams. Whatever your dreams are–whether it’s to make more money so you can redecorate your home, learn to play an instrument, have a positive impact on the world, and so on–you can accomplish those dreams in just one-hour-a-day. (Source)

7. Increase Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

Daniel Goleman coined the term emotional intelligence in his 1996 bestselling book ,”Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ”. In a nutshell, emotional intelligence is a set of skills, including control of one’s impulses, self-motivation, empathy and social competence in interpersonal relationships.

Set the resolution to increase your EQ, along with your IQ, and in 2020 you’ll be unstoppable. (Source)

Best new year’s goals

8. Tame Your Monkey Mind

Life isn’t easy when there’s a monkey in your head. Specially if that monkey won’t stop screeching and jumping uncontrollably from one branch to another (and eating all those bananas).

Make this the year you finally lasso that monkey and get it to sit still. How? Here are 10 Ways to Tame Your Monkey Mind and Stop Mental Chatter. (Source)

9. Enjoy the Little Things.

Living life to the fullest doesn’t just mean setting big goals like going bungee jumping or learning to scuba dive. It also includes learning to enjoy the little things. That is, learning to appreciate life’s simple pleasures, such as the following:

  • Going outside at night to look at the stars.
  • Going to a pet shop to “ooh” and “aah” at the puppies and kittens.
  • Walking barefoot in the grass.

If you want more ideas, here are 50 Simple Ways to Celebrate and Enjoy Life. Include as many of these as you can in your 2018 to-do list. (Source)

10. Spend More Time In Nature.

Humans were not made to be cooped up inside all day. Spending time in nature makes you happier, it boosts your immune system, and it even makes you more creative. Resolve that next year you’ll be spending more time outside (and just opening the windows more often doesn’t count). This is one of my favorite best New Year’s goals I’ve found! I do this already often and it is truly refreshing and mind opening!

I hope I helped you find some of the best New Year’s goals! New to abbynmiddleton.com? Check out my latest post on20 Best Morning Habits!” Stay tuned for new posts every week! 🙂

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