Are you the kind of person who makes New Year’s resolutions around this time? Even if you scoff at the idea, it’s easy to see that motivation to start anew is all around. While habits that lead to a healthier lifestyle are certainly admirable, they’re not the only option. Below you’ll find five New Year’s resolutions to make you a better person.
Start With Gratitude
There’s plenty of science behind the benefits of gratitude for yourself and others. Start by noticing the things you’re grateful for each day. Make a mental or physical list to help you acknowledge each of these items. Journaling at the end of the day is a great example of a gratitude habit. From there, see about making the people around you aware of what’s making you so happy! It reinforces their behaviors and makes you feel even better.
Schedule Volunteering
What’s one of the best ways to guarantee you’ll do something? Sign up for it. If you commit yourself to volunteering by making a promise, it’s easier to hold to that later on. There are plenty of reasons people fall back to their old habits after the motivation wears off after the new year. If you make room in your schedule in advance, there’s a much lower chance of you canceling as the date approaches. Even better, you won’t let time get away from you without having volunteered at all by the time December rolls around again.
Budget Donations
It’s easy to say you’ll give more to charities, but it’s a little more difficult to actually do. Sit down with your monthly budget and see where there’s room to add in some donation dollars. Signing up for a monthly deduction is easy, especially if you swap it out with an unused subscription service.
Build A Reading List
Have you ever read a book that lit a fire in you? One that made you want to go out and accomplish something truly great? This year, build a reading list that can inspire you to bigger and better things. Whether that’s a book on how to better understand autism, one that dives into the difficult world of human trafficking, or even an inspirational story by someone you respect, make your to-read list your own.
Random Acts of Kindness
We’ve written before on different ways to perform random acts of kindness. Similar to showing gratitude to those around you, this habit of giving back doesn’t require much. Simply aim to make someone else’s day brighter.
As we move into the new year, remember that there are always opportunities to improve the world around you while bettering yourself.
