5 New Year's Resolutions You'll Actually Keep!

Deciding to make a change in your life doesn't have to wait till the New Year, but making resolutions can be a great way of seeing the new year as a 'fresh start' and can get you looking forward to what the year ahead has in store for you.

But what sort of resolutions are the ones you're actually going to keep? We all know what it's like, making a list as long as our arms about all the wonderful things we want to do, and by February...we've forgotten most of them. Studies show that the more vague and drastic the resolution, the more likely we are to give up - things like 'loose weight', 'save money' and 'be happier' never seem to quite work out. But what resolutions can you make that are easier to keep, yet will still make a big change to your life? Here are five of ours -

Drink more water

Drinking more water is a great resolution because it's simple yet highly effective. You're not asking yourself to stop doing anything, just increase something you already do. And drinking more water can have huge benefits to your health, wellbeing and even your bank account.

Read more

I've made the mistake in the past of setting a goal for myself to read however many books by the end of the year - but usually I end up just feeling pressured to rush through books rather than actually enjoying them. Setting the resolution to 'read more' means you give yourself room to do all sorts of reading, - magazines, newspapers, reading a quick blog post (like this one) on your way to college or as you drink your tea. Not only can reading benefit your mental health and wellbeing, it's also fun and you'll be surprised what you might learn!

Do something that scares you

This might seem like a strange one - why would anyone want to scare themselves? But we don't mean going out to the graveyard at 3am and telling ghost stories, we mean push yourself to do things that are out of your comfort zone. And these can be small - like making a phone call you've been putting off for a while, contacting a charity you've always wanted to volunteer for, or agreeing to do a presentation at college or university in front of the class. The more you do things that push you out of your comfort zone, the easier it gets!

Take more time for yourself

This one can be particularly important (but hard) if you're a young adult carer looking after someone else. It's easy to keep putting your own needs aside for someone else, but taking time for yourself is something incredibly important. Try starting small - taking 10 mins every day that's just for you - maybe it's sitting down with a hot drink and reading (two resolutions at once!). going for a brisk walk, or listening to music and stretching to start the day.

Make a budget

The 'save money' resolution never quite works out for me. But making a budget is actually sort of fun, helpful, and can be really eye opening to see where your money is going. You might even find something that can help you save money - maybe you're paying way too much for your electricity or spending too much on toilet paper...whatever it is, it can be a great idea to make a budget and really take control of your money. Check out our blog post here on how to make a budget.

New Year's resolutions can be a great thing - they can motivate and inspire you, if you've chosen the right ones. Remember to keep it small and realistic, and you'll be surprised at what you can actually keep!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year - let us know what your New Year's resolutions are for 2019!