15 Ways to Improve Your Life in the New Year

A new year is upon us and that means so many are starting to think about their new year's resolutions, goals and visions for the year ahead. While I’m a firm believer that you can choose to improve any aspect of your life no matter the time of year, a new year is a great time to start fresh and turn those goals into a reality. AND I’m also a firm believer that no matter what your dreams or goals may be, taking baby steps towards those goals are the best way to achieve them… those little habits early on will turn into your routine later!

Now when it comes to choosing what you want your new year’s resolution or goal to be, there are so many things you can choose from. Here are just a few new year’s resolution ideas to help get you motivated for 2023:

Health

Have a Healthier Diet

Eating healthy is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. What you eat can influence so much of your everyday life whether it’s how you feel or your mood. Sometimes eating healthy can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be! One thing that helps me is finding nutritious food that I enjoy and then trying to incorporate it into my daily routine. For example, I love to drink water with lemon, so sometimes when I'm craving a soda, I'll swap it for water and add lemon to it. Another thing to remember is that on your journey to healthier eating, it’s okay to make changes little by little because that will help you stick to those habits as opposed to quitting cold turkey.

Exercise

Like eating healthy, being active does wonders for your overall health! Whether you enjoy walking, HIIT workouts, strength training, yoga, or whatever kind of exercise you enjoy, exercising for at least 30 minutes a day is so beneficial for your health and well-being. You’ll be amazed at just how good you’ll feel over time just by being active a little bit each day and will realize what a gift it is to be able to move your body.

Prioritize Your Mental Health

Just like physical health, your mental health can affect so many aspects of your life and that’s why it’s so important to make sure your mental health is one of your top priorities. How you are feeling mentally and emotionally influences so much that you may not realize including the choices you make, how you act around others and your day-to-day life.

Financial

Work on Creating a Budget

It can be so easy to overspend and that’s why creating a budget can help you get your finances in order. Without a budget, you may begin to wonder "where is my money even going?" but with a budget, you'll become more aware of what you're spending money on and where you may need to cut spending, if needed. By having a budget, you'll feel less stressed knowing what money is coming in and how much you can allot for bills, groceries, pet care, extra spending, etc.

Save Money

Having a safety net when it comes to your money is so crucial for your financial journey. Not only is saving crucial for your finances and future, but it also brings you so much peace-of-mind in the event of an emergency. Saving just a little bit of your paycheck each month well payoff over time and you will thank yourself for having that safety net.

Pay Off Debt

Along with having a budget and saving, being debt-free is another huge win for your finances! Just think… how would you feel if you didn’t have a single car, credit card, or student loan payment? The money that would go towards paying the debt off could lead you to saving for your future, a dream vacation, something you’ve always wanted and much more! As I’m on my own personal finance journey, I enjoy listening to The Dave Ramsey Show and appreciate how much he and the other personalities teach people about financial peace and the importance of paying off debt.

Personal

Give Back

One of the most rewarding things you can ever do is giving back to others. There are so many ways you can give back to your community including giving back financially, volunteering at your local church or at another organization, donating items, and much more. Serving those in need is one of the greatest things you can do and you will feel so much better knowing you are doing something nice for others in need.

Try Something New

Make it your mission this year to try something that you’ve always wanted to do! Whether it’s traveling somewhere new, a hobby, project, or maybe getting over a fear, challenge yourself to take on something new this year. There is something so thrilling, liberating and sometimes even scary that comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone but you will feel so proud of yourself for giving it a try. And sometimes, the confidence you get from trying something new can inspire you to try something else and could ultimately even change your life!

Start a Dream Project

And to piggyback off of trying something new, the new year is the perfect time to start on a long-awaited project you’ve been dreaming of! Have you been dreaming about starting your own business? Have you dreamt of starting your own Etsy shop or even your own blog? Whatever that project you’re thinking of may be, now is the perfect time to get started and working on it little by little each day will pay off over time!

Prioritize What Makes You Happy

Let this year be the year where you prioritize what makes you happy! By focusing on what brings you joy, it will become easier to make room for the good things in your life and you’ll soon realize that life is too short to focus on the negative or things that no longer serve you (sorry if that sounds cliché but it’s so true!)

Practice Gratitude

Another way you can prioritize joy is by practicing gratitude. When you practice gratitude and give thanks for everything that you have in your life, it has a ripple effect and helps you focus on the good things in your life. It can be so easy to fall into the comparison trap but choosing to be thankful for everything you have in your life will do wonders for your mental health and change your perspective on so many things.

Travel to a Place You’ve Never Been to Before

I mentioned this a little bit when talking about trying something new but traveling to a new place that you’ve never been to before is one of the most fun experiences you can ever have! When you travel, you create so many memories, learn new things and broaden your perspective. For example, my husband and I traveled to Tennessee earlier in 2022 and visited Dollywood and Nashville. We had an absolute blast experiencing a new theme park and city and we learned so much about the culture and history. Now when we hear country music, see a commercial for Dollywood or hear Nashville mentioned on the TV, we appreciate it so much more since we got to experience it ourselves.

Simplify Your Life

Over the past couple of years, I have been in a process of cleaning out and get rid of things I no longer need, use or serve me; and with that, I’ve also been conscious of what I’m buying and bringing into my home. Going from feeling the need to “treat myself” and impulse buying to having a more minimalist approach to things has changed my perspective on a lot of things. Not only can minimalism help you have less clutter, but it can also reduce stress, clear your mind and help you save money.

Strengthen Your Faith

Personally, having a relationship with God and strengthening that relationship has been one of the best journeys I have been on. While I navigate through my own life, my faith has brought me so much comfort. If you are on your faith journey and want to continue to strengthen it, there are so many ways you can continue to nurture it. Some of these ways you can continue to grow in your faith can include going to church, reading the Bible, giving back, joining a Bible study and finding a supportive group of friends who also share a faith.

Strengthen Relationships

Whether it’s your family, friends or your significant other, making time for the relationships in your life can go along way and remind those you love just how important they are to you. In a world filled with Zoom calls, working remote, and a lot of scrolling on social media, make it a goal this year to spend time with those you love!

I hope these ideas inspire you and I wish you a healthy and happy new year!