Resolutions to improve your lifestyle

The new year has ushered in 365 days full of potential and promise. Each day brings new opportunities for us to change and grow, and because of that, making resolutions for the new year has been a longstanding tradition.

Here are a few suggestions for new year’s resolutions that will help you make the most out of 2023.

Reinvest in the things that make you happy

New year’s resolutions have always been about the new: new habits, new goals, and new people in your life. They’re about embracing discomfort and thinking outside of the box. But as the years go on, I’ve found myself often getting lost in the pursuit of something different and forgetting what makes me who I am.

If you’ve ever felt the same, I suggest looking back instead of forward. Try to remember the things about yourself and your life that you love and adapt them to the new year.

For me, reinvesting in what makes me happy means getting back into painting because it’s been too long since I used a paintbrush. For someone else, it could mean playing the sport you loved in high school, picking up a dropped hobby, or something else.

It’s not bad to hold on to things that make you comfortable—as long as they don’t hold you back.

Try something you think you’d hate

I know I just said to reinvest in something familiar, but two things can be true at the same time. You can look to the future while remembering the past, and it’s important to dive into uncomfortable things to expand your worldview.

This kind of commitment is great in the long term, but terrifying in the moment.

Trying something you think you’d hate goes beyond trying something new—it’s more difficult and more rewarding. It challenges your preconceived notions of what you think you’d enjoy and lets you fly far outside your comfort zone.

This resolution pushes you to have brand-new, weird, and fun experiences that might turn into a new hobby. Or you could solidify that you do hate that thing and will never have to hear someone say “don’t knock it till you try it” again because you did try it!

Call your loved ones more often

I get how chaotic life can be. I’m one of those forgetful people who can go weeks without talking to people I care about. I find myself intending to call someone for days, until weeks have passed, and I never called them.

With school, work, other friends, and extracurriculars, it’s difficult to keep up with the people who aren’t right in front of you. On the other hand, I sympathize with the parents who tell their kids, “you should call more!”

All relationships—whether familial, romantic, or platonic—take reciprocal work. You might not mean to “ghost” your old friends by not calling or texting back, but that doesn’t change how frustrating it is to be the only one putting in effort to maintain a relationship.

If you want to maintain those relationships, the best thing to do is to reach out, even if it’s random and not perfectly planned. Calling is a great way to show people you want them in your life.