3 Resolutions You Need on Your List (and action plans for each!)

The beginning of the year is always one of the most exciting times! We open a new chapter and have another chance to start over. The year ahead of us is full of blank pages waiting to be written.

During this time, we have a chance to reflect on our previous year: the growth we made, the chances we did and didn’t take, the goals we achieved and those that became less important.

This period gives us the opportunity to plan out our dreams and goals for the year. Don’t miss out on this chance to make major changes in your life! Take hold of the opportunity now at the beginning of the year by drafting out your goals. Don’t know how to get started? Check out these 3 resolutions you NEED on your list and action plans for how you can make your dreams a reality.

1. Improve your sleep

The older we get, the less we think about our sleep. Often, we neglect it and have to go on with getting less and less sleep.  

2019 is the year you make the change. Maybe you feel run out of time and don’t know how you could possibly give up any extra hours to sleeping each day.  Between work, kids, keeping up with the house, and all of the other little chaotic components of life, no one could blame you.

If getting more quantity of ZZZs isn’t practical for you, focus on working on the quality of your sleeping hours. Take advantage of the time you do have to maximize on your rest. Whether this means you need to prevent light pollution in your room by hanging up blackout curtains, invest in a sound machine to block out noises, or go the extra mile and find a better bed that fits your personal needs, it’s important that you figure out what it takes to improve your rest.

Say goodbye to the days full of yawns and desperate runs to the coffee maker! You can also check an interesting article on coffee makers here. By getting better quality sleep, you’ll be more energized and ready to take on the year.

You can also check an interesting article on coffee makers here"

2.  Read more

The benefits of reading are countless! You learn more, gain empathy, enable better conversations with your peers, and it provides a great opportunity for assessing your own self biases.

It may seem difficult to find time to carve out for reading, but there are easy ways to incorporate reading into your daily routine. Bring a book with you to work so you can read on your lunch break, keep a book in your bag for anytime you’re stuck in a waiting room or taking public transportation, or find short stories that you can read without having to sit down for an extended period of time.

If you want to be a lifelong learner, reading is a great tool to enable that, and it’s overall a great method for personal growth!

3. Have more fun

Having fun doesn’t have to be forced by scheduled activities. You can have fun every day if you adjust your mentality. Plus, the more fun you have, the higher your serotonin and happiness levels are and the lower your stress will be.

Change up your routine every now and then to give yourself unique experiences. Rather than taking the same route to work every day, try taking a new way or a different method of transportation like biking.

There are tons of small changes you can make to make your days more fun. Whether it’s by trying out a new style of clothes, reaching out to talk to new people, or planning a lunch with a friend, you can find simple ways to get more out of life.

Laurie Larson is a freelance writer based in NC who writes on home, health, and lifestyle topics.