How to Make Resolutions for the New Year—and Follow Through on Them

Did you make a resolution on New Year’s Eve? Maybe it was to cut back on screen time, lose weight, or squash your debt. While there’s nothing wrong with big goals like these, they can be difficult to keep. Instead, try one of these more broad and attainable resolutions.

1. Be active. Instead of envisioning a specific weight at the end of 2021, resolve to simply move your body more. Try to tack on a little extra exercise every day—even if it’s 10 push-ups or a five-minute walk—to gather momentum in the right direction.

2. Read more. It might be unrealistic to say you’re going to polish off one book every week, but why not choose six books you want to read over the course of the year? Set aside some time you usually spend on mindless scrolling to get lost in the books.

3. Give compliments. Being kind is easy. It might be the easiest resolution you can make—but it does take some forethought. Resolve to be kinder, but also to look for opportunities where you can give unexpected compliments or pay it forward.

4. Save whatever you can. Getting out of debt entirely could take more than a year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t at least get started in 2021! Commit to putting away a small amount every day or week, even if it’s just the leftover change in your wallet at the end of the day.