New Year Resolutions You Must Take This Year: 2024 Edition

Jeeva R -

Introduction

We take New Year's resolutions seriously up until the second day of the year. We've all been there! But let's hope this year is different (Fingers crossed). Talking about New Year's resolutions, we're only weeks away from welcoming the new year to our lives, and it's time to decide what resolutions to keep up. In case you're wondering what resolutions can be helpful, here are some recommendations for you:

1) Improving Physical Health

Obesity has significantly increased in the recent times. People have begun to promote unhealthy habits in the name of self-love. But if you genuinely care about yourself and your loved ones, you'll try to improve your physical health. You don't have to hit the gym or perform HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) daily to achieve this. It's great if you can do that, but if you cannot, try to spare at least 30 minutes of your day to indulge in any form of physical activity. If you're wondering what workouts to perform, I've got some recommendations for you:

  • Strength Training
  • Callisthenics
  • Weight Lifting
  • Swimming
  • Running
  • Jogging
  • Walking
  • Any Sports

2) Prioritize Mental Health

When talking about Physical Health, I also have to explain the importance of prioritizing mental health, especially for our generation. There is hatred everywhere. People spread hate through opinions, politics, choices, decisions, etc. Ask your grandparents, and they'll tell you how friendly the neighbourhood used to be back then. Nowadays, people don't even talk to their neighbours. All this distance, hatred, trolls, bullying, and negativity will naturally take a toll on people's mental health. No wonder this generation is the loneliest compared to other generations. So, there cannot be a better time than now to give importance to our mental health and protect our sanity. Since it's about improving mental health, there is no exact solution as it depends on the individual. However, every solution's motive leads to just one thing - Do whatever makes you happy & don't hurt anyone in the process! 

Here is something that might help you:

3) Spending Time With Our Loved Ones

Out of the learning we've collectively had during COVID, one important lesson is that we understood how lonely our generation has become. No matter how many social media platforms come, we're getting lonelier, and our mental health is drastically deteriorating. Humans are social animals. No matter how hard we convince ourselves, life is challenging when we're lonely. We need people to spread love, share laughter, and love life. Learn to spare time from your busy lifestyle and spend it with your friends, family, and partner. Visit different places with your partner, Invite your friends for a sleepover and recollect old memories, Take your parents out on a date and gift them something they love. Do things you love & with people you love.

4) Concentrate On Career Growth

It doesn't matter if you're in your 20s, 30s, or 40s. A career is an aspect everyone must focus on and concentrate on to lead a financially and socially stable life. If you're pursuing education towards your career, focus on your studies and learn things by participating in online sessions, internships, or apprenticeships. If you've just started out as a professional, understand your profession, its benefits and disbenefits, analyze the next-level job position, and perform things to achieve that. If you're running a business, try to understand what you can do to increase the business' revenue, scale, net worth, etc. Your professional life will be much happier when you make your passion your profession. 

5) Learn A Life Skill

I'll be honest! As an adult facing the world, you cannot always depend on anybody to look after you. Sometimes, you have to deal with the things thrown at you alone. For example, while living alone, you must learn cooking to survive. You cannot rely on restaurants and hotel food since it can ruin your health. This New Year, learn a life skill that'll make you more independent. Train for self-defence, Improve your communication skills, Learn a new language, Connect with more people and build a strong network, Read books that help you improve your emotional intelligence, Build knowledge of First Aid, and more things that help you become liberated.

6) Reduce The Phone Usage

Answer this! When was the last time you saw someone outside not using their phone? You see people scrolling on their phones even when they travel, walk, eat, and talk. It can be due to increasing loneliness, but people have begun to rely on phones and gadgets to give them company, which is ruining their physical and mental health. I'm not saying throwing your phone away is a solution. Enjoy your own company without an addictive gadget. Embrace solitude ness by doing things that will improve you as a person. Experience the present moment, and don't distract yourself with these gadgets. When you're walking, listen to podcasts or music. While travelling, look at the places outside. While eating, enjoy the food. While talking to someone, let your entire attention be on that person. Life is too short to be distracted.

7) Travel More

A wise man once said, "When you travel, you'll realize how small you are in this big universe." Travelling is such a humbling experience because the things you witness, the people you talk to, the food you eat, and the things you learn during the journey will only make you realize there are still many things in this world we're unaware of. That is the beauty of life! And what better way than travelling to learn that. Promise yourself to go on a trip once every three months. It might sound hard, but think about it. You don't have to go to Leh-Ladakh, Kashmir, Meghalaya, or Manali to feel you're travelling. Even a long ride of 200 km is travel. A weekend getaway from the place you live is travel. There is no exact distance to define travelling. Travel more, live more!

Conclusion

These are my personal recommendations to help you improve the quality of your life. However, our experiences, perceptions, and opinions can be different. That is what makes us humans - Being Unique. So, do whatever you want to make you happy and into a better person. Unless you hurt someone, There is nothing wrong in this world. Advance Happy New Year!