10 New Year Resolutions You Need To Make in 2020 To Ensure a Happy, Successful Year

Believe it or not, 2019 is almost at an end, with 2020 peeking just around the corner; heralding not just the start of a new year, but also a new decade. And after the festivities of the New Year’s eve have died down, but while we are still bursting with a new-founded hope that the prospect of a new year brings, come all the new year resolutions.

We fervently think about all the changes we are going to make in our lives, we diligently set pie-in-the-sky career and relationship goals, we eagerly promise ourselves to eat healthier or perhaps exercise more. But do you know that on average, only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions?  

So, we have got some advice for you; this year, instead of making promises in the heat of the moment, that you wont be able to fulfill later, fill your new year resolution list with good-for-you, simple, and achievable goals. Focus on finding ways to squeeze a little more fitness into your busy days. Muse over sane strategies for decluttering. Look up ways to stay more organized. Promise to cut out toxic people in your life. Remember to say “thank you” more. And so on. Here is an amazing list of New Year Resolutions that you could add to your list, for a happier, stress-free, and successful year!

10 New Year Resolutions To Top Your List:

1.      “I will choose happiness instead of chasing it.”

We are programmed to believe that we need to get our hands on the best phones, the best wardrobe, the most expensive shoes in the room, or Insta-worthy vacations to be happy; and we spend our lives running after these material things. But when does it end? If you really want to be happy, you need to stop chasing happiness. Happiness is a byproduct of doing things that are worthwhile, beautiful, meaningful, and challenging. Instead of chasing after happiness, concentrating on having a purpose and you will automatically stumble into a state of happiness.

2.      “I will stop procrastinating.”

If you have taken on a task, only to be found at the same place hours later, with nothing to show for it, you are not alone. People tend to procrastinate a lot, and ionically, it is the biggest barrier to their success. They make all kinds of excuses as to why today isn’t the right day: “too young, too old, too inexperienced, too disruptive, too inexperienced, too risky, too stressed, too ill, too broke, too busy, too windy, etc.”

 If you often find yourself thinking, “One of these days, I’m going to get help for my procrastination problem,” I suggest 2020 is a good time to start. A great tip to beat procrastination is to write down your goals one by one and assign a deadline to each. Break your goals into manageable, bite-sized sub-tasks, so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the larger picture. Imagine the happiness and relief you will feel when you have achieved your goals.

3.      “I will let go of my grudges.”

When we are wronged, it is only natural to want the responsible party to pay for their indiscretions. However, nursing grievances does nothing more than damage us in more than one way. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong, after all, It takes tons of courage to move on from a painful experience and let go of the anger festering inside.

Instead of hauling an ever-growing emotional baggage through life, try to acknowledge the hurt, decide to forget, realize that acceptance does not equal agreement, think of the peace of mind, a sense of freedom, and the personal energy you will gain back when you let go of the grudge. Make a list of all the people and situations that you still loathe, and practice letting go, one by one. Make sure you leave that cumbersome burden behind in 2019.

4.      “I will learn to say “no.”

Our people-pleasing instinct is so deeply ingrained in us that we struggle to say “no”, be it because of the fear of rejection, coming off as over-bearing or rude, or the mere uncertainty of how the other person will take our no. But see, the issue goes deeper than just having your life packed to the brimming with other people’s requests; when you agree to do something that you don’t want to, you end up grudging it as well as the person who put you to it, and end up hurting yourself.

Remember this: Saying no allows you to say yes to what is important to you. Promise yourself that you will learn to put your foot down sometimes and no more often in 2020.

5.      “I will cultivate a good sleeping routine.”

As we grow older, we begin throwing those childhood bedtime rules to the wind. However, the fact is that Your body’s internal clock, something we call the circadian rhythm, plays a critical role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. It is really important to adhere to the same sleep schedule night by night so your body can find its natural rhythm and settle into a regular sleep-wake cycle.

Failure to do so means that you throw off your internal clock, resulting in a decline in cognitive skills, headaches, memory and concentration issues, mood swings, drowsiness, and irritability the morning after. So, come 2020, be sure to set a regular sleeping routine as part of your new year resolutions and stick to it.

6.      “I will meditate every day.”

If you don’t meditate everyday already, there are literally hundreds of reasons why you need to start in 2020. For starters, meditation increases your self-awareness, attention, memory and self-control, reduces cortisol production to help you feel de-stressed, lowers blood pressures, prevents depression, increases the production of serotonin to make us feel happier, boosts the immune systems, slows down the process of ageing, increases stress resilience, improves sociability, gives you a sense of purpose, and so on. This should top your new year resolution list in 2020.

7.      “I will give myself more compliments.”

Self-praise is the key to confidence. You- so precious, so beautiful, so capable, so awesome and so worthy! Yes, you. When was the last time your celebrated yourself. Once you begin to compliment yourself, you will also start to embrace yourself better and be more immune to other’s opinion of you. While it is all too common to zero in on the negatives in us, you need to re-frame your perspective and find all your positives. focus on that and begin to praise yourself. If you don’t know where to start, here’s a list of 100 compliments you can give yourself today.

8.      “I will focus on finding my inner happiness.”

Most of us spend a lifetime seeking out the elusive state of pure happiness in a never-ending stream of material possessions that never leave us satisfied beyond the first few moments of the joy and triumph of attainment. However, pure un-contained happiness is achieved when we let go of seeking transient things and discover the lasting joy within ourselves.

Sometimes the tiny treasures of life can be discovered in the most unexpected of places and meaningful things around you if you know where to look. As part of your new year resolutions, you can promise to accept yourself in all your imperfections, forgive yourself, eliminate the root causes of your unhappiness, ward off stress, and stop taking yourself so seriously!

9.      “I will set my life goals.”

If you feel adrift and can’t find a meaningful life goal despite working hard, you are not alone in your struggles. A key reason is you have never given much thought to what you want out of life and never tried to prepare a flowchart of life’s goals. While most of us know our life’s goals, we don’t know where to begin realizing them.

Setting goals as part of your new year resolutions grants you a long-term vision, boost of self-esteem, and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge and willful determination, and helps you organize your time and your resources so you can make the most of your life.

10.  “I will cook at home and eat less takeout.”

Are you more of a take-out person? Are you the epitome of unhealthy eating? Well that needs to stop today! Some studies suggest that people who cook more often, are eating much healthier overall. One reason is that restaurant meals typically contain higher amounts of total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and calories than home-cooked meals.

Instead of munching on those unhealthy fast food every time the hunger pangs strike, why not prep your own meals over the weekends? Not only is cooking super-fun but imagine all the money you are saving and the goodness you are loading into your bodies.  Don’t worry, you start cooking like Gordon Ramsay in no time. Before you go for that slice of pizza again, i say add this to your new year resolutions list now!