Top 10 New Years Resolutions for a Better 2021

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2020 turned out to be a very interesting year, to say the least. With COVID-19 taking over the world, most 2020 resolutions likely went down the drain with our hopes for a fun start to the decade!

The world won't suddenly change, and COVID won't magically disappear when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2021, but what we can control are ourselves and our attitudes.

Take 2021 to focus on what is essential and make positive changes within yourself and within your community with the following New Year Resolutions.

Quit Smoking

There is no need to list out all of the health risks of smoking tobacco. They are well documented.

Everyone knows that it's unhealthy and can lead to many disastrous health complications. With a global pandemic that affects your respiratory system going around quitting, smoking should be at the top of your list.

There are many resources to help you quit smoking, and here are a few tips to get you started.

Book all your doctor's visits for the year

This resolution is a quick one-and-done that will have you feeling accomplished.

It's always a great idea to keep up with your health checks, but now, of course, it's more important than ever.

Sit down with your planner/calendar and call your doctor, dentist, OBGYN (if applicable), and any other specialists you plan on seeing this year and book all of your appointments for the year in one sitting.

Keep One Plant Alive

Take 2021 to enjoy beautiful things, like nature.
No matter if you live in the city or the country, try to keep one indoor plant alive.

Studies have shown having live plants in your house can lower stress. And actively caring for plants can lower your blood pressure. Even when people work near houseplants of any kind, they have better-perceived air quality and better concentration.

You can even go a little crazy and give your plant a name, give it a pretty pot to sit it and talk to it. If you are still stuck working from home, then both of you can thrive by saying a few kind words each day.

Practice Mediation

To say 2020 was a stressful year would be an understatement.

The benefits of mediation are well documented (click here, here, or here to read about them), and there are many different apps to help you learn.

• The Mindfulness App - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone and Android.
• buddhify - $4.99 for iPhone, $2.99 for Android
• Headspace- Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone and Android.
• Let's Meditate - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for Android only.
• Calm - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone and Android.
• INSCAPE - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone only

Meditation is not an immediate fix to stress and well being, but if you practice regularly, you will start to feel the difference in every aspect of your life.

Drink More Water

There is no better or more simple way to improve your health than increasing your water intake.

There are plenty of fun apps to help you increase your water intake.

• Daily Water Tracker Reminder - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone and Android.
• Hydro Coach - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for Android only
• WaterMinder - $4.99 on iPhone; free with in-app purchases on Android
• My Water & Drink Reminder - Free with optional in-app purchases - available for iPhone only

There are also fun water bottles that will help you remember to hydrate throughout the day.

• Half Gallon/64oz Motivational Water Bottle with Time Marker
• Smart Hydration Reminder - Fits Most Bottles
• Steel Smart Water Bottle, Tracks Water Intake & Glows to Remind You
• Spark 3 Smart Water Bottle - Tracks Water Intake & Glows
• Glass Water Bottle with Time Marker Reminder

The benefits are just too great to ignore. By drinking more water, you will maximize your physical performance; if you sweat during an intense workout, staying hydrated will help you perform better. You'll boost your energy and brain function, and water may help prevent and treat headaches.

Volunteer in your Community

If there ever was a better time to go outside of yourself and start caring for other people, animals, or the environment, it's now.

Find something you enjoy and use that skill to volunteer.

• Do you like to bake? Bake cookies and drop off a plate to your local firehouse or front line workers.
• Like to take pictures? Volunteer at your local shelter to take photos of animals to help them get adopted.
• Computer nerd who doesn't like to leave their house? Contact any volunteer organization, and I can almost guarantee they need someone with technical expertise to help with their website or email lists.

Need more ideas on where to volunteer? Check out these ideas.

Listen to More Books

While many people resolve to read more books many, don't consider adding audiobooks into the mix.

It is easy to listen to a novel while working out, cleaning the house, commuting to work, or when you are waiting in the school pick up line. You can even listen to an audiobook to help you wind down at night while in bed, you don't even need to keep the light on and bug your partner! You can listen while walking, in the shower, waiting at the doctor's office or in line at the pharmacy, or while pursuing another hobby like crocheting or woodworking.

There are subscription plans (like Audible), you can purchase single audiobooks from Apple Books or Google Play Books, or you can even borrow them from your local library.

Decorate with Pictures

While many families can't be together right now, it is the perfect time to put the smiling faces that you miss up on the wall!

Do you have an insane amount of photos on your phone or on your digital camera's memory cards just sitting there? Take time to pick your favorites and print them out!

Create a frame collage on an empty wall, have a line of photos going up your staircase with you and your family at different ages, or line up pictures of all your nieces and nephews across a shelf.

Take the time to design and put together a photo book and have it printed and shipped to you to keep out on your coffee table.

Find the best places to get these projects done here.

Find a Fun New Hobby

Instead of another day in front of Netflix, why not try something new?

The best part is that you don't have to leave the house to have fun or find a new hobby.

YouTube offers a whole catalog of how-to videos; Skillshare offers thousands of classes to learn anything from coding to writing to illustrating.

Discover new music on sites like Spotify or Apple Music.

If you have the funds, why not take a dip into investing?
Teach yourself a new language. There are many different apps that you can check out here to help you learn.

Write Letters

Writing letters is a lost art that is making a comeback. You can treat yourself to some fun notecards or stationary and write to everyone you know or write to hospitals and retirement homes to brighten other people's day.

Use writing as a form of therapy. Write letters to your future self, write letters to your past self, write letters to those who have hurt you, and burn them to let go of those resentments.

After the dumpster fire that was 2020, it would be easy to go into 2021 cynical. But the only thing you can control is your attitude and how you react to things. Make 2021 your year and make a difference in your life and the lives of others.

What resolutions will you make for 2021? Comment below.

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