Unique New Year Resolution Ideas: All About Living Intentionally

Have you always set new year’s resolutions and then like 80% of us, fail miserably to meet them? It’s time for something different. Let’s get into some unique new year resolution ideas that will keep you motivated to achieve your goals for the year.

Unique New Year Resolution Ideas

Let’s talk about my new year’s resolution or lack thereof. I have pretty much the same goals every year, lose weight, and make more money. Is there really anything else we focus on? Last year, tired of writing down the same damn resolutions in my handy-dandy journal, I decided to switch things up.

Word of the Year

Setting a “Word of the Year” instead of making traditional New Year’s resolutions is gaining popularity as a more holistic and focused approach to personal growth. Rather than committing to specific goals, you choose a single word that serves as a guiding theme for the year. This word acts as a touchstone to help you make decisions and navigate various aspects of your life.

What’s your word of the year? That’s a question I’ve seen posted on every social media network I’ve been on these past few weeks. And I decided to adopt this as my intention for the year.

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Selecting a Word of the Year encourages mindfulness and intentionality. It’s about setting an overarching intention that can be applied to different areas of your life. For instance, if you choose the word “balance,” you might strive to find equilibrium between work and personal life, health and indulgence, or ambition and contentment. This approach offers flexibility while still providing a central point of focus.

How to Set a Word of the Year

To begin, reflect on your current circumstances and aspirations. What do you want to invite into your life this year? What areas do you want to improve? Once you’ve identified your word, spend time exploring its different dimensions. Break it down into specific actions, attitudes, and behaviors that align with that word. This process enhances self-awareness and deepens your connection to the concept you’ve chosen.

Unlike resolutions, which can often be binary (either achieved or not), a Word of the Year invites ongoing exploration and growth. As situations change throughout the year, your chosen word can remain relevant and adaptable. It’s a way to encourage personal development without the pressure of meeting specific benchmarks.

Regularly revisiting your Word of the Year helps you stay aligned with your intentions. You can use it as a filter to evaluate decisions, opportunities, and challenges that arise. If your word is “courage,” you might remind yourself to step out of your comfort zone, face fears, and make bold choices.

Incorporating your chosen word into your daily life can be done in various ways: creating visual reminders, journaling about its significance, or discussing it with friends and family for accountability. Online communities and social media hashtags related to Words of the Year offer additional support and inspiration.

Celebrating my new year resolution ideas

Looking back on last year like… 

Well, I’ve happily jumped on the bandwagon because I like the sentiment of having a word to hold onto all year long. This word guides all the choices I make and pushes me to choose better options when faced with big decisions and little ones. I’ve been testing it out since the start of the year and so far, so good! It’s also easier to remember a word or a theme that you’ve set for yourself. It becomes easier to carry it around with you to guide all your choices. It’s there, sitting on your shoulder wagging its finger at you when temptation stares you in the face.

Update: I’ve done this now for the past maybe 4 or so years and it really does work better for me than any other popular new year resolution ideas. That’s because it’s easy for me to reflect on the word and its meaning and redirect my thoughts and actions to align more with my goals whenever I do a check-in.

Scrunchy bodycon blue dress with green duster

Link to dress, link to similar duster, similar shoes.

Word of the Year Example

My word for last year was health.

I set my intention to have the healthiest year of my life. But not only the food I eat and my physical activity levels, no no no. I mean health in all senses of the word.

Healthy mind. Better book choices, better TV consumption, better conversations with my friends.

Healthy relationships. With my friends, with my family, with my daughter.

Healthy love life. Here’s to soul-smoldering love this year and beyond.

Healthy business. I’ve stepped out fearlessly into the land of online entrepreneurship and there’s no looking back now. It’s been quite an adventure so far and I’m looking forward to the ride.

Healthy bank account. With a healthy business comes a healthy bank account and I am committing to being better with money. Investing more, doing better with my accounting, knowing where every dollar comes from and where every dollar goes, and being more mindful of my spending habits.

And of course, I’m excited about a healthy body!!! Owwwww

Here's my new year resolution. This is better than those new years resolution ideas you've been thinking of

I’ve already started the gym and with commitment, I will step confidently into a Carnival costume this year! Last year I was in a t-shirt section but this year I go back to the land of skimpy. Heck yeah!

In this regard, whenever I have a decision to make, I will always ask myself, which option is the healthier option? When I choose the programs I watch on TV, the outings I go on with friends, the activities I choose to partake in, and the books I read, I make a commitment to always first check in with myself: Is this in line with my intention of living a healthier life?

I’m not perfect and expect myself to stumble along the way at times, however, I do think it’s easier to keep in mind always, the intention of being healthier and take action accordingly.

One of my friends has set her word as commitment. That is definitely something I struggle with. How many first days have I had at the gym??? Too many to count. We’re adults. We know we need to work out consistently in order to live a healthy life, ward off disease and illness, have the energy to go through our day and wear the clothes we want. So why is it so dangit hard to do this for our own self?

new years resolution inspiration: try a word for the year instead. My new year resolution, new years resolutions

It’s because we make it hard. It’s our mindset. Willpower is one thing but we’re all fighting our minds. We know what’s good for us but punk out and take what we think is the easier route. But look, I’m all about taking the easy route too. Except I know that there’s easy that leads to the goal I’m trying to achieve and easy that leads to a path I’m not interested in.

Unique New Year Resolution Ideas: All About Living Intentionally

Once you decide. Once you make up your mind that this is what you want and there’s nothing else acceptable. Once you change your mindset and stop fighting against your own self, you will find that the easy path to achieve what you want kinda just opens up to you and you’re not even sure how it all happened.

Suddenly you’re making healthier choices without it feeling like a chore. Suddenly meal planning and prepping become second nature. Suddenly you find an activity to do that fits seamlessly into your already hectic life and before you know it you’re a health buff and all it took was thinking differently.

We have to stop fighting against our own mind and allow it to guide us down the path of least resistance.

Let’s explore three alternative approaches to New Year’s resolutions that offer a fresh perspective on personal growth.

Idea 2: Monthly Challenges

Instead of making a single-year commitment, consider setting monthly challenges throughout the year. Each month, you choose a specific skill, habit, or activity you want to cultivate or explore.

This approach provides variety and allows you to focus intensively on one area for a shorter period. For instance, you could dedicate January to daily meditation, February to reading a certain number of books, and March to learning a new recipe each week. This way, you continuously refresh your goals, preventing burnout and fostering consistent self-improvement.

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3. Gratitude Journaling

Rather than focusing solely on achievements or changes, try practicing gratitude journaling as your alternative resolution. Every day or week, write down three things you’re grateful for. This practice shifts your perspective toward recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of your life.

Over time, it enhances your overall sense of contentment and helps you stay present and optimistic. Plus, it’s a simple habit that doesn’t require radical lifestyle changes, making it easy to maintain throughout the year.

Experience-based Goals

Shift your focus from material achievements to collecting meaningful experiences. Instead of aiming to acquire things, concentrate on creating memories. Set goals related to travel, trying new activities, or spending quality time with loved ones.

Whether it’s exploring a new hiking trail, learning a musical instrument, or participating in a volunteering project, these experiences enrich your life and provide lasting fulfillment. This approach emphasizes personal growth through exploration, learning, and connection.

Incorporating these alternative approaches can add depth and creativity to your New Year’s resolutions. They allow you to tailor your goals to your preferences, interests, and current life circumstances, leading to a more enjoyable and sustainable journey of self-improvement.

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Related: How to Achieve Your Goals by Making them Smart and Using a Goals Planner

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2 Comments

  1. First time on your blog and gotta say you look REALLY good in this dress lady!! Love the colour and love your hair too. x x x