The start of a new year is the perfect time to make a change – use this list of 31 unique New Year’s resolutions ideas to prioritize your self-improvement goals for 2026!
This guide features some amazing ways you can improve your life next year and includes ideas and examples for:
- self-discovery
- personal growth
- weight loss
- money management
- and more
Let’s break down each idea as we go so you can see just how easy it is to try something new next year – or even today!
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and I could earn a small commission if you make a purchase using one. This comes at no additional cost to you and all opinions are based on my experience.
31 Unique New Year’s Resolutions Ideas
1. Start a project you’ve always wanted to do
What’s something you’ve always talked about doing but haven’t started yet?
Stop procrastinating and just go for it!
I talked about starting a blog for a few months before I actually went and did it – and when I look back, I wish I would have begun sooner.
There’s truth in that quote – “we only regret the chances we don’t take”.
So make this your year and do something special for yourself!
You’ll be glad you did.
2. Quit the negative self-talk
This is a very difficult habit to break but it can be done!
Start with something simple like a few positive self-affirmations in the mirror each morning and when you catch yourself in the midst of negative self-talk, correct yourself.
It could be something as simple as “I tried my best” or repeating one of those positive self-affirmations.
3. Declutter your home
Clutter makes me crazy, how about you?
Over the past two years, I’ve sold thousands of dollars worth on Facebook Marketplace – it’s my go to resource for cleaning house, literally!
Living more minimally feels good and you can always find what you need when you need it.
There’s also a heck of a lot less housework to do when you stop holding onto things you don’t need.
4. Break a bad habit
This could be something as simple as biting your nails or cursing!
This new years resolution idea has endless possibilites.
Write a plan for how you’ll do it and you’ll be that much more successful in accomplishing your goal.
5. Spend more time with people who make you feel good
Often times, we use the phrase “I’m busy” as an excuse to procrastinate.
Stop!
You can always make time for the people who matter most – it could be as short as a half hour phone call to a friend or family member who makes you feel good about yourself.
Half hour is just 2% of your day – how are you using the rest of it?
6. Quit Unproductive Screen Time
We’re all guilty of spending too much time watching reels and/or on YouTube these days.
Make it a habit to turn the screen off this year – whether its the television, streaming platforms, or your phone.
Because when we step back from TV and screens, life gets quieter and more intentional – being alone in your thoughts is healthy and allows your to reflect on where you’re at and where you’d like to go.
If you work at a computer or online, this can be easier said than done though.
So, be conscious of your efforts to create content rather than consuming content during screen time!
You could even get a timer like this one to start tracking your productive time versus unproductive time – it can be a real eye opener!
A lock box like this is another great option if your biggest hurdle is phone use – I’ve met a few people who swear by this thing and am considering it too. I love the idea of cutting my phone time to under one hour a day.
7. Spend more time with your kids
As a working mom, it’s often incredibly challenging to manage a career, a household, children, and make time for your spouse.
Make an effort to play more – build a puzzle with your kids, play a video game, or do something else your little ones enjoy.
They really do grow up fast and you’ll never get this time back!
For us, this also meant homeschooling so we can actually be together as a family between my husband’s shows (he works in film and is rarely home when he has a show).
If this is something you’d like to explore for your family, you can learn more about homeschooling from these posts:
- How to Setup a Beautiful (and Organized!) Homeschool Room
- 10 Must-Try Homeschool Kindergarten Ideas
- Why We Ditched The Good and The Beautiful (and What We’re Doing Instead)
8. Learn to say “no”
This is possibly the most liberating new years resolution idea on this list.
Learning to say “yes” only to what you really want will change your life – take it from a former chronic people pleaser.
You’ll be far less stressed out, free up more time in your days, and see other’s true colours a whole lot sooner.
9. Fall in love with a past hobby
Is there something you used to love doing when you were younger? Did you ditch all of your past hobbies once you became a mom?
It’s not too late to get back into it.
For me, that hobby was writing for you, maybe it’s crocheting or yoga!
Have a look at your agenda and see where you can fit an hour in twice a week – that’s a great starting point.
10. Stop saying “I can’t” and start finding reasons why you can
I truly believe that one of our biggest struggles as people is the tendency to find reasons we can’t.
When you shift your mindset and truly begin to believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, your entire world will change.
One of the biggest differences between successful and unsuccessful people is their drive – if you work hard for what you want every single day, you’ll be closer to your end goal at the end of each night.
What would happen if you started today?
11. Cut out processed foods
Learn to read labels and eat more natural foods.
This could be more fresh foods like fruits, veggies, meats, and alternatives or even frozen versions of your favourite things to snack on.
Clear out space in your pantry and avoid buying products with suspicious ingredients – if you can’t pronounce it, maybe you shouldn’t eat it!
12. Be more accountable
Have some regrets? Late for work again? Feel guilty for saying something you shouldn’t have?
Own it!
This will be one of the most powerful New Year’s resolutions you’ll ever make.
It’s time to make a change and stop making excuses for your excuses.
Others will appreciate your honesty.
13. Discover your heritage
I used to spend hours researching my surname and all of the maiden names of women related to me – I found it so incredible to know exactly what regions everyone came from and loved piecing things together with the stories my Croatian relatives share with me.
Learn more about who you are by searching your surname, asking relatives, and more.
14. Spend more time learning
Learn every day!
Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools you’ll ever have and something you’ll keep with you forever.
It could be something as simple as learning a new word every day this new year or even teaching yourself something you thought you’d never be able to understand – like mathematics!
Knowledge builds serious confidence.
15. Spend less time on social media
Did you know that the average person spends 2 and half hours a day on social media?
That’s 75 hours or three days of your month scrolling through social media, yikes!
Cut this bad habit back to just half hour a day and you’ll reap serious rewards – imagine all the time you’ll have to get the things you actually want done!
16. Plan a trip
Have a destination you’ve always wanted to visit?
Start researching it now – everything from things to do to places to stay and even airfare costs.
Planning even the finest details of your dream trip is the difference between doing it someday soon or not at all.
17. Renovate or redecorate your home
Sometimes change is exactly what we need.
The impact of painting a room or redecorating can also have a positive effect on your overall well-being – being in a beautiful surrounding just makes you feel happy!
Set a budget and choose colors that bring you joy – check out my Pinterest home decor board for inspiration.
18. Make more time for your significant other
Even if it’s just being in the same room, make an effort to be present for your spouse.
As a blogger, I have the luxury of bringing my laptop with me to wherever my husband is – if he’s upstairs playing video games, I sit next to him while I work in the evenings.
If he’s watching football downstairs, down I go with my computer and the baby monitor.
It can be hard to make time for one another but trust me, as someone who’s married to a man in the film industry – working 15 plus hour days five days a week – if I can do it, so can you!
19. Stop buying things you don’t need
Buying in excess can lead to whole list of other problems – debt, clutter, and shiny object syndrome, for instance.
It’s time to quit buying more than you need and start focusing on the things you already have!
Learn to repurpose items and ask yourself “do I really need this?” each time you go on a shopping trip – your wallet and living space will thank you!
Related: Things to stop buying to save more money (over $9,000+ a year)
20. Exercise for 30 minutes a day
Remember how I said that 30 minutes is only 2% of your day?
Exercise is great for more than just weight loss – personally, I use my Peloton for mental clarity more than anything.
Starting my day with a quick spin session is the easiest way to get the creative juices flowing and I find that I’m a lot sharper after I workout.
Add just half hour of physical activity a day into your schedule and see the positive difference it makes in your life!
21. Stop multi-tasking
This is easily one of the most addictive time wasters out there – I used to do it all the time.
When you multi-task, you feel like you’ll get several things accomplished at once but in reality, you’re actually not finishing anything.
Focus on just one task at a time to make sure you give it your best effort and watch your productivity levels soar!
22. Spend less time on your phone
Setting up Screen Time notifications on my iPhone was the best decision I ever made – I was absolutely horrified to see that I averaged 3 and a half hours a day!
Little doses here and there add up quickly so, it’s important to see how you use your time.
Check out the Most Used section on your phone and if it’s a game or an unhealthy addiction to social media, consider removing that app from you phone for a while.
I also found that turning off notifications for all apps besides messages and phone calls had a dramatic impact on my screen time.
23. Step out of your comfort zone
Try something new this year!
Whether it’s getting comfortable with public speaking or dating after years away from this scene.
You owe it to yourself to take on new challenges and experiences.
24. Be more grateful
Stop complaining about the things you don’t have and focus on the ones you do.
There are a ton of people around the world who would trade places with you in an instant.
Your life is what you make it.
25. Learn to let go of what people think
One of my favourite quotes goes like this:
“In the end, people will judge you anyway. Don’t live your life impressing others. Live life impressing yourself.”
And you know what, those people don’t deserve you – do more of what makes you happy and remember that you don’t need someone else’s validation to make your own decisions.
26. Get organized
Learning how to organize your life is the first step in taking control of it!
Invest in an agenda, organize your makeup, clean out your drawers, etc – it all makes a difference.
Once you get to see how you’re spending your time, you’ll have a much clearer idea of how you want your ideal days to look – and I’m pretty sure digging through drawers will not make that list 😛
27. Avoid negative people
Are there people in your life that make you feel bad or guilty every time you’re with them?
You might not be the problem!
Some people choose negativity – they like to gossip and complain but you don’t have to be a part of it.
Avoid making time for these people and replace them with friends and family that make you feel worthy!
28. Find reasons to be happy
Start thinking of reasons to be happy every single day and watch your entire life change.
You’ll focus less on what you don’t have and start appreciating all of the people, things, and memories you do have.
Some days will certainly be more challenging than others but taking the time to appreciate how and that you got this far will change your mindset.
29. Stop bringing your phone to bed
I personally charge my phone in the kitchen!
Set up your overnight charging station away from your bedroom and if you really might have an emergency call in the middle of the night, turn up your ringer.
You’ll sleep better and spend more quality time with your spouse as a result.
30. Listen more
Stop trying to be heard and take the time to hear others more often.
We learn the most when we listen.
31. Love Yourself as You Grow Where You Can
God made you for a purpose.
You are special and so loved, friend!
After over thirty five years of life experience, I’ve found that accepting the circumstances we’re faced with, while acknowledging that there are things we can do to improve on ourselves in the mean time, is a major step towards personal growth.
We learn so much more from being uncomfortable than we do from repeating the same comfortable bad habits that keep us stuck.
When we hold onto things from our past or know that deep down, there are issues we’re struggling with, its important to work on small changes daily.
Anger, pessimism, shyness, jealously, poor financial habits, or whatever else it may be doesn’t have to be a part of your personality. But being adaptable and learning to change is hard work – its also a choice we make daily.
So next time, choose to do the hard thing instead of the Netflix marathon!
But give yourself grace when you slip into old patterns and remember that growth doesn’t meaning throwing away every part of yourself.
You were made with beautiful components too and its important to reflect on those while pruning out the bad stuff.
Every one of us is mix of strength and struggles – growth comes from learning to nurture the good while working on hard things!
Choosing Your New Years Resolution
Your New Years Resolution can be as simple or as complex are you make it.
Choose something intentional.
Personal growth is a lifelong journey worth embarking on and overtime, you can actually improve on the things you used to struggle with to become a happier and more self-confident person.
It all starts with acceptance and setting goals – and a new year is the perfect time to get going!
What is your New Year resolution? What goals are you setting this holiday season? How will you make this your best year ever? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Happiest new year, friends!
– Nikki xo
More ideas to make this your best year yet:
