New Year's Resolutions Template for an Epic 2024!
Whether you’ve succeeded in accomplishing your resolutions for this past year (go, you!) or they have slipped your mind with everything going on (like Barbenheimer, The Eras Tour, X and AI advancements), we’ve created a New Year’s resolution template, included tips to create attainable goals and even offered suggestions to make next year “your year.”
Before we dive into 2024 New Resolutions, we want to know:
Did you accomplish your resolutions for 2023? Do you plan on making a resolution for 2024?
Yes, it’s a fact that almost 91% of people fail their New Year’s resolutions. But don’t let that number scare you. We’re here to help you organize your resolutions so you can find success in 2024!
Whether you’re looking to start eating healthier, learn a new skill, save more money, or even get fit, we have a few tips to help you achieve your goals. We’ll break it down and give you the scoop on why New Year’s resolutions can be so difficult to accomplish, how you can be successful, and even offer a few tips to help you keep some of the most common New Year’s resolutions.
So, check out this blog with an open mind and stay positive about 2024! Defy the stats, stay resilient and passionate about your goals, and keep your New Year’s resolutions with these helpful tips.
To make it even easier for you, we’ve created a printable New Year’s resolution template that you can fill out at home!
Download our FREE 2024 New Year's Resolution Template PDF!
Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Easier to Achieve
- It’s all you
- Be positive
- Don’t reach for the impossible
- Find an accountability buddy
Make your resolutions specific
If your resolution isn’t specific, it can be extremely difficult to achieve. A general goal doesn’t come with any perimeters to measure your progress—so how will you know if you actually succeed? Or how will you find the motivation to continue if you’re unsure what you’re working toward?
Don’t mindlessly create a resolution. Instead, sit down and think through what you really want. Then work backward and find certain dates to set different benchmark goals throughout the year. Make a schedule and keep track of your progress regularly.
Stay positive
Your mindset is incredibly important when setting your New Year’s resolutions. Don’t give your resolution a negative connotation—that doesn’t set you up for success! When someone tells you “Don’t do something,” you think about it, and you probably do it. (If someone told you not to eat the chocolate cake sitting on the counter, it’d be pretty hard not to think about it, or take a bite.)
Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on what you can! Instead of being pessimistic, frame your goal with a positive mindset.
Set realistic resolutions
You can do anything you set your mind to, but if you want to keep your New Year’s resolutions, you have to make them realistic. Unfortunately, if you’ve never climbed before, the odds of summitting Mt. Everest in the next 365 days are not extremely high. (Maybe slow down a little bit.) Setting unrealistic goals can be overwhelming, frustrating and can make you want to throw in the towel (or snow boots) early. You also need to remember change won’t happen overnight. It takes time.
To avoid the trouble and stress, create a reachable and achievable goal. It should be challenging, but not impossible. Remember New Year’s resolutions are goals for the WHOLE year. If you take it day by day, do the work and put in effort, you can accomplish your resolution!
Keep yourself accountable
New Year’s resolutions can be hard to keep. Even if you follow all these steps, it can be difficult to find the self-motivation and commitment to start a new hobby or stick to a new routine.
Some people can hold themselves accountable with no outside help, but many of us need a little nudge in the right direction from time to time. That’s why it’s super important to find an accountability partner. Someone who will encourage you, push you and, well, keep you accountable.
Some Common Resolutions
Even if you have a goal or two in mind, check out these common New Year’s resolutions. You’ll find a few tips and tricks so they’re easier to accomplish. Plus, you may even get some new ideas for your own resolutions. (You can add any of these to our downloadable/printable New Year’s resolution template, available at the bottom of this blog!)
Fitness chat: set realistic goals
One reason people have difficulty keeping their resolutions is that the resolutions they set are unrealistic. Fitness is one of the main areas where people set unrealistic goals, which can lead to frustration and abandonment in short order.
For example, if you’ve never run a mile in your life, resolving to complete a marathon seems like a bit of a stretch.
But how about starting small? Walk for a few minutes every day.
There could be any number of reasons why you haven’t been able to start down this path before, so make sure you figure out what the barriers have been so you can eliminate the excuses.
It’s too cold. Walk indoors during the winter.
It’s too dark. Walk on your lunch break.
It’s boring. Visit a nearby park or walking trail. Pick a podcast to listen to.
I don’t have the right shoes. If it’s truly about the money, many thrift stores and discount chains offer affordable options. Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace might even connect you with a neighbor who’s cleaning out a closet and has extra shoes to donate.
One key to having success with any resolution is to make yourself accountable.
If you’re walking to lose weight or to get fit, there are multiple smartphone apps that can inspire, give you real-time feedback, and even help keep track of your progress. MyFitnessPal, for instance, syncs with your phone to track steps, offers video suggestions, scans barcodes for food tracking and even helps you establish and keep track of realistic goals.
If you’re using an app to help track your fitness, it’s important to know yourself. Pick one that fits your style. If you get an intrusive app that sends notifications or attempts to shame you into taking action, you’ll think of reasons to turn it off or delete it. But if you respond to that sort of stimuli, by all means, turn on the notifications, alarms, reminders—whatever it takes.
Tip: More and more employers are offering cash incentives for their employees to track their fitness. What better way to get inspired than to see your wallet grow while doing something healthy?
Eating healthier: don’t be negative
Eating healthier is one of the most common resolutions (and it easily fits with our New Year’s resolution template). In 2022, 46% of Americans said they wanted to eat healthier. You would think that if everyone is trying to eat better, it would be easy. But it’s harder than you may think.
The most important thing to remember is to stay positive! Changing and improving your mindset is crucial to making better food choices. Don’t focus on what you can’t have, focus on what you can!
But I love junk food! Vs There are so many healthy snacks you might love even more.
I wish I could have soda. Vs. There are plenty of other beverage options you can enjoy.
There are so many foods I can’t eat. Vs. There are so many new foods you get to try!
Keep in mind that healthy (or at least healthier) eating can be a function of moderation, so don’t say goodbye to everything right away. You may be tempted to go overboard and set a goal that will be incredibly difficult to stick with—like starting a diet in January with no grains, sugar, dairy, alcohol or processed additives, but that isn’t the best idea. Remember to have realistic expectations.
You can also find help tracking calories and macros on a number of apps. These apps do all the work for you—and they can even act as your accountability partner. Some apps will send you reminders throughout the day.
If you’ve never been much of a chef or you need some recipes to try, there are a million healthy eating cookbooks to check out. Or, sign up for a food delivery service like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron.
Pro tip: check out these great tips to keep your New Year’s "eat better" resolutions.
Learn a new skill: hold yourself accountable
Learning a new skill or hobby is also a popular New Year’s resolution. Self-improvement and constantly learning is necessary in the work environment, but you can also just learn a new skill for fun!
When setting out to learn a new skill, the first step is to make a learning goal. Be specific—include what skill you would like to learn, a measurable way to track your progress, and a timeline. Learning a new skill can be difficult—but finding an expert who has mastered the skill you are trying to learn is an excellent trick.
One of the most important things to remember when learning a new skill is to be patient. Oftentimes, you won’t master a hobby or skill overnight, so you need to remember to stay positive and determined. Identify any obstacles that may affect your progress, such as financial, time or commute hurdles.
You should also seek out additional resources (like books or community groups) and stick to a practice schedule. Be sure to start small, acknowledge progress along the way and eventually challenge yourself to teach someone else.
With the metaverse making a major impact in the business world in 2022, improving tech skills is a great goal to have in 2023. Some common skills to learn include artificial intelligence, coding, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and communication. Other awesome hobbies you could tackle this year include learning a new language, painting, cooking, dancing and more.
Saving money: be specific, be accountable
Based on this survey from Bank of America, 44% of Americans want to increase savings in 2023—and we understand why! After spending money during the holidays, the new year may seem like the perfect time to hunker down and start getting your finances in order. But even though it makes sense on paper, it can be a big change.
If you want to successfully start saving money this year, remember to make your resolution specific. A general, loosely thought-out goal like “save more money” is neither helpful nor achievable. Instead, tell yourself to save a certain amount or percentage of your income each month, cut back on frivolous spending, or increase your 401(k) contributions.
It’s beyond easy to make up excuses to justify a behavior that can distract you from your goal, especially for saving money:
I had a rough day; some retail therapy would really help. I’ll just save more next month.
Those new shoes aren’t in my budget, but if I don’t get them now, I know they’ll sell out.
I know I said I would start eating out less to save money, but I really don’t feel like making dinner.
You may need someone in your corner to push you and keep you on the right track. If you’re not used to saving money or are prone to impromptu shopping or spending—you may need help from a friend or partner to keep you focused on your goals.
Sometimes you’ll get the shoes or order takeout, but as long as you’re taking more steps forward than steps back, you can achieve your goal.
Pro tip: you can also find some great budgeting tips on phone apps. Here are some of the top budget apps around right now.
FAQs: New Year’s Resolution Template: Organize Your 2024 Resolutions
Whether you can’t wait to set your New Year’s resolutions, or you have a few questions beforehand—we’ve got you covered! We’ve answered some of the most common questions about New Year’s resolutions below.
Q: What are the top 5 New Year’s resolutions?
A: Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more, lose weight, get organized, learn a new skill or hobby, live life to the fullest, save more money, and quit smoking.
Q: What should I write in my New Year’s resolutions?
A: You should include specific resolutions with timeframes and numbers. Your goals should be realistic and positive, and you should make sure you have an accountability partner!
Q: How often are New Year’s resolutions broken?
A: Studies have shown that about 91% of New Year’s resolutions fail. But don’t worry. Check out this list for tips to keep your resolutions and be successful!
Q: Why are New Year’s resolutions bad?
A: New Year’s resolutions aren’t bad, sometimes they’re just hard to keep. That’s why it’s important to follow these tips and create attainable goals so you can stick to your resolutions this year.
Wrapping Up: New Year’s Resolution Template: Organize Your 2023 Resolutions
Keeping your New Year’s resolutions can be tricky, but we believe in you! Whether you’re looking to accomplish one of the resolutions above, or would like to spend more time with family, less time on social media, etc., these tips will help you organize your resolutions.
If you ever need self-storage during the new year, just check out Store Space. Whether you need to make space for your new hobby, or make room for workout equipment, we offer convenient and affordable self-storage across the U.S. Just check out our storage location finder to locate the facility nearest you.
Happy New Year from Store Space!