20 + New Year's Resolution Ideas for 2020

20 + New Year's Resolution Ideas for 2020 – Angie Cruise Blog

20 + New Year’s Resolution Ideas for 2020

January is quickly approaching, and it’s time to think about goals for the next chapter of our lives! Check out these new year resolution ideas to get you started! Bonus,

of them includes going on a diet.

It’s the end of another year! Actually, it’s the end of a

, which is just mind blowing. I’ve been taking a trip down memory lane by reading a blog I ran at the beginning of the decade, and

. I don’t even know that girl anymore. It’s been really cool looking back on who I was ten years ago, but one thing that stands out more than anything is this: goal setting and reflection have become a big part of my life.

I reflect on the past year every December. And then, I set new goals for the year ahead. Most people call them “New Year’s Resolutions,” but I feel that name gets a bad rep. I like to just call them goals. Calling them goals sends a message that you intend to work towards them. The term “resolutions,” implies dramatic statements and the expectation of huge changes happening effortlessly.

If you tend to shy away from resolutions for that same reason, be sure to read

. Once you’ve done that, come back here and check out this list of over 20 New Year’s resolution ideas that are attainable and will add something other than stress to your life.

Attainable New Year’s Resolution Ideas

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They say “we are what we repeatedly do.” That means that change doesn’t come from some grand gesture. Instead, it comes from small acts, done over and over until they become habits. When we change our habits, we can change our lives. With that in mind, I try to really think about goals I can work on bit by bit over time.

goals that require a total overhaul of my life. What we really want to be doing is developing good habits, not punishing ourselves.

If you’re feeling stuck on how to do that, I’ve put together a list of new year’s resolution ideas to help

achieve your best year yet. Check them out and pick a few to work on this year.

Learning to cook will do a

for your overall health, and it’s really not as hard as it seems. Believe it or not, when I got married, I couldn’t even boil water without setting off the smoke alarms, and every single meal I ate came out of a can or a box.

People who didn’t know me back then have a hard time believing that, because now, I’m a

use simple ingredients

eliminate distractions

add one new recipe a week until you’ve got a full week of meals

put together a recipe binder to keep up

Clean up your diet

There are a lot of fad diets out there, but one thing remains the same in most of them:

Basically, if you want to improve your overall health, you should be paying attention to the quality of the foods you eat on a daily basis. (

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I’m not referring to actual medical issues)

A good rule of thumb to keep in mind as you work to clean up your diet is to stick with foods as close to their natural state as possible. Every step you take away from nature, something is lost. So, as much as possible, think fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains, fresh meat and eggs, and dairy products with nothing added.

Not sure what to even buy? Try sticking to the perimeter of your grocery store. Hit up the produce section, the seafood counter, the deli, and the dairy. Avoid the aisles as much as possible, since most of those products are fillers.

If you’re really just not ready to eliminate all of those foods from your diet, I recommend learning to read the ingredients label on the back. I don’t mean the nutrition info. Look at the actual ingredients that are below it. You know what real food is, so if you see a bunch of ingredients that don’t look like actual food, put that product back on the shelf and keep searching.

Try a new exercise routine

I know this one is a pretty common new year’s resolution, but hear me out. Normally, we go into a workout routine to punish ourselves and work off all the bad habits we’ve created. We’re focused on the scale and how many calories were burned. We commit to going to the gym every single day (after not going at

Instead, try a new exercise just simply with the mindset of loving your body and treating it right. It feels good to move and stretch and use your muscles. And, by doing so, you gain strength, stamina, and confidence.

Over time, sure. You’ll notice some physical benefits like defined muscles and weight loss, but let the goal be about treating your body right and see what a difference that makes. I

you stick with it longer.

This is one of my new year’s resolution ideas this year, if I’m honest. I’ve gotten

at making sure I stay hydrated.

They say you should aim for half your body weight in ounces a day, and I’m just barely over half of that. So, one of my goals for this year is to

Not only does proper hydration just keep your body working better, but it’s also great for your skin. So, bonus!

Grow your spirituality

I’m always hesitant to bring this one up. I don’t want to alienate readers who don’t believe the same way I do. But, hear me when I say this: the

you grow your faith doesn’t matter to me. I’m a firm believer in the fact that we’re all climbing the same mountain, but taking different paths to the top.

After the year I’ve had, I feel like a goal of growing your spiritual practice (whatever that is for you) can benefit you greatly. For me, I’ve noticed a difference in my stress and anxiety, my marriage, and even the way I parent. Finding a practice that brings you comfort can make everything else fall into place. If you want to hear about my own journey, you can read about it

If one of your new year’s resolution ideas is to get healthy, it’s not diets you need. Those come and go, but if you learn to love veggies, you’re pretty much set for life. Try experimenting with different ways to eat those vegetables, especially leafy greens, and make it a goal to have some with every meal! Yep. I even eat greens with breakfast. I either eat them sautéed with eggs, or I have a green smoothie.

Leafy greens are a great addition to your diet, because not only are they jam-packed with nutrients, they’re also really low in carbs. That means you can eat more vegetables if you’re still hungry, and not worry so much about calories or carbs. There’s a reason certain diets make these freebies. Utilize them and fill up!

One of my own personal goals for 2020 is to

. Yep. I want to have more fun this year. There’s too much stress. Too much work. Too much rushing around.

Giving ourselves time to do what we actually enjoy is a great way to reduce

of those things. Need some ideas to get you started?

Check out this post

For me, playing more means giving myself more time for fun hobbies. Bike riding, hiking, board game nights with friends, and girl’s nights out. For you, it might be something totally different. Whatever that is, figure it out and find a way to fit it into your schedule more this year.

Develop a new hobby

What have you always thought would be cool to learn? For me, it was always crochet. My grandmother had done it my whole life, but I’d never learned. Finally, when I was 24, I sat down and taught myself. It became something I enjoyed so much. In fact, it eventually evolved into a business for me. Of course, that’s not usually the goal with hobbies, and that’s totally okay. The point is to find something you enjoy that’s

work, and take the time to learn about it every week.