New Year’s resolutions are a common practice across cultures, often driven by dreams for the future or a desire for significant change. For optimal success, it’s important for resolutions to be meaningful, but also achievable. They should be realistic and aligned with personal growth, helping to cultivate a positive and fulfilling year ahead.

Here are some common examples:

• Improve Physical Health: Pledge to increase regular exercise or to develop healthier eating habits.
• Focus on Mental Well-Being: Set aside time each week for relaxation and self-care or schedule an initial appointment with a therapist.
• Cultivate Stronger Relationships: Spend more quality time with family and friends or join a student or community activity group.
• Advance Career or Education: Write out some clear career goals, work toward a promotion, or take a class that increases your marketable job skills.
• Financial Growth: Create and stick to a budget, or pay off specific debts or credit cards.
• Personal Development: Start a new hobby or revisit an old passion.
• Environmental and Social Responsibility: Reduce plastic use, adopt more sustainable habits, or get involved in community service or activism.

Remember, your resolution should be realistic. While it may be tempting to declare a sudden extreme makeover to your current habits, the more drastic the change, the less likely you’ll be able to achieve or maintain it. Realistic resolutions encourage sustainability, making it much more likely that a year from now you’ll still be “on the wagon” and reaping the benefits of an actual lifestyle change.

You can find more information on healthy resolutions in this Psychology Today article.

(This information was provided by MATC’s CAPS–Counseling & Psychological Services.)