Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

“New year, new me!” … and all that.

With 2019 here, we have waved 2018 goodbye and it’s the time for New Year’s resolutions that will be made and completely forgotten about, or dropped, approximately three weeks into January, a lot like my colleague’s efforts at going vegan for January – which lasted all of 13 hours, eight of which he was asleep.

A New Year’s resolution is a traditional practice where a person attempts to change a trait or behaviour, accomplish a personal goal, or improve their life through making smaller changes to their characteristics.

e-Careers count down the top 10 New Year’s resolutions:

1. Exercise more

Maybe to burn off some of that extra Christmas weight, those cheeseboards and stacks of turkey won’t shift themselves, or just as part of an overall regime to take better care of your body and health, exercising more is one of the most common resolutions there is. A ComRes poll said that exercising more is the most common New Year’s resolution, with 38% of those surveyed saying that was their choice.

2. Learn something new

Funnily enough, this is something we can help with. Whether you’re looking to change career or learn a new skill to start a hobby, e-Careers can help. With over 400 courses available, we have a solution for your resolution needs!

3. Start a new hobby

Whether it’s going for a jog, picking up a new instrument, or going for a stroll, a new hobby is a common starting point for a New Year’s resolution. The Telegraph reported that 15% of people take up a new hobby – maybe for a new focus or to achieve a long-held goal. Personally, I’m looking to become a drummer.

4. Quit smoking

For this one, you need to pass the criteria of being a smoker. Less than 1 in 5 UK adults currently smoke cigarettes, which equates to an estimated 9.4 million UK adults. But quitting smoking is one of the healthiest and best resolutions you can make: tobacco is the largest preventable cause of death in the world, with almost a fifth (19%) of all UK deaths from all causes.

5. Eat healthier

Another health-related entry.

An NHS survey that was carried out in 2017 reported that 69% of admissions for patients between 35 and 64 were directly attributable to obesity. A recent Cancer Research UK ad campaign also highlighted that 13 different types of cancer were linked to being obese or overweight.

Once the dust has settled on an indulgent Christmas period, a lot of people eat healthier to make up for all the calories they have eaten.

6. Self-care/Personal wellbeing

Self-care is a broad topic which could also include exercising and eating healthier, but it also includes things like dressing better, skincare, and potentially even things like meditation or prayer to help spiritual growth as well.

7. Save more money/spend less

A broad goal, too broad perhaps. But saving more, or spending less, are goals that are easily achieved if you become more specific. How much are you looking to save? By when? What do you spend too much on? Stop buying a coffee from Starbucks every morning. Maybe you spend too much at McDonald’s (please also refer to point five), but little changes in everyday spending can help you to save money quicker.

8. Spend more time with family/friends

Maybe you’ve been neglecting your family and friends due to a hectic work schedule, or you’ve just become too busy. But the New Year is often the time that people realise this mistake and start spending more time with them, if not in person, at least by catching up with them on the phone.

9. Travel more

Going out to see different countries, whether it be on holiday, or setting aside a few weeks or months to travel to see the world is a great New Year’s resolution, especially for those with wanderlust! Maybe you could use point seven, save up and use the money to go travelling, or on holiday to a destination you’ve always wanted to go!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be?

10. Read more

This is one that I’ve taken part in this year. A resolution that is helped by the fact I was bought four books for Christmas.

You can read fantasy, crime, fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, poetry; the choices are endless! Reading helps to stimulate the brain, making you more alert, when necessary but it also has the opposite affect: reading before sleep is scientifically proven to help you get a better nights kip because it reduces stress!

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