Draven Jackson
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While everyone loves parties and midnight kisses and watching the ball drop in New York City, New Year’s resolutions still remain the most popular New Year’s tradition.

And while we love to make them, we also promptly forget them. It’s the oldest trope in the book: say everything you want to do differently for the next year, follow those new rules and guidelines for about a month, and then eventually let them die out in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Part of the problem with New Year’s resolutions is that we make them too difficult and specific to really follow through on. While making clear goals is great, it can be hard to maintain the changes necessary to reach those goals once our vacations are over and real-life catches back up with us.

So rather than making specific, rigid New Year’s resolutions this year that you may eventually forget, here are some positive, affirming resolutions that might be easier to maintain for the entire year!

I will work harder to take care of my body this year

Some of the biggest New Year’s resolutions have to do with physical health – I’m going to diet this year, I’m going to exercise more, I’m going to lose 20/30/50 pounds, etc. And while caring about your health is a wonderful thing, it can also be super limiting to put such specific goals on yourself.

Not to mention, if life gets hard or you get busy and you fail to reach those goals, it can be incredibly disheartening later on.

So, if you’re someone who has trouble sticking with specific health goals, make one of your New Year’s resolutions be that you want to work harder to take care of your body!

Taking care of your body can be done in a lot of ways. Maybe you choose to exercise or diet more. Or maybe you decide to quit drinking or smoking. You can even just become kinder about how you view and treat your body. There are plenty of ways that you can take care of your body, so there’s no real way to fail this resolution.

I will strive to be the best version of me that I can be

New Year’s resolutions are all about improvement, but often we view our self-improvement through the lens of others. We make our resolutions about being more like someone else or becoming the type of person someone else wants us to be.

Or, once again, we put too specific guidelines on ourselves for who we need to be in the next year, and they limit us from reaching our true potential.

Instead of making your resolution about others, make sure your New Year’s resolutions are about you and being the best version of yourself you can be. Don’t worry about whether that version makes more money or fits the image other people have decided for you – your resolution should be about you and improving yourself so that you can find happiness in the person you are.

I will search for happiness in every moment

I think a lot of people realized after 2020 and 2021 that, sometimes, life doesn’t allow us to follow the plans we make for ourselves. Sometimes the goals we have in mind just don’t seem to fit into what the universe has planned for us.

Throughout the last two years, I have personally realized that trying to wait for happiness is a terribly long ordeal. If you’re telling yourself “Once I get here, I’ll be happy” or “Once this is over, I can be happy,” then you are ultimately limiting and ignoring the happiness that could be in your life right now.

So, one of my New Year’s resolutions this year is to search for happiness in every moment.

Maybe you’re not where you want or need to be and maybe you’re going through a time of struggle that feels like it will never end. If so, remember to find the small pockets of happiness that exist in every moment, no matter how inconsequential they may seem.

Sometimes, these little moments of happiness are enough to make up for the happy times you feel that you’ve missed out on.

I will be more patient with myself when I am not the person I want to be

Personally, this is one of my most important New Year’s resolutions for myself. Too often I am bombarded with negativity, telling myself that I am not good enough, that I haven’t done enough, or that I’m disappointing those around me.

It’s a little sad how easy it is to be mean or hard on yourself while being gracious and kind can be such a struggle.

So, while you may have resolutions to be kinder to others or be more patient with the people around you, don’t forget to also extend that patience and kindness to yourself. Be kind when you fall short, be patient when you fail. Remember that you are just as human as anyone else, and therefore prone to making mistakes.

You deserve as much kindness and consideration as anyone else, so don’t forget to be gracious to yourself.

I will try to recognize my needs as being important

Another one of the most important New Year’s resolutions that is often overlooked, recognizing and treating your needs as valuable should definitely be a goal for everyone this year. Too often we tell ourselves that we need to be better friends, better parents, better partners, but forget that our needs and wants are just as important as everyone else’s.

You deserve as much love and attention as you give the people around you, so it’s important to remember that your needs and wants are valid and should be considered. Spread the love you give others to yourself and don’t forget to put yourself first sometimes.

I will aim to grow and improve on the things I am unsatisfied with now

At the end of the day, you are a human being. There are things that you are good at and things that you lack, times you will succeed and times you will make mistakes. And both your successes and failures are valuable experiences and will only help you grow as a person.

While you should concentrate only on your shortcomings while making New Year’s resolutions, it’s alright to acknowledge that you do have a few. Resolutions are about improving yourself and becoming the best version of you that you can be.

If there are areas of your life or your person that you are unsatisfied with, make the resolution to improve on them throughout the year. Resolve to become someone you are satisfied with and aim to grow with each experience and throughout each day.

You are a wonderful, amazing, valuable human being, and I hope this new year will bring you happiness, love, and joy with each moment.

Do you have more affirming New Year’s resolutions? Tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.