Here at KULA HQ, our team has been witnessing a shift not only in our own circles and communities but also with our customers and people we interact with and follow online.
When the year 2024 first began, the first thing we noticed was their approach to New Year’s resolutions; they weren’t making them. Instead, this looked to be the year people were choosing to be easy on themselves instead.
Does this mean people don’t have goals for the new year? Absolutely not. They’re simply humanizing the resolution concept, acknowledging that hard, concrete routined and forced restrictions or immediate changes aren’t for everyone - and that’s okay!
Popular Alternatives to a New Year’s Resolution
Some of the most seen or most discussed resolution alternatives we’ve seen or heard so far have included:
One-Word Themes: Picking a word for the year, and revolving desired goals, changes or approaches to things around that word. For example, “step” as a one-word theme could allude to taking more physical steps for exercise, taking more steps toward something you’re reaching for in life, or dividing tasks, goals and other desirables into steps.
Ins and Outs: Micro lists of what people are leaving behind in 2023, and what they’re bringing into the year with them instead. Many were lifestyle, personality, attitude or mental health-related.
24 in 2024: A list of things, big or small, short-term or long-term, people want to cross off throughout the year. Items are often fun, work-related, lifestyle-related or a mix.
In some groups and challenges, 24 in 2024 has also called for doing a particular activity for 24 minutes each day in 2024 to build up a habit, or simply doing so out of pure enjoyment.
For example, Happiness Project Author Gretchen Rubin’s annual challenge for 2024 is Write 24 in 24, challenging readers and listeners to write for 24 minutes, or 2-4 minutes, depending on their lifestyle and tendencies.
Personal Reset Ideas and Approaches
Similar to the advice we’ve given for those who do Veganuary (link to veganuary blog), you don’t have to pause or wait until next January to hit the reset button on your goals, your lifestyle or anything else you’ve been looking to change, minimize or build onto just because you didn’t start on the first, or even within the first week.
What matters is that you simply start.
These don’t have to be large, immediate intentions either. Even subtle aspirations can have major impacts, and even if impacts are minor, it's their effects on you that matter most and how you feel about them.
Just be easy on yourself. Allowing for do-overs and skips doesn’t mean you lack ability, accountability, drive or desire, it’s an acknowledgement that you’re human, you can have off days and it’s okay to fail or fall a bit and pick yourself back up again when mentally or physically ready.
Want to eat healthier? Find a balance, and still enjoy your little treat. Implement dietary changes, like plant-based integration, one particular meal at a time or one particular day at a time.
Perhaps you only want to start with changing your lunch for a while first or are dedicating a certain day of the week to eating how you want to be eating. Have a look at some of our recipes for inspiration!
Looking to read more? Pick which books actually interest you, not just what’s new, best-selling or trending on bookstagram or booktok. Also, don’t stress over your book count, especially if you track your reading on an app like Goodreads or The Storygraph.
It’s not a race or a competition. Everyone reads differently, and e-books and audiobooks count.
Want to give your mind (or eyes) a rest? Try meditating for x amount of minutes per day, and allow yourself subtle increases over time if desired until you find a length that works best for your schedule and feels most natural to you.
You might also challenge yourself to reduce your screen time by a certain amount, or to be under a certain total, on a daily basis, especially if you also happen to want to sleep better at night. (Cell phone lighting can impact the ability to fall and stay asleep if too close to bedtime)
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