A new year is usually perceived as the perfect chance to make a fresh start and hope for the better.
We all start the year with a strong motivation to strive for better and feel ready to move mountains. If this is you, but you don’t know where to start to transform your life, I got you.
In this post, we will discuss 25 life-changing resolutions to make in 2023 to live your best year ever.
Believe in yourself
The first new year resolution you should make to transform your life is to believe in yourself and stop self-sabotaging.
Not finding ways to break your self-sabotage cycles will considerably slow you down on your way to success.
Self-sabotage can occur in many different shapes and forms.
It can be, for instance:
- Staying in a toxic relationship when you know you deserve better
- Binge-watching Netflix instead of working on your new book
- Waiting to be ready to apply for a new job
Overcoming self-sabotage and limiting beliefs will allow you to make life-changing moves.
And this is exactly what you need to change your life next year!
Set goals
This one is a no-brainer, but if you want to start fresh next year, setting goals is key.
Your goals will give your life a new direction if you commit to them.
And you will quickly realize that if you stay consistent, achieving your goals is not that hard.
However, to ensure you reach your goals, you need to set them the right way.
This means that you need to make them SMART.
As you probably already know, SMART stands for :
- Specific: Set specific goals and narrow them down to simplify planning.
- Measurable: Set measurable goals to be able to track your progress.
- Attainable: Define attainable goals and make sure you can reach them in a reasonable amount of time.
- Realistic: Set realistic goals that support a broader vision of your ideal life.
- Time-bound: Define time-bound goals with a clear deadline to stay motivated and keep yourself accountable.
An example of a SMART goal can be:
” I want to lose 15 lbs by the 31st of March 2023 by working out 5 times a week and following a well-balanced diet”
Setting SMART goals will help you visualize the outcome of your hard work and draw a clear path for the months to come.
Move daily
Did you know that 69% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese?
For a very long time, Europe was far behind in terms of obesity. But in 2021, obesity continued its progress in Europe as well, and it is now estimated that roughly 59% of European adults are either overweight or obese.
In most cases, bad nutrition and lack of exercise are the main causes of obesity.
A very simple way to improve your life next year is to start moving daily.
There is no need to do a hardcore HIIT workout every day at 5 am to get healthier. Something as simple as moving throughout the day will do.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk 20-30 minutes per day instead of taking your car every time you need to leave the house, and create a workout plan to ensure you exercise 3-4 times a week.
You might feel like you are too tired or busy to actually work out, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Exercising 3-4 hours a week will give you great results if you follow a healthy diet.
There are 168 hours in a week. So 4 hours per week represents 2.38% of your time. Can you dedicate less than 3% of your time to something that will drastically improve your life?
I think so.
If you can’t remember when was the last time you exercised and don’t know how to start, you should try the FitOn app.
This app offers a ton of different workouts, from yoga to HIIT, with different levels of difficulty. Each workout is recorded so you can play the video while doing the exercises.
This is definitely a fun and effective way to be more active.
Learn to cook
Cooking more often has many benefits:
First of all, it will help you save money since cooking your meals at home is much cheaper than getting takeout.
But cooking at home will also tremendously improve your health if you learn how to cook healthy meals.
If you want to get in better shape, cooking is a step you cannot afford to skip.
Cooking every meal you eat will help you track your calorie and nutrient intake.
Now, this is not something I recommend on a daily basis. However, if you have weight issues, logging your food intake using an app such as Lifesum or MyFitnessPal will help you reconsider your diet.
If you have never logged your meals before, you might be surprised by the number of calories, sugar, and fat you consume every day.
If you want to log your meals to better understand your eating habits, writing a meal plan will considerably help you.
In addition, adding one new recipe to it every week is a simple way to try out new things, which is definitely something to do when you want to give your life a new direction.
… And eat healthier
Eating healthy whole foods is key to being in good health.
One thing I love about the fact that I now cook everything I eat is that I can cook healthier alternatives to my favorite comfort foods.
Did you know that you can make delicious banana bread without any added sugars? Or that you can actually cook healthy chocolate brownies by replacing butter with avocado?
Cooking and eating healthy foods is not that hard when you know where to find the recipes.
The FitOn blog will provide you with a ton of information to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle and follow a well-balanced diet.
The good news is that healthy recipes are all over the internet, and Pinterest is an amazing place to find inspiration when it comes to eating healthier.
Changing your eating habits is definitely something you need to consider if you want to improve your physical health.
Prioritize sleep
Prioritizing sleep is another important habit to follow if you want to improve your health and life in general.
Sleeping well is key to functioning well.
Sleeping enough will help you recharge and get the energy to be more productive, get things done, and achieve goals.
The amount of sleep you need to feel well-rested will vary based on many different factors, but 7-8 hours will be enough for most people.
If you struggle to find sleep or stay asleep, meditation and sleepcasts can definitely help you improve your sleep quality.
Practicing meditation during the day can help you better control your emotions and leave them aside when the time comes to go to sleep.
Another really simple way to fall asleep faster is to listen to sleepcasts. This is something I found out a couple of years ago during the first Covid lockdown.
I used to meditate before bed with Headspace when their sleep series came out, gave it a try and loved it!
Prioritizing sleep will considerably improve your mental health and general well-being, which will give you the energy to achieve your goals.
Be more organized
Being more organized will change your life.
Disorganization can be a real waste of time.
There is nothing more annoying than wasting hours looking for something you cannot find. Or wasting time deciding what to cook and end up ordering takeout.
A simple way to get organized is to buy a planner and actually use it or download a great to-do list and schedule app.
Being more organized will help you remember things you need to do, keep you accountable about your deadlines and be more productive in general.
Plus, there is so much satisfaction in being an organized person and knowing that you have your time under control!
Plan, plan, plan
Another really simple yet powerful life-changing resolution to make in 2023 is to plan more.
This habit will make a huge difference in your productivity because it will allow you to start each and every day with a clear plan in mind.
Planning doesn’t have to be hard. You can either do it using a paper planner or a to-do list app. I personally plan my whole life using Google Calendar and love it.
Planning will help you make time for everything that matters to you. Planning with time-blocking will also help you find balance in life.
If you want to give your life a new direction, planning will also help you define your priorities and rethink how you allocate your time.
Keep your environment clean and tidy
Keeping your space clean and tidy will help you be more productive and goal-driven.
Physical clutter turns into mental clutter.
Having to clean around is often used as an excuse not to get other important things done.
Hence, ensuring you keep your home clean and tidy all the time will help you be more focused. It will indeed remove a lot of distractions when it comes to actually getting serious work done.
To ensure your home stays clean, you should deep clean it following a cleaning schedule.
Here is a quick list of the chores you should plan daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally:
Meditate
Meditation will considerably help you cope with stress and unwind after a hard day at work.
Meditating for just a few minutes per day can make a big difference in your mental well-being.
I used to suffer from an anxiety disorder and can proudly say that meditation has helped me fully recover from it.
You do not need to sit in the dark for 3 hours daily to see the benefits of meditation.
You can either meditate for 10-20 minutes daily or do some small 2-3 minute breathing exercises throughout the day.
This will be enough to help you recenter yourself and calm down when needed.
If you have never meditated before, you might have no idea where to start.
And this is when Headspace, again, comes in handy. The app offers a large range of meditations.
Since the yearly subscription is quite costly, if you just want to give mediation a try and don’t know if it can help you improve your mental health (it will, I promise), you can start out by watching the Netflix series.
Journal
Journaling is another great way to improve your mental well-being.
Putting your thoughts on paper will help you stress less over them and get clarity.
You can do it either in a notebook, note taking app using an app on your laptop.
What matters is that you find a format you will be comfortable with so this can become a habit you will stick to.
Journal for a few days, and you will realize that you will quickly benefit from reduced stress and feel more balanced.
Listen to podcasts
Now, this is one of the resolutions that changed my life.
Listening to podcasts can totally transform your life if you chose the right ones.
They can motivate you to move mountains, give you hope for a better life, help you develop new skills, and so much more.
I personally love to listen to podcasts while at work, whenever the work at hand doesn’t require too much focus.
I also love to do it while cleaning around.
It is a simple but effective way to learn new things and sharpen our vision of the world we live in.
Here are a few of my favorite podcasts:
- Ten percent happier with Dan Harris
- Happier with Gretchen Rubin
- The Lavendaire Lifestyle by Lavendaire
- Design your dream life with Natalie Bacon
- The Tony Robbins Podcast by Tony Robbins
Spend more time in nature
Another way to improve your health is to spend more time outside.
Spending time in nature has many proven benefits, such as:
- Feeling calmer
- Increased endorphin levels and dopamine production (the hormone responsible for happiness)
- Increased focus capacity
- Lowered blood pressure and cortisol levels (the hormone responsible for stress)
Spending time outside in nature will help you relax and reconnect.
Research has proven that spending 2 hours per week in nature will improve sleep quality and motivate participants to increase physical activity.
Save money
Spending less and saving money is definitely a great resolution to make in 2023.
It is no secret that the economy is not at its best since Covid hit.
If you want to start off the year on the right foot, going for a no-spend month is a great idea.
A few things can help you make your first no-spend challenge a success:
- Unsubscribe from your favorite shops’ newsletters to avoid impulse shopping
- Write down your rules (list non-negotiable expenses such as rent, gas, and perishables and budget for them)
- Plan your meals in advance to ensure you use your inventory of dry goods and don’t end up ordering takeout
- Tell your friends and family about your goals and why you’re doing a no-spend challenge
- List the reasons why you do it so you stay motivated
- If you really want to buy something during the challenge, write it down or save a picture of it on your phone. If you still want it at the end of the challenge (chances are that you won’t), go get it.
The goal of a no-spend challenge is to save money and reflect on your spending habits, not to make you feel miserable.
You will still be able to indulge yourself at the end of the challenge if you want to but this experience should help you reconsider your spending habits.
Quit a bad habit (at a time)
Quitting your bad habits should be part of your priorities for the new year.
Bad habits are severely limiting because they slow you down on your way to success. If bad habits are so hard to break, it is because they are mostly triggered by unconscious cues.
To break your bad habits, you will probably have to adapt your environment. The goal will be to increase the number of steps between you and your bad habits.
Bad habits are destructive. They are the worst form of self-sabotage.
By sticking to your bad habits, you basically get in your own way.
If you want to transform your life, you will have to get uncomfortable and do the inner work.
You will need to find the cues and causes of your bad habits and break them to move on.
I am not going to lie to you, this is going to be hard, but with the right tools, you will get there.
If I could only name one book that has helped me transform my life, it would be The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest.
If you feel lost in life, need a change, and don’t know where to start, please get this book.
Implement routines
If there was only one resolution you should make for the new year, it should be this one.
Implementing routines will help you better structure your days and make better use of your time.
Implementing a morning routine will help you start the day off on the right foot.
If you want to achieve your goals in the new year, working on them before even getting to work is a game-changer.
This simple trick will help you stay consistent in the long run and focus your energy on what matters to you.
Another important routine you should implement is a night routine. A relaxing night routine is a perfect way to end a productive day and recharge.
Start investing
The good news when the economy is doing so bad as it is now is that it is the perfect opportunity to invest at a good price.
Most stocks are down roughly 30% compared to before the war in Ukraine started, which gives us a lot of opportunities to invest at a bargain.
It doesn’t mean that you need to go crazy and throw all your money at it. But if you want to rethink your investing strategy, today is a great time to do it.
However, as always, when it comes to personal finance, do not hesitate to seek professional advice if you don’t know what you’re doing 
Create a new income stream
Another way to improve your finances next year is to look for new income stream ideas.
Relying solely on one income stream is the best way to stay trapped in the rat race and work all your life.
This is sad but true.
If you want to live your life to the fullest, you need to find ways to make more money, ideally passively.
Don’t get me wrong…
I am not saying that money is all that matters in life. Of course, there is more to life than money.
But money will offer you unlimited opportunities to improve your life and the lives of your loved ones.
Having money in the bank is what offers you the chance to take a sabbatical and travel the world.
It is also what gives you the opportunity to quit a job you hate.
More money equals more opportunities to enjoy life to its fullest. So if you want to improve your life next year, developing an additional source of income should be one of your priorities.
Express gratitude
Expressing gratitude will help you be more grounded and positive.
Taking a couple of minutes daily to think about what you are grateful for will help you stay focused on your long-term goals despite life getting in the way.
There are countless ways you can express gratitude. You can either do it by listing the things you are grateful for in your gratitude journal.
Or simply think about one reason you are grateful for today during a quick meditation.
Expressing gratitude is a good habit you should try to incorporate into your daily life since it can help you operate a real mindset shift.
Be kind
Being kinder can really help us view the world from a new perspective.
Have you ever noticed the impact of making/receiving a compliment? This simple act of kindness can transform one’s day.
Being kind to people you meet will not only leave them with a good impression; it will also have a positive impact on you.
If you are feeling down, being kind to someone else can be an instant pick-me-up.
Not only does being kind to others adds meaning to our lives, but it also feels really good, and it is a simple but effective way to add happiness to our lives.
So do not hesitate to make more compliments to the people you love or meet. They will appreciate you even more.
Step out of your comfort zone
Stepping out of your comfort zone is key if you want to change your life.
Old keys do not open new doors.
If you want to make significant changes to your life in the new year, you need to make new experiences, which usually imply stepping out of your comfort zone.
This is probably the hardest resolution from the list.
Our comfort zone is built from all our limiting beliefs, and although they only exist in our heads, they feel very real.
We all have limiting beliefs, and they evolve as we grow.
This is why making new experiences regularly is important to rewire our brains and constantly break these negative thoughts.
Trying new experiences, meeting new people, and visiting new places are excellent ways to step out of our comfort zones and evolve.
Start a new hobby
This resolution is directly linked to the previous one.
To step out of your comfort zone, you need to try out new things. And starting a new hobby is a great way to achieve it.
It will also help you meet people from new backgrounds, which is an amazing way to learn about the world we live in.
Another important benefit of starting a new hobby is its impact on self-confidence.
Finding out that you are good at something you never imagined will give you a huge confidence boost.
Your self-confidence will continue to grow as you practice and improve yourself.
If you want to work on your self-esteem, starting a new sport, playing a new instrument, or any other form of art will definitely help.
Read more
Reading more books is one of the best resolutions you can take to improve your life.
It will have a significant impact on your daily life, no matter the type of books you decide to read.
Psychology books will help you better understand your flaws and how to overcome them or make them work for you and not against you.
Personal finance books will help you save money, make more money, pay off debt and build wealth.
Personal growth books will help you work on your self-improvement…
Even fictional books have many benefits. Not only will they help you learn new vocabulary and boost your creativity, but it has also been proven that reading for as little as 20 minutes per day can lower blood pressure and decrease stress.
Develop new skills
Developing new skills is important for many different reasons.
First of all, having a large set of skills will help you increase your self-esteem and boost your confidence.
However, developing your new skills will also offer you greater opportunities in life. It can, for instance, take your career to the next level by qualifying you for a better job.
Or help you launch your own business if that’s what you aspire to.
If you want to learn new skills without having to go back to college, the internet has your back.
There are now a lot of platforms offering online classes and material to develop new skills at your own pace.
it is, for instance, the case of MOOC.org and edX where you can access thousands of courses for free.
Slow down
Life on Earth is hard, but it is also beautiful.
When was the last time you stopped and did nothing? Like literally nothing?
Life is short, and time flies.
No matter the goals you set for the year to come, no matter what your dream life looks like, and how much you love or hate the life you are living right now, slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around you.
Listen to the sound of the rain dripping on your windows, to the voice of your loved ones as they speak, make eye contact with the people you meet, and try to find out about their life stories.
Beauty is everywhere, we only need to slow down to appreciate it.
Final thoughts
The year is slowly coming to an end.
This means that January is not that far away, and we will be given again the chance to make a fresh start.
No matter the resolutions you set for the new year, chose them mindfully, so they reflect the life you aspire to live.
Although most people wait until January 1st to implement their resolutions, don’t forget that every day is a great chance to start fresh.
