It’s common knowledge that New Year’s resolutions often fail to stick. In fact, roughly 80% of people struggle to stick to their New Year’s resolutions for longer than six weeks.
On the one hand, this could be due to many of us failing to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, and accountable. For example, lots of people resolve to be “healthier” in the New Year, but that’s not a very specific goal. It’s hard to quantify, feels like a big uphill battle, and creates a dynamic where one resolution is actually a ton of different goals of varying difficulty all put together.
But even people who set out with a thoughtful approach and good discipline sometimes struggle to maintain their resolutions. Perhaps this is because their goals, despite being specific and achievable, just don’t spark a fire of motivation in them, and they lose interest.
Consider some of the most common New Year’s resolutions: exercising more, making new friends, saving money, and lowering stress. These are all great things to do, but they may not fill you with excitement. Consistent follow-through depends on your overall enjoyment of the process.
Now imagine if you turned “exercising more” into playing badminton once a week with a local club. With a little creativity, “lowering stress” could easily become hosting informal at-home dance parties or lighting scented candles while reading a book in the bath on Sunday evenings. Learn how to think outside the box for your resolutions, and you may have more success this year than ever before. Check out these generative ideas to inspire your creative goals.
Creative resolutions for your social life
Find some structure that supports a deeper desire like making new friends. Try to attend casual events such as happy hours and bar trivia nights. But don’t just leave it up to chance or whim, because it’s much easier to lose sight of your goal that way.
Instead, you could find a group that gathers frequently, like 20 & 30 Somethings Seattle – Happy hours to hikes – All fun! or The Philadelphia Happy Hour Meetup Group, and commit to attending once a month.
If you want to take the development of your social life more into your own hands, a great way to do so is by drawing community to you. For example, you could combine social goals with a resolution to do more recreational reading by starting your own book club. And if you need some inspiration, check out how one Meetup organizer created a thriving community by hosting fun adventures based on the books her group reads.
Creative resolutions for passions and hobbies
So you want to do more, create more, explore more, express yourself more, and generally be more productive in your personal life this year. These are noble pursuits that will definitely help you feel peaceful, self-actualized, and confident.
To actually achieve those aims, give yourself a clear-cut project to work on. If music is what calls to you, start by learning one of your favorite simple songs on an instrument. You don’t have to become a virtuoso overnight—build a solid foundation by spending time and care with the basics.
That same advice applies to all kinds of interests. People who are drawn to comedy and theater could dip a toe in by joining a group like Improv NOW! – NYC Weekly Improv Classes & Performances. If you dream of being a successful visual artist, get some consistent practice and find your creative community by joining a group like Drink and Draw Bay.
Creative resolutions for your career
Lots of people have professional goals they want to accomplish in the coming year, whether it’s getting a promotion, finding a new job, or changing their career trajectory entirely.
No matter what your specific goals are, the best methods for career advancement combine steadiness and ingenuity. For example, to move up the ladder in your company, your first instinct may not be to pay more attention to the people at your level and below. But making a commitment to mentorship of less experienced colleagues is an amazing way to demonstrate leadership and responsibility.
Again, it may not seem obvious that your professional goals could align with another New Year’s resolution, like reading more often. But if you dedicate time to reading even just one of Meetup’s six leadership book recommendations, you can master your interpersonal skills, discover problem-solving techniques, and learn how to think two steps ahead.
Creative resolutions for your health
This kind of goal may be the most flexible of all. Instead of putting all this pressure on yourself with a blanket statement like “I need to get healthier this year,” you can pursue lots of different activities that are fun in their own right, while also benefiting your physical fitness.
For instance, you could check out some of the most popular sports on Meetup, and consider joining a group like Denver Pickleball – 20s, 30s, and 40s that offers a low barrier to entry, and the opportunity to engage in friendly competition while getting your heart rate up. Or you might follow these six tips for becoming a better home cook and learn to make a signature dish that’s both healthy and delicious.
Stay on track by staying in touch
New Year’s Eve isn’t the only time we think about creative ways to make progress. Meetup will be hosting events, sharing podcasts, and publishing more content on how to make 2023 a great year. Be sure to keep connected!
Last modified on December 13, 2022
