50 One-Sentence Resolutions That You Can Absolutely Maintain For A Life-Changing Year

1. Look people in the eye when you say “thank you.”

2. Look people in the eye in general.

3. Clean out the clutter in your living space that you do not need or have not used in the last month, and be ruthless about it.

4. Be conscious when you’re shopping, and think about each item carefully before you make a purchase – that way, you’ll know if it’s something you really want long-term, or something you just want in the moment.

5. Call your parents, even when you don’t need anything.

6. Focus on finding happiness through what you already have, rather than what you believe you still need.

7. Don’t gossip about other people, and remember that there’s a whole side of their story that you don’t know.

8. Be kind to people who work in restaurants, retail, or any other industry where they have to deal with difficult and unpleasant customers on a constant basis.

9. Put your phone away when you’re watching a movie – you’ll get so much more out of it when you’re present.

10. Put your phone away when you’re at dinner with someone you care about.

11. Give yourself permission to sit on the couch sometimes and just relax.

12. But do not allow yourself to become satisfied with always doing nothing, because “how we spend our days is how we spend our life.”

13. When the option is available, always walk.

14. Even if you’re not a big reader, challenge yourself to read one new book, just one, every two to three months.

15. Unfollow people on social media who are consistently negative.

16. Do the same in real life.

17. Send hand-written thank you notes, not just for gifts, but for people’s time or kindness.

18. Watch a TED talk once a month on a subject about which you know very little.

19. Turn off all screens thirty minutes before bed.

20. Exercise your body in whatever way you enjoy, even if that just means always walking to work or stretching while you watch TV.

21. Do your meal prep for the week on Sunday if you have the time.

22. Force yourself to get out of bed before you decide whether or not to hit ‘snooze.’

23. Next time you’re tempted to judge someone, think about all the things people don’t know about you, and remember that that is the case for every other person in the world, too.

24. Text your friends unsolicited to let them know you miss them and you’re thinking of them.

25. When you admire something about someone in your head, say it out loud to them.

26. Remember that sometimes it’s okay to say “no.”

27. Understand that sometimes, people don’t need your advice or your take on things; they just need to feel like they’re being heard.

28. Forgive yourself when you make a mistake, and then don’t make it again.

29. Stop talking about the ‘creative things’ you’re going to do someday; start doing them tomorrow.

30. Drink twice as much water every day as you think you need to.

31. Every time you meet someone new, repeat their name back to them so you actually hear it and remember it.

32. Don’t try to do four things at the same time: read a book if you want to read a book, watch a movie if you want to watch a movie, go on a walk if you want to go on a walk, but don’t waste your time trying to spread your attention on multiple things.

33. Tip well.

34. Stop searching for flaws in other people – it means you’re avoiding something you don’t like in yourself.

35. Say good morning to the barista before you order your coffee.

36. If you want to take up a new hobby/responsibility/passion/commitment, think about what you’re going to give up in its place.

37. If possible, read books on your commute, and if you don’t like holding a book on the subway, try an audiobook.

38. Tell people how you feel instead of expecting them to figure it out.

39. Don’t feel the need to explain yourself, especially to people who aren’t important to you.

40. Switch out coffee for tea once in a while.

41. Instead of texting your closest friends on their birthdays, call them or send them a card.

42. Add more natural foods into your diet.

43. Stop coming up with hypothetical situations where you might need those clothes in the back of your closet, and donate them instead.

44. Use a lotion with SPF, even in the winter.

45. Eat when you are hungry instead of trying to “be good”; you’ll probably end up eating less anyway.

46. Always take the stairs.

47. People-watch.

48. Attempt to live more minimalistically in some area(s) of your life.

49. Get ready for bed an hour or two before you’re actually ready to sleep – you’ll probably find that it helps you to get to bed earlier.

50. When you are feeling disconnected from the world, look up and pay attention to five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can smell, two things you can touch, and one thing you can taste.