Time to Start Thinking About your New Year’s Resolutions

December is the perfect time to start thinking about the year to come. Even though we do our best to find exciting goals we hope to achieve over the next 12 months, it can be easy to spout out the same old resolutions and never stick to them.

So let’s take a look at the most common New Year’s resolutions and see how you can stick to them to ensure that 2018 is your year.

Travel more

This one is always an exciting one, who doesn’t want to see as much of the world as possible? But admittedly it can be difficult to set yourself a realistic budget and decide which destination you need to see first. But with the right mindset, it’s easily achievable.

Here’s how to make sure you jet set this coming year:

Be realistic

Let’s be honest if we could, we would all be on a tropical paradise beach 90% of the year, but life definitely gets in the way with all it’s drama and baggage. So be sure to set yourself travel goals which are achievable. For example a long weekend in the South of France is more realistic than a trip to Thailand. Plus, you’d be able to afford a few weekends away at the same price as one big blow out. But if you are looking to cross off a huge bucket list destination rather than multiple ‘less desired’ ones, then prepare for the fact you’ll probably be going away just once this year. But hey, if it’s a biggie who cares, right?

Shop the sales and know the right sites to scour

You can always get a good deal if you know where to look. For awesome deals on weekend getaways that include both hotels and flights, be sure to check out Groupon. But be prepared to make a quick escape as the dates can be within a month or so, which can be perfect for the spontaneous type. We’d also advise to read all the small print when booking such a deal as inevitable there’s some caveat that makes it so cheap but it may be a caveat that suits so don’t be put off. When it comes to booking a hotel however, be sure to shop around, you may think you’re getting a good deal, but there could be something better elsewhere. Try looking directly with the travel agents and doing a bit of investigating yourself like referring to booking.com which has free cancellation and often offers to match/beat the competition. Also be sure to check out airbnb for some amazing properties you’d never normally get the chance to see.

Explore other options

If you’re really looking to save on spending there are ways to get round those accommodation costs, such as house sitting. Check out this post by Budget Travel to see how you can see the world for little fee.

Take up a hobby

Ever find yourself sat in on a weeknight mindlessly watching TV and scrolling through Twitter? Don’t we all. And every time you promise yourself that you’re going to take up a hobby and do something more productive with your down time. A New Year is the perfect time to put this plan into action. But how can you be sure you’ll stick to it?

Pick something you’re going to want to keep up

For example if you struggle to commit to the gym, don’t make your newest hobby running. But if you’re creative then why not promise to make more crafts? There are some great Youtube channels that are full of quick and easy tutorials for you to try. They’ll well worth looking to for inspiration.

Change it up

You don’t have to stick to one hobby all year, because admittedly that could be tedious if you’re easily distracted. Why not set yourself a goal of a new hobby every month? That way you can explore lots of new things before deciding on one or a few you really want to keep up with in the future. Plus this way you get to explore lots of new things along the way.

Get healthy

This one is probably the toughest one of them all, for most of us. You start with the best intentions, but suddenly spiral out of control and lose track of what this resolution means. Which, newsflash, isn’t necessarily about losing weight.

Here’s some tips on staying on track if this is a personal goal of yours:

Set yourself personal goals and don’t let yourself get swept up in the goals of others

Just because you’re friend wants to lose a few, doesn’t mean you should feel obligated to do so too. If your goal is more about feeling better about yourself, don’t obsess over calories but instead swap coffees for smoothies and green teas. Focus on healthy eating alongside a combination or resistance and cardio training. But it’s important to remember that just because somebody is lifting more than you or running longer than you, it’s not a reflection on your own progress.

Acknowledge that this could have nothing to do with fitness or healthy eating at all

For some people, getting healthy can mean anything from working through a busy head and finding a good outlet for all your stress, to making sure you get a few extra hours sleep a night. Don’t get wrapped up in what everybody else considers ‘healthy’ and figure out what works for you. What do you need to feel more confident and zen in 2020?

Check out some blogs such as JillFit to pick up tips on how to incorporate happiness and health into a busy lifestyle.

Say yes to new things

This one can be very fun if you let it. It can open up a whole new outlook on life as well as unlocking new interests, friendships and even relationships along the way. However, when the buzz of the new year dies down, it can be easy to fall back into taking the more sensible (and albeit slightly less interesting route), and stop saying yes to all those new adventures.

But if you’d rather stay on the spontaneous and exciting road of 2020 then here’s how you can stop yourself from saying no when it matters:

Give yourself a ‘no allowance’

Sounds crazy, but everybody needs a bit of time off. So although you should say yes to most things that come your way, if your friends want to go out ten times this month but you’re craving a night in binging Netflix, then take it. Saying ‘yes’ is also about pleasing yourself over other people and sometimes saying yes to Netflix is all you need. Am I right? To make sure you don’t use that excuse too often though, limit yourself to two ‘no’s’ a month.

If you’re looking for those excuses too often however and need to remind yourself why you set this resolution in the first place, check out this post by Huffington Post for a little inspiration.

Save money

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit it. This can be difficult if you’re wanting to travel, say yes to everything and take up a new hobby. But there are ways to make sure you don’t blow all your cash and keep up a respectable piggy bank over the next 12 months.

Live for vouchers

Remember that Keeping up with the Kardashian episode where Scott Disick mocked Kourtney for spending hours cutting out coupons and collecting vouchers from just about every outlet possible? Be that Kourtney. There is no shame in looking for a deal whenever you can. Who wants to pay more when you can pay less? Take advantage of sites that save you money too!

Save your change

This is always a good and easy method to make sure you put that extra change to good use. Every penny helps but you can achieve a substantial amount by saving pound/two pound coins. To make sure you don’t break this saving rule, get a tin you’d have to break to access so you’re not tempted to spend it.

If you’re struggling for other ways to get creative with your cost cutting, Forbes had some pretty good money saving ideas which would be beneficial to apply to throughout the year.

Whatever your resolutions, be sure to think about what is achievable without pushing yourself too hard. For example, running a marathon isn’t realistic if you’ve never even ran around the block before. But learning how to run for an hour with no breaks is definitely a goal you can strive for without putting other interests and resolutions aside.