Resolutions are pesky things. We make them, and follow through with very few of them. But perhaps that’s because we’re not making resolutions about the right things. Resolutions are a way to state your goals for the coming year, to say who you want to be next year or how you want to be living and then forge at least a little bit of an idea of how you’re going to get there. There are resolutions that are person-specific like quitting smoking or swearing less, and then there are resolutions that we think pretty much every twenty-something could commit to.
1. Spend more time with friends.
As your twenties wan, it becomes harder and harder to find time to be with your friends. Some move away. We get busy with work or travel or even starting our own families. Spend as much time with friends as you can now, and not just at the bar. Take a weekend trip somewhere. Sign up for a class neither of you have tried before.
2. Focus on health
Losing weight is on most people’s resolution list—and it usually stays on there year after year. We tend to focus on numbers: pounds to lose, goal weights, or even how many glasses of water we’re going to drink every day. Instead, this year focus on getting healthier in general. Everything we do in our twenties to get or stay healthy today pays dividends later on.
3. Save more
Millennials are not great at saving. Between student loan debt, the increase in the cost of living and first post-college jobs just not paying as much as they used to, we’re strapped for cash. Yet we always seem to scrape together enough money for Kardashian apps and happy hour drinks. Think about the difference between need and want and how forgoing something small you want today could lead to you being able to afford something big that you need (or maybe even want) in the future.
4. Procrastinate less
Putting things off is the foil of progress. Whether it’s waiting to the last moment to mail in your car payment and spending the next two days hoping it gets there in time or just thinking that you have plenty of time to work on that Great American Novel later, the things you put off today just come back to haunt you tomorrow. The more you procrastinate, the longer your to-do list becomes.
5. Ask for more responsibility at work
We all want more money, but in order to negotiate a raise, you first have to demonstrate value. Take on a little extra responsibility in the first half of the year and you can ask your boss for a raise in the second half.
6. Follow the election
Election 2016 is shaping up to be anything other than boring. Repealing or keeping Obamacare. Fixing the wage gap. These are all key issues that definitely affect the majority of twenty-somethings and the decisions made by our next president will continue to be felt for years. Make sure your opinion is heard.
7. Say goodbye to FOMO
Fear of missing out rarely leads to anything good. We think it makes us more spontaneous because we say “yes” to more, but then we find ourselves stuck at a lame party surrounded by people we barely know or want to get to know, just because we wanted to have something. Sometimes it’s a good thing to do what it is you want to do, even if that means staying to watch Netflix and
8. Give back
There are a lot of people out there who find themselves in an array of unfortunate circumstances. The holiday season and the end of the year bring a lot of much needed attention to causes like homelessness, poverty, and the hungry, but few of us actually take those next steps to do something to help.
9. Ask for more than just Netflix and Chill
We, as a dating culture, have fallen into a bit of a rut. We’ve come to rely on easy, low-anxiety dating situations. We’ve become lazy askers, putting little thought into planning a date, and undiscerning invitees, saying yes to a Netflix date when we might actually want a bit more romance and effort. Netflix and chill is great sometimes, but we deserve better than it being the unspoken go-to.
The list of possible resolutions are endless, but each one is designed to make your work or home life better. Think about what you want the next year of your life to look like and make your own resolutions before the New Year.
