The Best New Year’s Resolutions for a Stellar 2020!

It’s New Year’s Eve again (how is it top nine Instagram time already?!), and I’m half-panicked trying to nail down some doable resolutions for the coming year. It’s all well and good to have high-flying aspirations for yourself, but if you reach December and you’ve failed to achieve them yet again, it’s hard to break out the confetti. That’s why I’ve determined to only select resolutions that are simple (read “possible”) and rewarding. Come along and discover five of the best New Year’s Resolutions for a healthy, thriving 2020! From bullet journaling to choosing natural over synthetic, we’ll dive into the best ways to make simple, lasting change this year. And best of all, this list is totally within reach!

The Magic Formula for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Before we dive into my new year’s resolutions guide, let’s back up for just a sec. How, exactly, can we make slippery resolutions stick? After all, what’s the point in plowing ahead if all of our well-intentioned plans are doomed to end in late-night cookie and Netflix binges? (Don’t jude me!)

Well, here’s the good news. The magic formula for making and keeping new habits, according to habit guru Charles Duhigg, is simple:

Cue, Routine, Reward.

In my daily life, the habit formula looks like this: I’m tired (cue), I get some coffee (routine), I feel awesome! (reward).

So as we’re making new year resolutions, be sure to have built-in cues that remind you to get into your routine (the thing you want to start doing). This will reward you with a sparkling new habit made! And don’t worry. I’ll give you some cue suggestions to get you going!

The BEST New Years Resolutions:

1: Get Moving!

I know, I know. Every single year all of the yoga-pants-wearing experts tell us to get out there and exercise. I’m terrible at exercise, though. I don’t care what Nike commercials think about sweating. It’s not fun or energizing. It’s misery. And since “being fit” is such a long-term and ever-moving goal, it’s hard for me to ever feel any kind of satisfaction (** cough** reward **cough**) from going to the gym. So how do you get a person moving who doesn’t like exercising? You find something they do enjoy that sneakily requires moving.

Maybe for you this looks like a daily walk around the block or a bike ride? How about a game of basketball or soccer with a community team? For our family, we found an answer in getting an adorable golden doodle. She’s sweet, SO FLUFFY, and requires 2 walks a day, minimum. This means that, whether I feel like it or not, I’m going to get moving at least twice every single day, rain or shine. For me, our sweet dog offers a built-in cue that works and I’m loving it!

via GIPHY

Not a dog lover? Try cleaning up trash around your neighborhood (win for you in logging some exercise plus you’re neighbors will adore you). Or you can try joining a group workout class or boot camp. Having accountability really helps spur us toward keeping goals we’d otherwise drop like it’s hot. Ride the elevator every day to your office? Take the stairs, babe! No matter how you get moving, your body will thank you for the attention! Did anyone say “increased endorphins?”

2: Throw Out the Toxic JUNK!

via GIPHY

It’s no secret around Beauty by Earth HQ–our team is passionate about real, natural ingredients. We’re all about getting back to basic, organic goodness. Make 2020 a year of clean living! Resolve to throw out those synthetic dyes, fragrances, sulfates, and parabens. These junk additives have been shown again and again to be linked with numerous diseases, illnesses, and cancers. (If you’re interested in learning more about the 12 worst ingredients commonly found in beauty products, sign up for our free guide here!)

Replace toxic beauty products with organic, natural versions. Best of all, your daily routine (cue) is already set. You’re just swapping out which products you’re using, not upending any habits.

Get started with some real winners, like two of my personal favorites: our coffee bean eye cream and organic anti-aging face serum. This eye cream is every mom’s dream: look like you’ve had 8 hours of beauty sleep when you’ve actually had a night filled with baby vomit and tears. Pair it with that velvety face serum and you’re practically back in your 20’s. . .

Best of all, switching to natural products isn’t complicated or arduous and the benefits are long-term proven payoffs to both your body and the environment (no more reef-bleaching). What are you waiting for? Join the #cleanbeautymovement, babe!

[optin-monster-shortcode id=”sxyxi46fi3gwrzuu4niw”]

3: Start A Gratitude Bullet Journal

Journaling is something of an extinct art in the same vein of poetry-writing and disco music. Sure, some people still journal, but it’s just so far from normal. Heck, I struggle to write a message on my niece’s birthday card, much less delving into the mental cavern of exposition. Hence, *drum roll* the Bullet Journal. We all need more gratitude in our lives and writing it down is a great place to start!

This unique style of journaling aims at  “a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system,” observers Ryder Carroll, author of The Bullet Journal Method. Sure, at first it might feel like you’re just lazy-journaling. After all, most entries start–literally–with a bullet point. But give it a minute and you might just fall in love with this unusual way of mental recalibration. As Carroll notes in his video overview, Bullet Journaling’s flexible format helps you to “track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.”

via GIPHY

In other words, your bullet journal can help you cut out the crazy and get after the stuff that truly matters. To get started, here are a few simple steps to take to becoming a Bullet Journal Pro this year:

Step 1: Get a Journal

I prefer the analog, pen and paper kind, but if digital is your thing, try an app like Day 1. It’s preferable that your journal is compact enough to easily travel in your pocket or purse. I have a small moleskin one that goes with me everywhere–total game-changer!

Step 2: Set a Time/Place

We’re back to that needed “Cue” again. When are you going to bullet journal? If you don’t set aside a specific cue (time, place, event), it’s probably never going to happen. Do you ride the train? Bullet journal during your commute! Need a coffee break? Take 5 minutes to organize your thoughts. Keep your journal near you and you’re better-primed for success!

Step 3: Be inspired

Maybe you’re an Instagram lover? Use images to inspire your thoughts. Heard a great line on a podcast? Jot that baby down! (For instance, did you know that a group of pugs is called a “grumble?” You’re welcome.) You’ll be amazed at how much inspiration is all around once you’re looking for it.

For a healthy, thriving year, bullet journaling could very possibly be your next best friend. Want to learn more about Bullet Journaling? Watch Ryder Carroll’s introduction video.

4: Declutter + Deep Clean Your Pad

January is a great time to KonMari your house! For one, if your family is anything like mine, you’re currently drowning in newly unwrapped Christmas presents. With all of the mountains of stuff everywhere, it’s a perfect time to organize, clean out, and donate the excess. I recommend doing this small, ten minutes at a time. Here’s how I tackle the clean-out process:

Step 1: Start Cleaning 1 space at a time, 10 minutes at a time.

I’m currently cleaning up my sons’ shared room. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I’m still stuck in the mess of their closet… While the piles of possessions our family of five has accumulated speak joyous volumes on America’s prosperity, it’s still way too much to handle. We’re all much happier with just enough rather than too much.

Step 2: Gather the 4 horses of the clean-pocolypse: A trash bag, a recycle box, a box for donations, and a box for resale

Because we have 3 rough-and-tumble little boys, the trash bag and recycle bag take up 90% of our cleaning distribution. Still, it’s really helpful to have all the bins right there with you as you sort, organize, and donate.

Pro Tip: Check your area for organizations that take strange donations. In Denton (our hometown extraordinaire!), we have an incredible little non-profit/shop called Scrap. This unlikely shop accepts all kinds of wonky and strange items from broken crayons to bits of ribbon. Accordingly, we have two donate boxes, one for generic donations and one specifically for Scrap.

Step 3: Organize it, Babe!

I’m a huge fan of the KonMari method, using lots of little boxes and containers to organize the chaos. Since the holidays were just moments ago, grab all of those empty gift boxes and get them to work. I like to cut off the lids for easier use.

via GIPHY

Step 4: Get Deep Cleaning!

After I’ve cut down the fat, I go in and deep clean each space. This almost always requires a separate time from my initial clean-out period. It’s best to get little helpers or if they cause more mayhem than mess-cleanup, enlist Amazon’s deep-cleaning service.

5: Read Something GOOD!

So I’ll admit it: I’m an internet addict just like everyone else. I find myself wasting hours reading Reddit, scanning Instagram, and browsing headlines like the worst of them. But these reads aren’t very brain-fueling. Honestly, most of my internet chill time is the equivalent of mental junk food. That’s why this year I’m leaning into reading as one of my new year’s resolutions. Like actual book-reading.

via GIPHY

Reading not only stimulates your brain but it also grows your perspective of the world at large and your role within its vast ecosystem. Build in a cue to your week by setting aside specific reading times. You can add an alarm to your iPhone or keep a book by your bed to read before going to sleep. However you manage to get reading, I’m sure you’ll be richly rewarded for the effort!

Need some book recommendations? Well, thanks to our very own Camille, we’ve got a great list of must-reads already curated for you right here. For me, I’m starting 2020 with reading book 7 on her list:  Lagom: Not Too Little, Not Too Much: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life.

Get New-Year-Resolutioning Already!

I hope these 5 new year’s resolutions help you transform 2020 into the best year yet! Are you planning on trying one of these ideas? Let me know which one you found most inspiring! Trying something not included on my list? Tell me about it in the comments below.

May your 2020 be a year to behold (pun intended)!

Leaf-Confetti and High-Fives,

Jenny