Small, But Life-Changing Habits to Start in 2024 (Easy New Year’s Resolution Ideas!)
These New Year resolution ideas will help you easily create new habits in 2024.
Small ideas, big changes. 🎉
New Year resolution ideas don’t have to feel cumbersome. Try our atomic habits that are simple & will naturally spark higher goals for 2024.
After reading the book Atomic Habits and learning how many of my peers have also read it and were equally impressed, the concept of this book couldn’t feel more fitting for creating resolutions for the new year. ❤️
What are atomic habits?
The idea behind Atomic Habits is learning how to develop and start making tiny changes in your life so that they compound into greater habits that inevitably become life-changing. So to help you, we developed some habits to start in the new year that are both simple and effective.
Rather than bombarding yourself with lofty goals that may not ever be met, decide who you want to be in 2024 and start with some (or all) of our small changes first. Before you know it, your tiny habits will become big ones. 🙌🏼
On a side note, I highly recommend reading the book, too. 😉
Here are small, but achievable New Year resolution ideas to build bigger habits in 2024:
1. Instead of starting an entirely new skincare routine, start by washing your face every night and when you wake up.
There are so many beauty products on the market that starting from scratch can be intimidating. If you’re feeling defeated with knowing where to start with a new skincare routine, consider scaling down your New Year’s resolution and start with a fresh face first.
Starting and ending your day with a clean face is often something many of us don’t do, but can make all the difference in the world. It can be as simple as using a Makeup Eraser and some water.
2. Instead of becoming completely eco-friendly, start by using reusable paper towels first.
Swedish Dishcloths, 10-Pack – $17.34 (regularly $18.25)
Paper towels are expensive and often the most wasted household product in many homes. A 12-pack of Bounty paper towels will run you over $20. If you have a family of four, statistics show that you’ll power through them in three weeks or less!
Swedish dishcloths are biodegradable, useful on many different surfaces, reusable, and easy to clean by throwing them in the dishwasher or washing machine. All of these convenient attributes make them an easy swap to start with to become more eco-conscious in 2024. My last pack lasted me over two years in case you needed any more convincing. 😉
Hip Tip: Check out our other easy household swaps if you’re looking to make more immediate eco-friendly changes in the new year.
3. Instead of committing to all the new books you want to read, start by reading for 10 minutes every night.
We’ve all been there…life gets busy and that book you’ve been saying you’ll read collects dust as days, weeks, and months pass. Instead of saying you’ll read more books, a more achievable New Year’s resolution idea would be to read for just a few minutes each day.
To help yourself stay committed to daily reading set your book on your pillow so every night it’ll be even easier to pick up and harder to avoid. Plus, reading for a few minutes each night will likely help you sleep better as opposed to scrolling on your devices.
Hip Tip: Check out our team’s recent book recommendations if you need a great new read. Psst…Atomic Habits is a great book to start in the New Year if you’re really wanting to change your life. 😉
4. Instead of saying you’re going to take more time for self-care in 2024, start with 5 minutes of journaling each day.
The Five Minute Journal – $11.38 (regularly $11.99)
If you have endless minutes to scroll on your phone, you have five minutes to journal. According to usa.edu, journaling is proven to improve mental health, encourage self-confidence, boost emotional intelligence, help achieve goals, inspire creativity, boost memory, enhance critical thinking skills, heighten academic performance, improve physical health, and strengthen communication skills. Journaling also allows people to slow down their thoughts and prioritize their emotions, concerns, and fears.
Nonetheless, this is a daily practice everyone can benefit from so it’s a great habit to start if you’re looking to be more mindful of your self-care in 2024. I highly recommend The Five Minute Journal if you’re not sure where to start. It’s created with leading psychology research and filled with prompts to help guide you.
5. Instead of losing “X” amount of pounds and committing to a whole new healthy lifestyle, start walking for 5-10 minutes each morning.
Getting fit or losing weight is one of the biggest New Year resolution ideas many people have. Some set huge goals and reach them. For others, the work you know you need to put in can feel too monumental, leaving you unsure where to start or never starting at all.
Try redirecting your mindset to smaller goals rather than the weight you want to lose. Commit to walking for just 5 to 10 minutes each day either outside or on one of the best treadmills for home offices/gyms.
Over time, you’ll likely start to feel really good about yourself, your confidence will improve, and you’ll want to walk longer which will inevitably make you want to eat healthier and realize you’re ready to set bigger goals. Remember that in 1, 3, 6, or 12 months from now, you will be so glad you started. This is your year, friend! 🤗
Is one of your new year resolution ideas to switch to a low-carb lifestyle for 2024? Check out our sister site, Hip2Keto.com, where we have a plethora of delicious low-carb recipes and tips to help you succeed.
Hip Tip: Download the best FREE workout apps and FREE workout videos you can stream to help you on your new journey. Plus, there are even workout accountability apps that pay YOU to work out in case you want some extra cash in 2024 too. 🤩
6. Instead of sorting out all of your finances, make a list of your monthly subscriptions and reassess them.
Getting all of your finances in check is definitely not something I will ever discourage you from doing completely, but for many, it’s another cumbersome task.
A great place to start is to make a list of your monthly subscriptions and reassess the ones you need vs. the ones that you can live without. Bundle your insurance. Call about the ones you’re keeping and ask for the best rate possible. Maybe suggest you’re considering canceling your service. This goes for insurance, cable, phone, etc., and remember…anything is negotiable.
Remember that if you’re going to make financial changes one of your top New Year resolution ideas, then compromises and sacrifices are inevitable.
Read how Collin’s sister, Bryn, saved $600 years ago on her cable with one 5-minute phone call.
7. Instead of cutting back on spending, do a no-eating-out-challenge for a month.
Every New Year, our team has a no-eating-out challenge. It’s a fun way for our virtual “office” to engage with each other and choose to stop unnecessary spending in the new year. What many of us find is that we begin to develop new, money-saving habits like better family meal planning, using pantry meals with leftovers, making the most of the food we have, and even eating healthier. Plus, we spend more time together as a family. This is just one simple way to cut back on spending, especially with food prices at an all-time high.
Use our FREE 30-Day Dining Out Challenge printable to give it a try!
8. Instead of saying you’ll do the laundry every day, commit to folding it and putting it away every time you take it out of the dryer.
Laundry is a chore that never seems to end especially if you have a large family. While doing laundry every day will certainly make it feel less cumbersome to wash and put away daily, doing it religiously isn’t always possible.
Instead, commit to folding and putting your laundry away every time you take it out of the dryer. Whether it’s right after the dryer beeps or a day late, at least it won’t be piling up in your room creating a bigger chore than before.
Hip Tip: Check out the best natural laundry detergent on the market if you’re looking to make more conscious product choices in 2024.
9. Instead of doing the dishes after every single meal, just make sure they’re cleaned up before you go to bed.
Cleaning dishes after every meal will definitely make you feel less stressed, but we realize that may not be possible after each and every meal all week long. However, one crucial habit to start in the New Year is to tidy up your kitchen before you go to bed. There’s nothing more stressful than waking up to a messy kitchen so commit yourself to cleaning up all the dishes leaving yourself with an empty sink in the AM.
As a bonus, push in your kitchen barstools as this can make your whole space look more tidy. Also, wipe down all your counters so they’re free of crumbs and clutter. All the more reason to grab those Swedish dishcloths. 😉
10. Get up after your first morning alarm instead of hitting snooze.
This is a habit, I, myself, need to start doing again in 2024. Who’s with me? 🙋🏼♀️ Did you know that hitting snooze isn’t doing you any favors? When you hit the snooze button it’s sending your body right back into REM sleep which is bad for your overall energy and will make you feel even groggier when the next alarm goes off.
Start the New Year off right by getting up after your first alarm. After a few minutes of being up and about, I guarantee you’ll start feeling more energized. (Of course, going to bed at a proper time is just as crucial.) You can also jump in the shower and run the cold water before you get out to really give yourself a jolting start to the day.
If you have a sleeping partner, they’re sure to appreciate this new leaf you’re turning over too. I know mine will. 😅
These are the 3 biggest mistakes consumers make in spending to be sure to avoid these in the New Year as well:
- Stop trying to keep up. People trying to keep up with the Joneses by buying expensive cars and clothes that they can’t afford will ultimately live on borrowed money.
- Unnecessary overspending (like eating out!). Also, not keeping an eye on monthly payments for gym memberships, internet, cable, etc.
- Not having an emergency fund. Things happen – medical bills, damage, repairs for your home, etc. Try a money challenge to help yourself be better prepared for when an emergency comes up.
Take note of our top 3 money-saving tips for consumers:
- Know where your money is going and start budgeting. You can take baby steps and start small with a cash budget system. Just using envelopes for your weekly expenses can make a huge impact on your spending habits.
- Don’t compare or compete with others. You have no idea if the person driving a fancy car is swimming in credit card debt. Be practical about what YOU can afford.
- Pay yourself first. That’s where the emergency fund comes into play. Prioritize your long-term financial well-being and save money before spending on ANYTHING else. Make no exceptions.
Hip Tip: Get the most out of your money in 2024 with these FREE best budgeting apps or if you’re getting really serious commit to our FREE 10-Week Financial Boot Camp.
Really great tips! Thanks for sharing! My husband and I go on a financial diet from January to April. No buying or eating out. We save during the year for our emergency fund and other things but try to save as much as we can first of the year to put in an IRA. It’s a fun challenge for us to see how much we can save and also how much money we waste. Financial diets help us to think twice before buying.
You’re very welcome, Julie. 💕 Thanks for popping into the comments to share more about how you and your husband’s “financial diet” – sounds like a fun challenge to tackle at the beginning of each year, and beneficial as well! 🤗
I read in AARP magazine several months ago that just walking 2 to 5 minutes after a meal helps diabetics regulate blood sugar. This was the only change I made and my A1C dropped from 7.2 to 6.4 for my last two tests! I’m not an exercise enthusiast but this was a small change with big results that I’d recommend.
Oh wow! Congrats! 💞🙌 Thanks so much for sharing how that small change was such a big help! 🤗
Went to Target to get the book, Atomic Habits! I already try to make my bed daily and not leave dishes in the sink overnight but I’m looking forward to bringing other ideas into the new year!