New Year’s resolutions have been in vogue for almost 4,000 years – the ancient Babylonians made them as part of a twelve-day festival known as Akitu, in order to win the favor of the gods. But as any Babylonian re-evaluating their gym membership in February will tell you, resolutions aren’t easy to keep, and can sometimes feel like another to-do list to work through.
Christmas is only a few days away, though, and the Zazzle Ideas team is full of festive cheer. To give everyone something refreshing and positive to look forward to in 2025, we’ve put a new spin on some old chestnuts. Think of these as anti-New Year’s resolutions: not new errands you have to add to your schedule, but things you already do, and can adjust. Reframed in easier and less pressurizing ways, these reverse-resolutions should help you to be kinder to yourself in the not-too-distant future.
Feel free to invent your own and mention them in the comments below, but here are the examples we’ve come up with.
Life Outside the Comfort Zone: Don’t Miss Out on New Experiences
We can empathize with Linus Van Pelt and his security blanket – the comfort zone is indeed cushy. People enjoy familiarity and routine; it’s why nostalgia is so pleasurable, as we return to what we know and love. But embracing the new can be fun and advantageous, too. Reflect on your day-to-day habits and see whether there are opportunities you neglect or situations you avoid. Frankly, you probably won’t even need to seek these new experiences out. Simply say ‘yes’ when you would have said ‘no’ before, and watch the fringes of that security blanket begin to fray!
An Attitude of Gratitude: Not Taking Things for Granted
If you feel like you sometimes take things for granted, well, you’re not alone – all it takes is a power outage for people to start feeling that way, usually. This year, make a conscious effort to show appreciation and derive more joy from the life you currently lead. So, rather than assigning yourself a host of New Year’s goals to meet and targets to reach, focus on who and what makes you happy right now, and register your thanks in a gratitude journal. It makes sense, doesn’t it: how can you manifest more good in your life if you can’t see the good already there?
Pobody’s Nerfect: Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
Basically, we don’t want you to strike up anything new; we’d prefer you let the old go – think Elsa in Frozen. Most of us struggle with mistakes and put pressure on ourselves to be perfect; it’s a never-ending battle, and an unrealistic expectation. Draw a line under last year if it didn’t go as planned, and when it comes to New Year, ignore any previous attempts at resolutions if they didn’t succeed. Be around people who will cheer you on regardless, and give yourself a [positive] talking-to. How about sticking Post-it® Notes around the house bearing upbeat affirmations?
The Ideal Balance: Work Doesn’t Always Come First
The main takeaway from the pandemic was that a healthy work-life balance is essential. Fast forward a few years, though, and some of us could use a refresher when it comes to that lesson. In 2025, wean yourself off the habit of spending too much time at work. Delegate tasks to other members of your team, unplug from the network in the evening, and respect your colleagues’ boundaries and work hours too, so that they respond in kind. Again, this anti-New Year’s resolution doesn’t ask more of you; it requires less, in fact!
Always Be Communicating: Let’s Not Bottle Things Up
If you find yourself stuck in 2025, unsure of what to do in a particular scenario, then share those concerns with someone else. Not only can it be logically helpful to talk through problems – because you receive support and advice – but it can be cathartic to vent pent-up feelings. Bottling up sadness or frustration isn’t healthy, but uncorking it, as it were, can improve your mental health, strengthen relationships with those you tell, and develop your emotional intelligence. This isn’t another item for your to-do list, because you already experience these emotions anyway. It’s just a matter of expressing them, whether to family, friends, professionals, or on paper.
New Year, New Friends: Time to Get Out More!
The proliferation of technology in recent years has meant that we’re a more reclusive society than we used to be. And sure, in the midst of a cold January, hunkering down for a late-night TikTok session does sound cozy. But is it always the best option? In the interest of your happiness and overall wellbeing, spend more in-person time with your loved ones in 2025. Almost everyone already socializes to some degree, so you’re not setting yourself an outrageous lifestyle change here. But instead of being cooped up and doomscrolling, foster connections face to face!
No Changes Needed: Don’t Break the Chain
Finally, remember that New Year’s resolutions aren’t mandatory. Maybe you made a whole calendar’s worth of resolutions last year, or perhaps you simply have enough on your plate at the moment. In that case, the best use of your time is to persist with the good habits you’ve already formed, and to not give up on them. Rather than registering for a new fitness class, double down on the yoga session you already attend. Instead of trying to acquire a new skill, don your apron and perfect the techniques you learned in that cooking class last year. You needn’t add ambitious new challenges to your 2025 schedule if you don’t want to, in other words. Maintaining good habits and solidifying old resolutions is more than enough!
There’s more than one way to make a resolution, then. Rather than itemizing a list of things to pile onto your to-do list, we’ve tried to think of ways to curate what you do already and shine a new perspective on what you’ve already achieved. Let us know what you think in the comments below, and if you’re still in need of advice, then read our article on “15 Life-Changing Ways to Start the New Year Off Right.”
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
