Inspiring New Year’s Resolution Ideas

Every January, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, many of which can feel like chores: eat a healthier diet, exercise more, become better organized. All of these things are worthwhile goals, of course, but aren’t inherently enticing. Good New Year’s resolutions come with the same sense of accomplishment and personal growth, are measurable, and actually make you look forward to keeping them. Consider goals related to exploring, meeting new people, and enriching your mind. Here are some ideas for enjoying your annual new to-do list.

Get Out of the House

Here are some fun ways to shake things up and get out of the house (and out of your holiday rut):

Unplug from social media and plug into real life. If you’ve spent much of the holiday season in your loungewear scrolling, clicking, and swiping like a near-comatose cyborg, it’s a good idea to get out and about in the new year. Go enjoy a fresh corner of your environment, whether that’s the woods, the lake, the mountains, the city, or the open road. Create fresh experiences that will help you feel more alive and ready to take on a new year.

Visit a new town or neighborhood in your area. Simple exploration can do wonders for making the most of a new year. If you’ve just moved to a new area, go out and get the lay of the land; if you’re a longtime resident, look for the hidden gems in your region. Consider visiting a new or unfamiliar neighborhood in your city and checking out its shops, restaurants, and theaters. It may just contain some of your favorite new haunts for the coming year and beyond.

Check out a new entertainment venue. Since winter drives so many of us indoors, it’s worth giving some new indoor entertainment spots a try. Find out if your community has a comedy club, movie theater, theatrical playhouse, sports stadium, or concert hall that you haven’t visited. Alternatively, visit a familiar venue with fresh local performances like new concerts or plays.

Meet New People

Meeting new people doesn’t always have to involve the nerve-wracking intensity of a professional networking or speed dating event. Here are some easy, low-stakes ways to expand your social habits:

Share good vibes. Sometimes you can meet new people by starting small and making yourself approachable. Try making your exchanges more friendly in places you already frequent, such as grocery stores, coffee shops, retailers, theaters, and restaurants. Thank, compliment, joke with, or express good wishes to the people you interact with. Others will be naturally drawn to your kindness and positive energy.

Attend local events. Particularly if you’re an introvert, it can be much easier to strike up conversations with people when there are plenty of eye-catching things going on. Consider attending a local fundraiser, concert, festival, or dramatic performance. Enjoy yourself as much as possible and be open to talking with staff and attendees. Showing your appreciation for the effort and skill that went into the event will help people warm up to you.

Forge new connections. Maybe there’s a newcomer at work, school, or in your neighborhood, or maybe a friend of a friend or family member is in town. Consider meeting new acquaintances for coffee or a meal, or offer to help them in some way, such as recommending local services or a ride from point A to point B. You never know how much you might turn out to have in common with people on the peripheries of your social network.

Expand Your Mind

The hustle and bustle of holiday preparations and events can at times feel somehow both overwhelming and mind-numbing. In the New Year, consider nourishing your brain in any of these ways:

Branch out on your reading, listening, and viewing choices. If nothing else, trying out some new books, podcasts, TV shows, music, or live performances can increase the number of topics you’re able to connect with others over. Taking in new influences and information also stimulates your brain and helps you gain a better understanding of the world around you. You’ll become a better analytical thinker, learn things that may come in handy one day, and best of all, you’ll never be bored.

Look for new perspectives. We currently live in a deeply divided nation with high rates of violence and hate-based crime. But what would happen if everyone challenged themselves to consider some different perspectives on the issues that most inflame us? An easy way to do this is to attend plays that deal with a variety of social issues. Theater helps us become more fair-minded and objective people in entertaining ways, and it can better prepare you to de-escalate arguments and conflicts of many kinds in your life.

Learn about issues that affect your community. If you love where you live, take the time to learn about the various forces that threaten it and those that help it thrive. Consider donating to or volunteering with a local nonprofit organization, especially in underappreciated sectors like the fine arts. Doing so will set you up for inspiration, rewarding new experiences, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re strengthening your community and keeping it culturally vibrant.

Find New Inspiration With the Mosaic Theater Company in 2023

The Mosaic Theater Company in Washington, DC produces bold, culturally diverse theater that illuminates critical issues, elevates fresh voices, and sparks connections among communities throughout our region and beyond amid the most important events of our times.

Dedicated to making our theater an inclusive model of diversity at every stratum, on stage and off, Mosaic invests in the new as we keep abreast of our changing and challenging times. We do this to ensure that our theater is a responsive gathering space, all the while nurturing and producing art of the highest order.

To support Mosaic’s accessibility efforts and partner with us in cultivating exciting new work and creating productions which foster intercultural conversation, please consider making a donation.

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Mosaic TheaterDecember 1, 2022