21 New Year's Resolution Ideas for 2025 That Can Change Your Life (10 Books for a Better You)

The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to reflect on your past, reassess your goals, and set intentions for the future. Whether you're looking to improve your health, boost your productivity, or enhance your personal relationships, the right New Year’s resolutions can set you on a path to a better version of yourself. 

In this article, we will look at 15 impactful New Year's resolutions for 2025 that can truly change your life, as well as 10 books to help you achieve a better version of yourself this coming year.

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21 New Year Resolution Ideas for 2025

1. Choose Peace: Prioritize Your Mental Health

It's easy to get swept up in resolutions focused on the gym or a new diet, but what about our minds? In 2025, make mental health a priority as part of your New Year's resolution. Here are some ideas: seeking therapy, journaling, joining support groups, reading resources that nourish the brain, acupuncture, booking a “relaxing” day, or simply being mindful of things that may cause you burnout. Just like we wouldn't neglect our physical health, our mental health deserves the same attention and care. 

2. Plan & Dream: Set Intentions for the New Year

Instead of just making resolutions, let's clarify what we truly want to achieve. Setting intentions for the new year is a powerful way to clarify your goals and create a roadmap for success. First, you must prioritize certain aspects of your life – career, relationships, health, personal growth – and set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Breaking down your big dreams into smaller, manageable steps will keep you motivated and focused throughout the year. Starting small can have a domino effect on bigger effects in your life.

3. Daily Power Hour: Create a Consistent Morning Routine

Starting your day with a consistent routine can work wonders for your focus and overall well-being. Imagine waking up and dedicating an hour to yourself – a "power hour" to set the tone for the day. Include activities such as meditation, exercise, journaling, or simply enjoying a cup of tea or coffee without distractions. Use a to-do list to keep track of your morning tasks. A consistent start can improve focus, productivity, and overall well-being. 

4. Healthy Is Wealthy: Commit to a Fitness Goal

Physical activity improves both physical and mental health. Whether it’s running a marathon, taking up yoga, or walking 10,000 steps daily, set a fitness goal that challenges and excites you. Track your progress to stay motivated throughout the year.

Consider participating in Dry January to complement your fitness goals and improve your overall health.

5. Clean, Clean, Clean: Adopt a Minimalist Lifestyle

Declutter your home, digital space, and even your mind. Minimalism isn't just about owning fewer things; it's about making space for what truly matters. Simplifying your life can lead to greater clarity and reduced stress.

6. Brain Boosting: Develop a Reading Habit

Books are a gateway to knowledge, creativity, and personal growth; setting reading goals can help you stay on track. Set a goal to read a specific number of books in 2025, whether fiction, self-help, or biographies. Even 15 minutes of reading a day can make a significant impact.

7. Unleashing The Learner In you: Explore a New Skill

Learning something new can be incredibly rewarding! Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new. Whether it’s cooking, coding, painting, or a musical instrument, acquiring a new skill can boost your confidence and open up new opportunities.

Consider learning to cook new foods to expand your culinary skills and discover new flavors. But remember, don’t worry too much and allow yourself time to enhance skills you’re very new at. Let this upskilling be a de-stressor rather than a stress-causing activity. Let's embrace the joy of learning and discover the amazing things we're capable of!

8. Live & Connect: Build Stronger Relationships

Strengthen connections with family, friends, and colleagues by being more present and engaged. Schedule regular catch-ups, express gratitude, and communicate openly. But remember, aside from catching up, it is also important to make new memories with our old friends. Instead of gossiping over meaningless banter, try booking an activity to bond on.

Nurturing relationships adds joy and support to your life. You can start small by making a proactive list of people you want to reconnect with and sending them simple messages or comments. Social media is a good place to start.

9. Surround Yourself With Good: Create a Supportive Environment

Creating a supportive environment is crucial for achieving your year’s resolutions. This means surrounding yourself with people who encourage and motivate you and eliminating distractions and negative influences. Consider joining a book club or finding an accountability partner to help you stay on track. You can also create a conducive workspace or home environment that promotes productivity and relaxation. Additionally, prioritize self-care and take breaks when needed to avoid burnout. Creating a supportive environment will make you more likely to stay motivated and focused on your goals.

10. Find the Good in Every Day: Practice Gratitude Daily

Start or end each day by noting three things you’re grateful for in a gratitude journal. Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s lacking to what you have, fostering a positive outlook and enhancing overall happiness.

11. Take Control: Set Financial Goals

Take charge of your finances in 2025 by creating a budget, finding ways to save money, and paying off debt. Financial stability reduces stress and provides security, enabling you to pursue other aspirations confidently.

12. Give Back: Explore Volunteer Opportunities

Giving back to the community is incredibly fulfilling and can be a meaningful part of your New Year's resolutions. Find a cause you’re passionate about and dedicate time to volunteering. Helping others makes a difference in their lives and enriches your own.

13. Be Environmental-Friendly: Focus on Sustainability

Make eco-friendly choices in 2025 by incorporating sustainability into your year's resolution ideas, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and supporting sustainable brands. Small changes, like using reusable bags or cutting back on single-use plastics, can collectively have a significant environmental impact.

14. Your Inner Child: Cultivate a Hobby

Reconnect with an old hobby or discover a new one that sparks joy. Engaging in hobbies can reduce stress, increase creativity, and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Consider reading more books as a hobby to enhance your knowledge and reduce screen time.

15. Put Your Phone Down: Practice Digital Detox

In our tech-driven world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by constant notifications and screen time, making digital detox an important part of your resolution ideas. Schedule regular digital detoxes, such as no-phone evenings or tech-free weekends, to recharge and reconnect with the present moment.

16. Go, Go, Go!: Stay Accountable and Motivated

Staying accountable and motivated is key to achieving your year’s resolutions. One way to do this is to share your goals with a friend or family member and ask them to hold you accountable. You can also join a community or find an accountability partner online. Additionally, consider setting up a reward system to motivate yourself to reach your goals. This could be something as simple as treating yourself to a favorite meal or activity when you reach a milestone. You’ll be more likely to stay on track and achieve your goals by staying accountable and motivated.

17. Splash Some Color: Make Time for Fun and Creativity

Making time for fun and creativity is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and achieving your year’s resolutions. Whether it’s about trying a new hobby, reading a book, or taking a relaxing bath, it’s essential to prioritize activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Consider scheduling time for fun and creativity into your daily or weekly routine, and make sure to take breaks when needed to avoid burnout. Making time for fun and creativity will energize and motivate you to tackle your goals.

18. Be An Explorer: Travel More Mindfully

If travel is on your list for 2025, consider making it part of your year's resolutions by aiming for meaningful experiences rather than simply ticking off destinations. Learn about the local culture, support small businesses, and travel sustainably to leave a positive footprint.

19. What’s Important To You: Focus on Your Year’s Resolutions

Focusing on your year’s resolutions requires discipline and commitment. One way to stay focused is to create a daily routine that includes time for working towards your goals. Consider setting aside a specific time each day or week to work on your resolutions and prioritize tasks that align with your goals. Additionally, try to minimize distractions and stay present in the moment. By focusing on your year’s resolutions, you’ll be more likely to make progress and achieve your goals.

20. Be Agile: Review and Adjust Your Year’s Resolution

Reviewing and adjusting your year’s resolution is important in achieving your goals. Take time to reflect on your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Consider what’s working and what’s not, and make changes to your approach as needed. Don’t be afraid to pivot or adjust your goals if circumstances change or if you realize that your goals are no longer aligned with your values or priorities. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your year’s resolution will make you more likely to stay on track and achieve your goals.

21. You Deserve It: Celebrate Small Wins

Finally, learn to celebrate progress, no matter how small. Acknowledging achievements, whether it's completing a project or sticking to a new habit for a week, keeps you motivated and reinforces a growth mindset.

10 Books for a Better You this 2025

1. Chair Yoga for Seniors: Stretches and Poses that You Can Do Sitting Down at Home (Spiral Bound)

In Chair Yoga for Seniors, registered yoga practitioner and instructor Lynn Lehmkuhl offers readers easy-to-follow yoga positions and stretches that can be done at home while sitting down.

Chair Yoga for Seniors outlines the physical and mental benefits that come with practicing yoga daily and provides instructions for numerous different exercises, including:

• Full body warm-ups
• Joint rolls
• Beginner routines
• Intermediate routines
• Expert routines
• Full body cooldowns

The routines found in Chair Yoga for Seniors can help readers make daily exercise a reality and provide invaluable benefits such as increased energy and a boost in confidence.

2. 5-Minute Core Exercises for Seniors: Daily Routines to Build Balance and Boost Confidence

5-Minute Core Exercises for Seniors makes it easy to incorporate daily exercise for seniors, with a collection of 40 individual movements and 25 quick routines for strengthening the major core muscles.

This guide to exercise for seniors helps you:

• Get to know your core: Learn the muscle groups that make up your core, the benefits of keeping them strong, the importance of breathing and stretching, and the latest science behind exercise for seniors.
• Enjoy various exercises: Discover a range of seated, standing, on-the-mat, and weighted exercises that mimic everyday movement and don’t require any special equipment.
• Follow step-by-step instructions: Find how-tos and illustrations for engaging the right muscles and preventing injury, as well as tips to increase or decrease the intensity of each movement to meet your needs.

Improve strength, balance, and confidence with this detailed introduction to core exercise for seniors.

3. The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook: Lose Weight, Manage PCOS, and Prevent Prediabetes

If you’re looking for a natural approach, Tara’s practical insulin resistance diet and meal plan and compassionate, up-to-date advice will guide you toward reversing your insulin resistance―naturally.

Lose weight, take control of your PCOS, rebuild your confidence, and embrace a healthier way of living with:

• 100 easy-to-prepare recipes using clean, wholesome ingredients
• A sensible and affordable 4-week meal plan
• Self-compassion techniques for coping with stress
• Bodyweight exercises to boost your metabolism

With The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook, you’ll take the first crucial step in reclaiming your health for the rest of your life.

4. The CBT Workbook for Mental Health: Evidence-Based Exercises to Transform Negative Thoughts and Manage Your Well-Being

The CBT Workbook for Mental Health shows you how to cultivate your sense of calm and confidence through the power of cognitive behavioral therapy. With expert advice, you’ll learn how to use CBT to bounce back from tough times―whether big or small.

This CBT workbook features:

• Specific solutions: Build a range of coping skills with chapters devoted to common issues: relationships and communication, anxiety, anger, stress, guilt, shame, cravings, and self-esteem.
• Simple exercises: The prompts and exercises in this CBT workbook only take between 10 and 30 minutes, so you can find time to practice them even on your busiest days.
• CBT for everyone: Discover how CBT works and what makes it so popular with various exercises that help improve general emotional wellness.

Learn the skills to maintain your inner peace and emotional well-being daily with The CBT Workbook for Mental Health.

5. Stretching to Stay Young: Simple Workouts to Keep You Flexible, Energized, and Pain-Free

Our bodies were designed for movement, but our joints and muscles become tighter as we age. Stretching is a gentle, simple activity that anyone can do to alleviate aches and pains and improve range of motion and flexibility.

This book guides you step-by-step through each stretch, arming you with the confidence you need to progress into deeper levels of stretching for enhanced flexibility, reduced pain, decreased stiffness, and better quality of life for years to come.

• Stretch away your aches and pains with this guide to stretching, featuring:
• Customizable plans―From preparation to self-customization, incorporate stretching into your lifestyle with flexible regimes for your health and fitness goals.
• Stretching basics―Easy-to-understand explanations and detailed illustrations will show you exactly how to position your body and complete each stretch.
• Range of difficulties―“Change it up” tips allow you to increase or decrease intensity levels while stretching.

No matter your age or activity level, this guide will help you ease into the wonders of stretching to reduce stiffness and feel your best.

6. 10-Minute Strength Training Exercises for Seniors: Exercises and Routines to Build Muscle, Balance, and Stamina

Get the ultimate guide to strength training for seniors with these easy, 10-minute exercises that Booklist calls "...an ideal starter for exercise newbies."

Staying strong and flexible becomes even more important as we age. This guide to exercise for seniors makes it easy to stay in motion with short and simple exercises you can do anytime and anywhere. With clear illustrations alongside step-by-step instructions from licensed physical therapist Ed Deboo, you'll learn how to build muscle mass, improve bone density, and feel great in only 10 minutes per day.

This book includes:

• A 3-part plan―Start with the principles of strength training before diving into 40 individual exercises, then combine it with 25 combined routines that help you target every muscle group.
• No equipment required―Get strong at home with bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, and push-ups, along with moves that can be done with items you have on hand, like soup cans and gallon jugs.
• Boost overall well-being―Discover how getting active gives you the confidence and independence to stick with your favorite activities and build endurance for new adventures.
• Strength training support―No matter your age or current fitness level, these exercises can be modified to work for you!

Live longer and stronger with 10-Minute Strength Training Exercises for Seniors.

7. Diabetic Cookbook & Meal Plan

Build healthy eating habits to last a lifetime with the Diabetic Cookbook & Meal Plan!

This book includes:

• A 4-week plan: This easy-to-follow, day-by-day plan in this diabetic cookbook includes prep tips and shopping lists and can be customized according to your caloric needs and personal health goals.
• 100+ Satisfying recipes: Manage your diabetes with recipes you can’t find in other diabetes cookbooks, like Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins, Barbecue Turkey Burger Sliders, Cabbage Slaw Salad, Roasted Salmon with Honey-Mustard Sauce, Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies, and much more.
• Quick and easy reference: Unlike other diabetic cookbooks and meal plans, these recipes include nutrition facts and labels for dietary options like gluten-free and vegetarian, as well as quick options like no-cook and 5-ingredient dishes.

8. Meal Prep for Weight Loss: Weekly Plans and Recipes to Lose Weight the Healthy Way

Meal Prep for Weight Loss teaches you how to prepare healthy meals efficiently in batches so you can enjoy them all week long. With these meal plans and recipes, you’ll always have a fast, nourishing meal to reach for―helping you feel great and lose weight sustainably, week after week.

Learn the basics of meal planning and quick, consistent food preparation. Brush up on food safety and storage, and get tips for reheating food and using up leftovers. Each plan includes shopping lists, recipes, and step-by-step instructions for meal prep. Most batch-friendly recipes are suited to a Mediterranean or DASH diet, including nutritional information, so you can easily swap them into your meal plans.

This meal prep cookbook includes:

• 8 Meal Prep plans: Start off easily with basic 3-recipe plans and work your way to more fast and efficient 6-recipe plans.
• 75 Flavorful recipes: Enjoy Cinnamon-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Crunchy Rainbow Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing.
• Easy, balanced eating: Portion out the veggies, protein, and carbs on your plate to promote steady energy levels and sustainable weight loss.

Stay on track to your weight loss goals with this healthy cookbook's perfectly portioned meal prep plans.

9. The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: Give Thanks, Practice Positivity, Find Joy

Happiness begins with gratitude―the feeling of appreciation for the people and experiences in our lives that have helped or supported us in some way.

This gratitude journal makes it easy and enjoyable to develop a daily practice through insightful prompts that only take a few minutes to complete. You’ll feel inspired to notice big and small things that you might otherwise take for granted and pause to feel grateful for them.

Find gratitude with exercises designed to help you:

• Build a better habit―Daily practice gratitude through mindfulness-based exercises, powerful quotes, and positive affirmations.
• Develop a grateful attitude―Discover gratitude's psychological and emotional benefits, like how it can help you feel happier and more optimistic.
• Find gratitude fast―No matter how jam-packed your day is, these short journal prompts allow you to reap the rewards of gratitude.

With this 5-minute journal, you can bring positivity, gratitude, and happiness into your life each and every day.

10. One Question a Day

A simple guided journal that offers one question per day, to be answered on the same day for five years in a row.

The questions range from the prosaic (“What did you have for lunch today?”) to the contemplative (“Can people really change?”), giving readers a comprehensive look back at their thoughts and feelings over a five-year span.

For anybody who has ever given up journaling after being intimidated when facing a blank page, this book makes it easy to take a snapshot of your inner life in just a few minutes each day.

The beauty of this daily journal is that it enables readers to track their emotional growth as well as keep track of memories and provides an interesting walk down memory lane a few years later. The simple one-question prompts make this book into journaling as adult coloring books are to art – a gateway product with built-in creative inspiration.

Conclusion: Should I Have a New Year’s Resolution?

New Year's resolutions are about creating positive changes, no matter how big or small. Considering these 21 ideas, remember that the key to success lies in setting realistic goals and staying consistent. Let 2025 be the year you take meaningful steps toward the life you’ve always envisioned.

Which of these resolutions resonates most with you? Browse our collection of books to help you plan your resolutions today and make 2025 your best year yet!