As our calendars change to ring in yet another year, we can often find it hard to take each other's New Year's resolutions seriously. That's not to say they weren't sincere at the time, but there's a difference being meaning what you say in the heat of the moment on New Year's Eve and committing to it a month later.
But sometimes, a resolution is so heartwarming and beautiful that it inspires the whole friend group to help make it happen together. And those are exactly the kinds of New Year's promises we'll be talking about today.
Remain Unique
One person wrote, "I miss painting my nails crazy neon colors. I miss having time to wear crop tops while blasting music in my car on a midnight drive. I miss sequin short shorts with platform boots."
But while they may be feeling pressure to conform to how they understand adults are "supposed" to behave in society, it was heartwarming to see others encourage them not to let such situational forms of etiquette rule their life and truly express themselves instead.
Having The Right Attitude
It's often hard to become a better person, but it's easy to underestimate how much going into it with the right attitude can help. And that seems appropriate to describe one man's approach as he embarks on this year's quest to be a better lover, friend, brother, and son.
As he put it, "I've been telling myself slow progression is better than no progression for years now. I like who I am as a person, but I want to be better."
Be Kinder To Not Only Others But Also Yourself
Once the new year begins, one person pledges that it will see them be kinder to themselves and to the world around them. That's because, in addition to starting and ending each day with a positive affirmation and pursuing pottery and other arts they'll find fulfilling, they're also fixing to do some volunteer work.
Specifically, they're planning to volunteer at either a local animal shelter or a farm sanctuary in their area. Presumably, this plan will depend on which one they're more likely to find.
Think About How Others Might Feel
One person resolved not to make any more edgy or dark jokes for their New Year's resolution.
They didn't elaborate on what compelled them to do this, so we can only assume that they were making the people they cared about uncomfortable. As such, they wanted to show those special people that they truly care about their feelings, which is a very sweet motivation.
Feeling More Vulnerable Around Those You Love
One man wanted to make a committed effort to trust his girlfriend more.
While he seemed to want to find a specific way to quantify his progress in this area, he was particularly working towards the goal of opening himself up to her more and allowing himself to be more vulnerable in front of her.
Be Curious About Education
Although this person wasn't happy about the fact that they had to drop some courses last year, their motivation was to enjoy pursuing their college education as they had when they first started.
They remembered loving all the new things they were learning, attending office hours just because they were curious, and doing optional homework to learn even more. From the sounds of it, if they rediscover their passion for their education, their grades will surely follow.
Stop Looking At The Number On The Scale
Someone else lamented that their scale stopped working on New Year's Day; this person suggested that they should take it as a sign.
They meant that the malfunction might help someone see that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is a worthwhile goal in and of itself and not one that needs to involve a specific weight number. After all, isn't it more important for the body to feel better?
Making It Through The Tough Times
And after going through some of the biggest problems that the past few years can throw at a person, it is that very purpose that one person dedicated their solemn resolution to get through everything with their head held high.
Although our friends often don't even remember the pledges we make at the beginning of the year, this is certainly one that's worth holding this person to. And the best way to do that is stand with them against the world's twists and turns.
Making And Keeping Friendships
One person mentioned struggling to maintain friendships, so this year, they're pledging to spend more time with the friends they have while also exploring new friendships.
And if everything goes OK, this person would especially like to go on vacation with these special people. They consider that more of a dream than something they're working to guarantee, though.
Forgiveness Goes A Long Way
One person dedicated the New Year to forgiving the people who wronged them in the past and thanking those who have been there for them.
As they worded their message that aimed to inspire a similar attitude in others, "We sparkle. Give yourself a big hand. Be kind to yourself and love each other."
Taking Time For You Partner
One new parent had an ambitious list of resolutions, but a couple stood out as particularly important. One involved ensuring that her son had a solid start in life with a stable feeding schedule, but she also included special consideration for her partner.
As she put it, "Be more intimate with my partner and ensure we take time to spend together and not get too lost in the parent roles."
Following Your Heart
On the surface, it's not exactly out of the ordinary to hear that they're saving up so they can go to school in a big, bustling city.
But they also said that they're doing this because they're following what their heart told them to do and gushed about how excited they feel about this big step. And I don't know bout you, but I can't help feeling excited for them too.
Asking Out A Crush
One young woman pledged to come out of her shell with a couple of particularly big steps. Part of this was finally summoning up the courage to ask her crush out and hopefully develop a loving relationship with them.
And that's already a sweet enough motivation for us to want her plans to work out, but she'll hopefully have more support than she would've before in her quest for love. And that's because she also resolved to come out to more of her friends this year.
"Love My Wife To The Fullest..."
And that definitely seems to be the case for Alfonso Ribeiro, who you may know from America's Funniest Home Video or remember from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. For him, this special occasion comes as an opportunity to rededicate his love for a very special someone.
In his words, "I'm probably gonna make the same New Year's resolution that I always make, which is love my wife to the fullest every day."
Find A Cause
One man's resolution involved giving compliments to people and writing a heartfelt letter to his parents to tell them how much he loves them (which was one of the first he fulfilled), but there was one cause that seemed particularly dear to his heart.
From the sound of things, he's particularly passionate about animal rights and exposing unpleasant truths about factory farming. So he's planning to commit strongly to this activism and hopes to attend 52 events in the coming year for his furry friends' benefit.
Always Reaching Out To Those You Love
While this man hopes to find love, he's also working towards the goal of having six friends by the end of the year. And he's making sure not to neglect the people who are already in his life, either.
That's because he's pledged to call his parents and sister every day, as well as not letting a day go by without calling one of his friends.
Be Proud Of Who You Are
A significant resolution for one man involves coming out to each of his friends in his state of residence, as well as those who still live in his more traditional hometown.
In particular, he's figured that coming out to his immediate family will take the most courage, so he's working his way up to their uncertain reaction by letting his sister know that he's gay first.
Rekindling With Old Friends
One person revealed they were diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, which gave them a sense of how much time they had left and made them lament wasting a year pining for a past lover.
So instead, they wanted to dedicate this year to returning to their hometown and rekindling their relationships with the family and friends they left behind to pursue new adventures. People always say you can't go home again, but I'm rooting for this person to find a fulfilling way back.
Put Yourself Out There
Sometimes the toughest thing to do is to put yourself out there, but that was a resolution that one man was able to fulfill. Indeed, he's proven quite successful with last year's resolutions in general, as he's lost his target weight through Jiu-Jitsu and learned to ski down expert trails.
But one thing he really pushed himself to do was to try online dating, and as a result, he's been able to meet a woman whom he's now in a committed relationship with.
Eat More Vegetables
The person who took this photo pledged to make a serious effort to eat more vegetables in the coming year. That's a sensible choice, but also one that most of us have heard before.
But this person made that announcement by introducing their fish to some broccoli, which they seemed to like quite a lot. If they're trying to motivate themselves by seeing how much their pets enjoy vegetables, then that's just super cute.
Face Things Head-On
One person said some bad experiences have made them suspicious of most people and given them an unfortunate habit of building up scenarios in their heads that upset them.
Obviously, ignoring these impulses is far easier said than done. Still, it's encouraging to hear them making a serious effort to recognize when people aren't actually doing anything to them and are just living their lives.
Be Proud Of Yourself
In one person's words, "I want to get to a point in my life where I'm proud of myself."
They went on to say that it doesn't matter where this pride is due to health-related or professional achievements. They simply want to look back on the last year, proud of what they accomplished and encouraged by who they'll become. I already want that for them too.
Express More Gratitude In Life
One person wants to approach the next year with the admirable goal of expressing more gratitude in life. It's sadly easy to take the good things in our lives for granted, so to make a point of letting those you care about know just how special they are to you is a beautiful sentiment.
And this person has a plan for doing that, too, as they also pledged to meet up with the friends they don't see very often at least once or twice this year.
A Message Of Hope
Specifically, they showed their results on an app that tracks how successfully they've stuck to last year's resolution of getting sober.
And sure enough, they could triumphantly declare that their resolution had worked as the app logged a sober streak of 363 days for this person. And with two days left to go, they've also pledged to cut out fast food and anything with added sugar.
Be More Flexible
One woman aims to control her perfectionist tendencies and be more flexible about how life turns out. She's also making a promise to express her feelings better and not to let herself be ruled by toxic relationships.
But perhaps the most beautiful of all is her pledge to "spend time with people that matter, mortality is unpredictable, try not to leave a conversation on a bad note."
Make New Adult Friends
One parent is taking the healthy steps of cutting themselves out of office gossip and saying what they mean instead of trying to avoid confrontation. But another resolution might be their cutest. And it's to make an effort to make friends with other parents.
What's so heartwarming about that, you may ask? Well, the parent is doing this not for their own sake, but so their son can have a lot of little friends with him when he celebrates his earliest birthdays.
Motivate Yourself
One man said he particularly wanted to "become better at motivating myself; I have a lot of problems with that. It's hard to feel like I want to do things."
He also mentioned wanting to come out of his shell more and make more friends. And in my experience, the more friends you have, the more opportunities you have to go out and do stuff.
Help Your Partner Achieve Their Resolutions
There is something special about making a resolution with a partner. For one man, in particular, he wants nothing more than to fulfill his resolutions while doing a little something on the side.
Aside from his resolutions, he wants to help his fiance fulfill her New Year's resolutions throughout the year, too.
Find Volunteer Work As A Family
It's always encouraging when people's resolutions have them looking beyond themselves and into their communities. But while it's unclear what kind of volunteer work one person is actually looking to do, there's one detail about their resolution that seems particularly wholesome.
One person wants to "find a volunteer activity to do with my children."
Make Time For Your Loved Ones
When life gets busy, we can sometimes feel like we're not treating the ones we care the most about in a way that matches our true feelings. And from the sounds of it, that's been a frequent regret for model and lifestyle entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen. So she's made a tradition out of a resolution that she's hoping will make a positive changed in that department.
Speaking of her friends, she said, "I miss the birth of their kids, and I miss their kids' birthdays, and that feels bad every year. So I always send an email around this time every year where I want to be better, so I am going to stick with that one forever, I think."
