Feel your best this year with specific tasks that are easy to accomplish.

A new year is a clean slate. It’s a time to start fresh and take action on the things you’ve meant to do that have gotten away from you. But sometimes, New Year resolutions can become burdensome and feel obligatory. This year, embrace an ethos of continuous improvement.

Here are broad wellness goals and specific action items to help you have your most transformative year yet. And remember: these are guidelines, not dictates. Mix and match, take what works for you, and drop what doesn’t. The new year is nothing but a catalyst—the rest is up to you.

1. Hydrate

You know that drinking more water is good for you. Consuming water is necessary for healthy skin, hearts, brains, and guts. It supports your immune system and helps keep your mood balanced. In 2024, figure out how much water you need and then take steps to reach that goal.

Task: Drink 16oz of water before noon, no matter your target. Get it done!

2. Move

Whatever your reason—weight management, cardiovascular, bone, and muscle health, mental resilience—moving more, and importantly, consistently can make you a happier, healthier person. 

Task: Move your body for at least 20 minutes a day. Walk, jog, stretch, lift weights, cycle, dance, hula hoop! You can’t lose.

3. Be mindful 

Pay attention to the present moment with purpose and without judgment. Easier said than done, right? If you already have a mindfulness practice, work on deepening it. If you’re new to the concept, there are many accessible ways to cultivate mindfulness, such as breathwork, guided meditation, yoga, and massage. 

Task: Find a two-minute guided meditation you love on YouTube, Headspace, Insight Timer, Calm, or any other mindfulness app. Listen nightly before bed as many nights as you can muster. 

4. Sleep better 

Overall wellness starts with quality sleep. When you sleep, your body can fix and restore itself. Sleep saves energy, strengthens your immune system to fight sickness, and improves your memory. 

Task: Do a sleep hygiene intake: Do you look at screens before bed? Eat within two hours of bedtime? Are your sheets fresh and clean? Is your bedroom cool and quiet? Maybe you have an afternoon coffee habit, an achy shoulder that keeps you up at night, or your box spring squeaks every time you roll over. Identify one thing you can improve. Then, fix it.

5. Connect

Remember to consider your community’s role in your overall health and happiness. Making a positive impact on the lives of others can be powerful, contributing to a cycle of positivity that benefits everyone. 

Task: Call or email someone you care about to catch up. Do it today! Then do it again next month with another person, and again the month after that. Never stop.

6. Spend time with paper

Many of us are overwhelmed by screens daily. Expressing thoughts, feelings, and ideas—via drawing, writing, scrapbooking, listmaking, and more—is a sensory experience that ignites creativity and superchargers personal development… and offers a break from your laptop and phone. 

Task: Get a small notebook and fill a page a day with whatever comes up: doodles, affirmations, haiku, or even grocery lists. Just put pen to paper.

7. Get outside

Going outside is crucial for health, providing vitamin D, reducing stress, and improving mood. It’s a simple way to stay active, connect with others, and enjoy a break from screens.

Task: Get a dog! Just kidding. Combine your connection calls with a walk outside.

8. Make space 

Your physical space can have a huge impact on your mental space. Decluttering your home will help make room in your brain for mental clarity. 

Task: Throw out or donate five pieces of clothing you no longer wear or any other material item that no longer serves you.