Resolutions You Will Actually Want to Keep in 2021

Happy new year everyone! It’s 2021, we are finally done with 2020! Hopefully this year will be much better. In celebration of this new year we wanted to share some resolution ideas you might actually want to keep!
Is it just us or is sticking to new year’s resolutions usually forgotten about by the end of the year? If you are looking for meaningful resolutions that will inspire you and will also help give back to others then we have some great ideas for you! Hopefully this list will spark some interest and you will want to do these things throughout the year!
Let us know how it goes and feel free to add to this list by sharing your own ideas!

Start volunteering

If you feel comfortable doing this there are different ways you can volunteer in your community; Meals on Wheels is a nationwide program in the United States whose aim is to deliver meals to homebound seniors. Some areas are in desperate need of volunteers and all it may take is one hour of your day. All you have to do is pick up the food from your local center and drop this off. You can choose the days you are available.

Read more about volunteering for Meals and Wheels and sign up here: https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/americaletsdolunch

You can also check other volunteer opportunities based on your state by clicking here and finding your state: https://www.nationalservice.gov/about-cncs/contact-us/state-service-commissions

If you don’t feel comfortable volunteering in person (we get it!) you can find volunteer opportunities online here: https://engage.pointsoflight.org/

Donate blood or platelets

at your local hospital. Hospitals are in constant need of blood and platelets and many hospitals have a shortage of donors right now due to COVID-19. Larger hospitals typically have their own centers where you can donate blood but you can also search blood drives near your home

Save someone’s life!

You can sign up to literally save someone’s life by donating your bone marrow! Patients with life-threatening blood disorders and blood cancer whose treatment is not working have only one other chance at survival, and that is with a bone marrow transplant. You do not have to pay anything and will not be compensated, but if you are called as a match for a patient you have a chance to save their life –  which is worth more than any compensation you could ever receive. After you sign up you will receive a cheek swab kit and you will send this back to them and be added to the registry. If there is someone waiting for a transplant whose DNA is a match (based on your ethnic background) to yours you will get a call from them letting you know you are a match and they may send you another cheek swab kit and if you are the best match after this you will be asked to donate. Everyone is encouraged to join, especially if you are from a diverse background since minorities are underrepresented in the registry.
You can sign up to donate at https://join.bethematch.org/
 
Watch the videos below to learn more!

Write a letter to the elderly

The elderly is often forgotten about and during this time they are more lonely than ever. Letter to an Elder Day is February 26th You can write a letter (or more) to an elderly person at https://loveforourelders.org/letters

Support small businesses locally and online

You can start by searching products on Etsy.com where you can find so many great shops.
You can also pick new restaurants to support every month if they are offering take-out or choose a new local coffee shop to support rather than going to a bigger shop like Starbucks. A cool coffee shop we found that you cancel check out is Cafe Emporos, they are based in Arizona and sell specialty hand drip coffee (pour-over coffee) and they make really cute personalized “coffeegrams” you can send to friends and family. They ship throughout the United States https://cafeemporos.com/ You can check them out on instagram and tiktok @cafeemporos

Do random acts of kindness

At least once per month or when possible throughout the year. If you have the means you can pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru line or pay for someone else’s groceries. If money is tight you send a letter to a friend or family member listing all of your favorite things about them or you can leave a note with a positive message in a random location next time you’re at the market buying your groceries

Add to your savings.

Setting a little more money aside every month into your savings account, can make such a difference. Even if it’s only $5. You’ll be happy you did at the end of the year!

Cook new recipes

Every day for 5 days or as many days as you are able to; you can do this every month

Help charities that are meaningful to you

Donate an amount you are comfortable with to a different charity every month or as many times as you are able to throughout the year

Read

One book or short story every month

Set Personal Goals

Write your personal goals in a notebook and include how you will achieve these goals. If you are a visual person you can also create a vision board with all of your personal goals for the year. You can add more every time you think of something new throughout the year

Take care of yourself

Schedule your annual physical, start journaling to ease anxiety, start seeing a therapist, go on walks, meditate, binge watch a show that makes you laugh. Do whatever it takes to make sure you feel good throughout the year