New Year’s Resolutions that are Actually Achievable

Welcome, one and all, to 2018! Or as the internet has more accurately assessed, 3 months of writing 2017 and then re-writing the correct date.

We hope you’re brimming with enthusiasm for the twelve months ahead. And, just in case you were running now on inspiration, here are five new year’s resolutions that are completely achievable. We promise.

Start a Herb Garden

This is the kind of resolution that is great for reasons manifold. What reasons you may ask? Well, we’ll tell you (we’re nice like that). Reason 1: Growing your own herbs means free herbs. That’s free food. At this point, you’re making money! Reason 2: Growing herbs means having plants in your house. And plants improve your mood! Reason 3: Nourishing yourself by growing your own food gives you an enormous sense of satisfaction and really couldn’t be simpler. And who doesn’t want to feel satisfied? Plus, it cuts down on food waste – but more on that later.

You can even start your garden using store bough herbs! Simply take a stalk of your desired herb and strip it of lower leaves so you have 3 or 4 inches of stalk and a few healthy leaves at the top. Place in a cup of cool water and wait until roots start to sprout. Then, transfer to soil (you can also grow your own herbs from seedlings). We like to pot ours in old cans or tea tins for an eclectic, upcycled aesthetic choice. Job done!

Get Out and About in the Great Outdoors

Although we live in a beautiful sunny country, many of us don’t get enough sunlight. Start your year off right by promising to get outside and soak up some of that healthy Vitamin D. Whether its appreciating the beauty of nature, improving your health and fitness or just breathing in some fresh air, being outdoors offers almost as much fun as being online!  The best thing about this resolution? You can pick an activity that suits you to achieve this, or even mix it up. Jogging one day, picnicking the next, who even are you? A gorgeous sun drenched angel, that’s who. Just consider the improvements to your physical and mental health as a sweet bonus.

Try a new Cuisine, Ingredient or Dish

They say variety is the spice of life and this is the year you’re taking things literally, so why not put some delicious variety directly into your gob? Food is a great way to experience other cultures, and trying a type of food or ingredient that you’ve never sampled before is a great way to train your brain to break out of its habitual shell. Sure, it might just seem like you’re eating gochujang, but what you’re actually eating is empathy with peoples of different spaces and experiences, and sampling a future unconstrained by preconceived notions. Plus you might just taste your new favourite food.

Ditch the Food Waste

We’re not suggesting you single handedly end the problem of food waste this year (unless of course you really want to). But like with any good task, breaking it down and attacking it in smaller segments is a sure fire way to solve it. When it comes to food waste, every little helps, so start small. Try resolving to stay home and finish off those leftovers instead of heading out to dinner, starting a compost bin or only buying the portions you need. Now multiply that little act each week by 52, and boom, you got real change you can see.

Take Time to Enjoy the Little Things

A beautiful colour palette on your plate, a particularly good dog, not tripping over in the morning on the way to work (just me?)… resolve yourself to enjoy something simple in this bonkers soup we call life as often as you can remember to. While it might start out as a somewhat corny brain experiment, much like forcing yourself to laugh, taking time to appreciate the little things may soon become a genuine contentment with the world. At the very least, it might distract you from Trump’s second year of presidential tweets.

Happy New Year!