New Year’s resolutions are a drag. They have a reputation for being shallow, unrealistic, and impossible to keep. But they don’t have to be. Instead of focusing on vain goals like losing weight, getting laid, or making more money, think about how you could use your energy in 2020 to change the world and the lives of others by truly improving yourself. We have 11 innovative and actionable ideas on how to be an all-around better human being and transform everything around you in the process. What are you waiting for?
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Start now: 7 Tips From Self-Help Pros to Jump-Start Your New Year’s Resolutions
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Better Person Resolutions 2020
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Declutter your space.
You aren't at your best when you're surrounded by chaos. Make 2020 the year you finally get your shit together -- and by that, we mean: throw that shit away. If you need some decluttering inspiration, check out the Marie Kondo method.
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Date smarter, not harder.
Quit Tinder. Seriously. The hookup app is not doing you any favors. It's time to get serious about what you really want to get out of dating, and a drunken one-night-stand isn't it. Stop going out with whomever is available and start being more selective. If you don't excitedly anticipate a date, don't go on it. That said, give everyone you date at least two chances to warm up to you and show their true colors. And while you're at it, man up and work on your chivalrous side. The ladies will love you for it.
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Scoop the poop.
No one said being a fur daddy was all about tummy rubs and playing catch. Be a responsible dog owner and vow to pick up every single nugget of poop your dog drops in 2020 -- even if no one's looking! It only takes a second to bag that shit up and it keeps the world pristine for your fellow pedestrians.
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Go greener.
Climate change is real and it's coming for us. Dump the denial and start taking action. There are so many small yet effective ways you can do your part to reduce your carbon footprint. Make green behaviors like these habitual and little by little, we'll all save the Earth, together.
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Feed the hungry.
Every time you grocery shop in 2020, pick up a few canned goods, a box of cereal, or any other non-perishable item that someone less fortunate than you might enjoy. Then make sure it gets to a food shelf (many supermarkets have a convenient donation box right there in the store). This doesn't cost much (especially if you choose sale items) and it can make a big impact on someone' s life. You don't want to live in a world where people don't have enough to eat, do you? We don't, either. Pitch in.
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Get out the vote.
Sure, it's more comfortable to sit on your rear and tweet about everything wrong in politics these days -- but nothing changes that way. If you don't like the way our country is being run, get involved in the campaign of a politician you actually feel passionate about. Hand out those flyers. Knock on those doors. Make those awkward phone calls. Get out the freakin' vote. And make sure that a megalomaniac Cheeto never gets elected to office again.
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Be a Big Brother.
Be the man you wish you had in your life when you were a kid. Sign up to be a Big Brother in 2020 and take a lonely little guy out for some dudes-only fun. Go to a ball game, eat too many hot dogs, and impart some wisdom on the little slugger. It might not be a lifelong connection, but it will give him a few good memories to counteract whatever awfulness he's enduring in his everyday life.
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Break up with your phone.
2020 is the perfect time to set some boundaries with that needy device constantly glued to your hand. Remove social media apps. Turn off non-essential notifications. Ban it from the bathroom. Charge it in another room when you sleep. Silence it when you're with someone special. These small steps can help you break your tech addiction and embrace more free time than you ever knew you had -- and can certainly enjoy more than you could just staring at internet blather on your screen.
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Meditate.
You don't see what's outside of you; you see a projection of what's inside of you. That's a convoluted way of saying that if your internal state is in disarray, your external environment will mirror it. Meditation is a cleanse for your inner being, and when you do it daily, even if only for 10 or 20 minutes, you'll see the effects ripple outward into your career, your relationships, your health, and your outlook. Make 2020 the year of "om."
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Get your head shrunk.
If everyone went to therapy, the world would be a happier, healthier place. Make mental health a priority in 2020. Use those insurance benefits you work so hard for and start seeing a therapist. No matter who you are, you probably have some past trauma to unpack, some improvements to make, and some insights just waiting to be discovered.
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Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Complaining is so 2019. In the new year, flip the script on negative talk and start recognizing all you have to be grateful for. Compliment more than you criticize, turn off the angry newscasters, and look up at the sky more often. The world has always been beautiful; you just haven't been paying attention to it.
