52 New Year's Resolution Ideas for 2027 (and a Smaller Version of Each You'll Keep)

Why most resolution lists don't help

Most lists of new year's resolutions give you the same ten words: get fit, save money, read more, be happier. They are fine as directions. The problem is that none of them tells you what to do on January 2.

So every idea below comes in two parts: the resolution, and a smaller version you could start in the first week and check off. Pick from the smaller column. You can always grow it in February.

If you already know what you want and need help sticking with it, read how to keep your new year's resolutions instead.

Health and energy

• Get fit: walk 20 minutes after lunch on weekdays.
• Run a 5k: run three times a week, starting with 10 minutes of run/walk.
• Sleep better: phone out of the bedroom, same wake-up time every day.
• Eat healthier: cook dinner at home four nights a week.
• Drink less alcohol: no drinks Monday to Thursday.
• Drink more water: a full glass before each meal.
• Get stronger: two 30 minute strength sessions a week.
• Stretch more: 10 minutes of mobility right after you wake up.

Money

• Save more: automatic transfer to savings the day you get paid.
• Build an emergency fund: one month of expenses saved by June.
• Spend less: a 48 hour wait before any non-essential purchase over a set amount.
• Pay off debt: list every debt on one page, then pay extra on the smallest.
• Stop impulse subscriptions: review and cancel unused ones on the first of each month.
• Learn about investing: read one beginner book and open an account by March.
• Track spending: a 15 minute money check every Sunday.

Career and work

• Get a better job: update your CV in January, two applications a week from February.
• Change careers: three conversations with people already in the field by March. (Our career change plan guide helps here.)
• Ask for a raise: keep a running list of wins, book the conversation for your review month.
• Start a side project: two fixed evenings a week, first version shipped by April.
• Be more focused at work: one 90 minute block with notifications off, every morning.
• Learn a work skill: one course, 30 minutes a day, finished by the end of Q1.
• Network more: one coffee or call with someone new each month.
• Stop working late: a hard stop time, written in your calendar.

Relationships and family

• Spend more time with family: one phone-free dinner a week.
• Call parents more: a standing call on the same day each week.
• Make new friends: join one club, class or group and go every week for two months.
• Be a better partner: one planned date a month, booked in advance.
• Keep in touch: message one old friend every Sunday.
• Be more present: no phone for the first hour after you get home.
• Say no more often: before saying yes, ask for a day to think.

Learning and growth

• Read more: 20 pages before bed.
• Learn a language: 15 minutes a day in one app or course, no switching until March.
• Learn an instrument: 15 minutes of practice after dinner, five days a week.
• Journal: three lines every night: what happened, what I learned, what's next.
• Learn to code: one beginner course, one small project by June.
• Write more: 300 words, three mornings a week.
• Spend less time on my phone: social apps off the home screen, a daily limit set.
• Be more confident: one small uncomfortable thing each week (speak first in a meeting, ask a question).

Home and life admin

• Get organized: a 15 minute plan for the week every Sunday evening. (See how to plan your week.)
• Declutter: one drawer or shelf every Saturday morning.
• Keep the house tidy: 10 minute reset every evening before bed.
• Cook more: learn one new recipe a month.
• Stop procrastinating on admin: one "admin hour" every Friday afternoon.
• Move house or city: decide by March, save a moving fund monthly.
• Make a will or sort documents: one document a month until it's done.

Fun, travel and creativity

• Travel more: pick one trip and book it by the end of January.
• Try new things: one new place, food or activity each month.
• Be more creative: one hour of a hobby every weekend, no goal attached.
• Get outside more: a walk in a park or nature every Saturday.
• Take photos: one photo a day, reviewed at the end of each month.
• Do a challenge: one bigger event (race, hike, exhibition) on the calendar with a date.
• Rest without guilt: one fully unplanned day a month.

How to pick two or three

Fifty-two ideas is a menu, not a plan. To choose:

1. Look back first. What did 2026 teach you? A few year end review questions make this quick.
2. Pick the ones that would change the most. If one resolution would make three others easier (sleep usually does), start there.
3. One per area, three in total at most. More than that and each one gets less attention.
4. Write the smaller version with a day and a time. "Run Tuesday and Saturday at 7:00" beats "run more".
5. Decide how you'll check it. A weekly look on Sunday is enough: did it happen, what got in the way, what's the plan for next week.

Start before January

You don't have to wait for the first of the month. Pick your two or three this week, try the smaller versions for a few days in December, and adjust. January then starts with something that already works, instead of a blank list.

Want resolutions that are more like goals, with dates and milestones? Browse these goal ideas for 2027, or read how to set goals for 2027.