Roxie Nafousi’s 5 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Actually Realistic

I love the New Year. The fresh-start energy is such a gift, and I like to embrace the motivation that a new year can bring. But I’ve never believed in dramatic resolutions or unrealistic vows that unravel by February. To me, the most powerful resolutions are the ones that feel small enough to keep, because consistency always beats intensity. I approach resolutions as intentional additions to life, not pressure or punishment. They should stretch you, not snap you. These five resolutions are built for real life, designed for women who want better without burning out.

Meditation is one of the most transformative tools we have, but many abandon it because the bar is set too high. They assume they need to commit to 20 minutes a day and be able to clear their mind completely, but the goal isn’t perfection, it’s simply presence. Studies consistently show meditation reduces stress, improves emotional regulation and increases overall life satisfaction. But it only works if you stick to it. So, commit in a way that feels possible for you. You could try five minutes a day following a guided meditation, or starting each morning with 10 minutes of breathwork. If daily stillness seems unfeasible, then promise yourself one session a week. A weekly practice still recalibrates your nervous system, quiets mental noise and builds a deeper connection to yourself. Even a short burst that you stick to can create meaningful shifts in how grounded and resilient you feel.

This is the resolution I’m personally making this year. I schedule everything adulthood demands of me, but fun is treated like the thing I’ll squeeze in if there are scraps of time left – and then I wonder why I feel depleted. Fun isn’t optional, it’s emotional nutrition. This year, deliberately timetable it. Even if it’s one moment a week, make space for the things that make you feel alive – a dance class, a comedy night, seeing the people that make you feel energized. When you consciously choose play, you disrupt autopilot adulthood.

Sleep is the invisible foundation every other self-development tool quietly relies on. When we under-sleep, even the best plans feel more difficult. We overreact, overthink and over-scroll. Consistent, good-quality sleep will positively impact your mood, patience, clarity and resilience. For me, getting good sleep is all about the wind-down. Going to bed physically exhausted but mentally wired often blocks deep, restorative rest. Therefore, I light candles, set the scene, resist the temptation to check my emails and watch a good series (without looking at my phone!). Find the wind-down that works for you – whether it’s allowing enough time to read a chapter of a book, a soothing cup of tea or doing 10 minutes of yoga.

Gratitude helps you train your brain to notice what’s good, even in the moments we normally overlook. I believe that gratitude really is the foundation of happiness. In Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life, I encourage people to write down all the tiny moments of joy that happened in a day. It could be your morning coffee, sunlight on your walk, a conversation that made you laugh or a message from someone you hadn’t heard from in a while. Our brains are wired with a negativity bias, mentally bookmarking stress and disappointment as a survival instinct, but capturing joy in sequence flips the filter. Over time, your brain begins scanning for these sparks automatically, collecting evidence of goodness and allowing it to make you feel more fulfilled and content.

One of the biggest contributors to unhappiness is lack of boundaries. We drain ourselves by saying yes to situations, people and obligations that pull us further from joy. This year, make a resolution that’s both radical and realistic: let go of what no longer serves you, learn to say no without negotiating it and be protective of your time and energy, because these are your most valuable assets. Decline the invite you already know will exhaust you. Mute the group chat that feels like emotional static. Life gets lighter when your internal promises finally support you rather than stretch you past your limits.