Unique and Fun Family New Year's Resolution Ideas

Need some inspiration? Here are a variety of resolutions to strengthen your and your family’s spirit, mind and body:

BUILDING STRONG SPIRIT: CONNECT WITH OTHERS

As a family and as a couple

Plan a family outing like a short road trip or apple or strawberry picking. Even little outings are great memory-making opportunities.
Work on a family project together; engage the kids and your spouse in home improvement efforts or baking projects.
One day or more a week, eat dinner together as a family with the TV turned off and talking to each other as a family.
Get to know your kids; encourage your kids to get to know you Ask each other a question and give an honest answer (i.e. Who is your best friend? What did you eat for lunch today?). Be creative—this should be fun!
Make a regular date night with your spouse. Even if it’s just a couple of hours every other Tuesday, set aside connect time.

With extended family, friends and neighbors

Take time/make time for a monthly call to out-of-town relatives and long-distance friends to catch up and share news.
Create an e-mail list to keep in touch monthly with extended family and friends regularly instead of just with holiday newsletters and cards.
Connect with other families. Reach out to a neighborhood family that you don’t know well and commit to getting to know them better.
Get involved with a family activity at the YMCA.

Give to others through community service and volunteerism

Offer your own time or adopt a project as a family.
Participate in a family fundraiser for a local charity.
Volunteer for a committee or event in your faith community.
Every season change, plan a family weekend to package outgrown clothes, toys and little-used household goods to deliver to a local charity collection site.

Reconnect with “you”

Keep a daily journal, attend a weekly worship service or take a yoga class or go on a walk after dinner.
Commit to regular meditation/quiet time (no TV, computer, Blackberry or cell phones).
Volunteer at your local YMCA as a coach, literacy tutor or child care provider.
Be kind and friendly to others. Kids can reach out to a shy or new classmate; the family can help an elderly neighbor with chores.
If there are times when you feel sad, reach out to someone to talk about it. Encourage children to do the same.

Learn something new

Start learning a new language as a family. For example, every Tuesday at dinner, we’ll learn words and phrases in a new language and practice using them (perhaps in advance of a trip.)
Take a computer class at a community college or other center.
Learn photography as a family—taking photos, working with them on the computer, creating albums and keepsakes.
Play word games together like Scrabble, Balderdash, Sudoku or crossword puzzles.

Spend more time reading and learning new words

Join a book club. Create a family book club. Instead of renting movies, read and discuss a book together.
Learn how to read food labels as a family. Limit your intake of high fructose corn syrup.
Expand your vocabulary. Discover new and interesting words. Help kids learn new words to communicate their feelings. Celebrate a new word of the week.

Adopt healthier eating habits

Eat fast food one less time each month.
No soda or sugary drinks. As your primary drink, choose water, 100% juice or fat-free milk instead.
Add at least one fresh fruit snack to your daily routine.
Switch to whole grain breads, pasta and cereals.
Plan a family “pantry raid”—read labels and remove foods that don’t fit in your healthy eating plan—high sugar, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup. Then shop together to restock with healthy foods.

Find more time for physical activity and play

Spend 30 minutes outside playing with your kids—regardless of the weather.
Find a place that provides opportunities for the entire family to be physically active together or offers childcare and after-school or teen programs.
Add physical activity or play time to the calendar. Schedule an evening walk, YMCA class, soccer games for kids with the same commitment as other important meetings. Busy families live by the calendar. If your time for physical activity as an individual or as a family isn’t on it, it won’t happen.
Pick a fun run/walk or 5K a few months away. Sign up in advance, train as a family and participate in it together.
Think in small steps. If you are just starting an exercise program, focus first on adopting the habit—regular walks or a low-impact class. As you attain your first goal, set the next one and raise the bar if you are ready.
Be mindful of choosing an activity that is fun for you, fun for the whole family and will allow you to engage with others. It is much more fun to work towards success when you have the support of your personal community.