Top 11 Unique New Year’s Resolutions

When it comes to unique New Year’s resolutions, you may think there are none. I mean, most people, when making a New Year’s resolutions list, stick with the basics. Lose weight. Join a gym. Get finances in order. These are the popular resolutions that we hear about each year.

However, I can thank the job-search site called Zippia for clueing me into these unique and different goals that people are setting for themselves for this year.

Most popular resolutions in America

In the vein of my frequently read blog post about the most popular subscription boxes in America, this blog post will spell out the most popular (and unique) New Year’s resolutions in each state. First, I’ll list those aspirations. Within that list, I’ll briefly mention and link to any online recommendations for pursuing those aforementioned intentions.

Next, I’ll go state-by-state, matching up the promises to themselves that each state’s residents are undertaking (or hope to undertake) in the New Year. So, a list of the most popular of these unique New Year’s resolutions by state, in alphabetical order.

Why call them unique New Year’s resolutions

Why did I decide to call this list of New Year’s resolutions that Zippia tracked down unique? Because of them all, I’ll admit that most were new to me. What I mean is that I’d never considered making them as a resolution or I’d never heard of them being lumped in with them.

Interestingly, with money and diet so popular (usually) with New Year’s goals, these showed up as the top goal in only 10 out of 50 states. So, not surprising there are definitely healthy and financial New Year’s resolutions in the list.

List of unique resolutions for the New Year

It’s important to point out a few things about this list.

First, therapy was by far the most popular, with residents of 12 states listing it as their number one priority for the New Year.

Second, as I mentioned, I’ve combined dating and meet new people into a single category. Because let’s be honest: meeting new people or making new friends is a heck of a lot like dating. You’re just meeting these new people for new and different reasons. Either you want a romantic relationship, or you’re looking to form new platonic relationships.

Third, I realize that weight loss (number 3 on the list) isn’t unique among goals. But I thought it was interesting to see weight training, as it’s own resolution.

Fourth, speaking of weight training, it was one of three resolutions that tied for sixth place. Also included in that tie was save money and vacation.

Top unique New Year’s resolutions

So what are the top unique New Year’s resolutions, in order of popularity? Here are the 11 intents and aspirations for the New Year.

As I referenced above, I’ve also included information about products, services or companies that might help you–or anyone else–who has one of these resolutions on their list. I thought this would help keep things interesting:

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number One: Therapy

Given how stressful 2020 was for so many of us, I’m not surprised to see that therapy is the number one, most popular of these unique resolutions. I myself have sought short-term counseling from time to time.

Each time I needed to find a counselor, I would head over to the “Find a Therapist” section on PsychologyToday.com. There, you can search by your city, your zip code or the name of therapist, if you have one in mind. Then, once you get your search results, you can filter by a variety of topics. These include but are not limited to the following:

• issues they deal with
• insurance they take
• type of therapy they practice
• gender

Other options for finding therapist online include Better Help (which I always heard as Better Health in the radio ads) and Talk Space.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Two: Dating/Meet new people

Isn’t dating just meeting new people but for different reasons? I thought so. Which is why I actually combined the two results into one. Even if I hadn’t combined them, dating would have been solidly in second place as peoples’ goals for 2021.

So, as far as meeting new people goes, I’ve found Meetup to be a great resource. If you’re interested in starting your own Meetup group for networking, use this link to save 50% on the setup.

A cousin of mine found (platonic) girlfriends to hang out with and go to the dog park with (in the before times) on Bumble.com. However, I know people also use Bumble for romantic relationships.

For dating-dating, you have a bunch of options, including those related to your age or religion. Some of those include:

• Christian Cafe (sign up for a free trial using this link)
• JDate
• eHarmony (use this link to try it for free)
• Elite Singles
• Silver Singles

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Three: Weight loss

OK, so losing weight isn’t so unique. In fact, it’s a pretty run of the mill health-related resolution. If this is on your list, I’d like to point you to my Noom Before and After review. You can find out all about this app-based service that helped me (and my daughter) have success losing weight.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Four: Read more

Who doesn’t want to read more? I know I had a bunch of friends posting on Facebook how the website Goodreads told them, at the end of the year, how many books they’d read. Some of them had read 52 books in a year. That’s one a week. I made it through the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, and was so proud of that.

So, how can you read more? First, you can sign up for a subscription box service that sends you books. Cratejoy, a subscription box marketplace, has an excellent selection of various book subscription boxes and clubs that you can join.

For example, you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy reading Young Adult books. Some of the best books I’ve read over the years were written for the YA audience.

One such example is the Once Upon a Book Club box. Check out a few ideas below.

How Audible can help you “read” more

Second, you can treat yourself to an Audible subscription on Amazon. For some people listening to books helps them to read more. Recently, Amazon introduced something called Audible Plus. It’s a brand new all-you-can-listen membership that offers access to thousands of titles, including a vast array of audiobooks, podcasts and originals that span genres, lengths, and formats.

By the way, you can also gift an Audible membership, if you happen to know someone whose New Year’s resolution for 2021 is to read more. Here’s a link to send that gift.

Third, you can treat yourself to a Kindle device and then a Kindle membership. I know plenty of people who find they read more if they can keep a single device with them–and then download their books.

I have the Kindle app on my phone but I rarely use it. As a blogger who spends so much time looking at digital media, when it comes to reading, I want to hold a physical book in my hands.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Five: Better sleep

As someone who woke up at 3:30 this morning–and has been up ever since–I totally get this desire to acquire better sleep in 2021. There are a couple of ways you can do that.

First, is it time for a new mattress? According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should be replacing your mattress every six to eight years. I’ve found that if you’re able to turn over and rotate your mattress annually, it might last longer–like 10 years. However, if you haven’t had a new mattress longer than you’ve had a tetanus shot (which you’re supposed to get every 10 years), you may want to treat yourself to a new mattress in 2021.

Buying a new mattress

When we gifted ourselves a new mattress a few years ago, we ordered ours online from Amazon. We got the Tuft and Needle mattress on Amazon. It was a huge step up from the IKEA mattress we’d been sleeping on for years before. It’s a mattress in a box like so many other brands.

Speaking of mattresses in a box, you can get a Casper Mattress in a box from Target. That’s how my daughter got a new bed for her apartment. Best of all: with Target Drive Up, she ordered it online, drove up and they put it in the trunk for her.

There are plenty of other places to buy mattresses. Many are having specials now. I’ve rounded up a few you may be interested in buying.

Practicing good sleep hygiene

Second, are you practicing good sleep hygiene? That is, getting yourself ready for bed every night. On many nights I’ll turn of the TV at least an hour before bed and try not to look at my phone.

When I get into bed, I’ll turn on the Peloton digital app and listen to a sleep meditation to help prepare me to go to sleep. FYI, I find Aditi and Ross’s voices to be the most soothing.

Here is my review of the Peloton digital app.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Six: Save Money

This one is huge for so many people. But saving money isn’t just about making coffee at home, and there, you’re done. Saving money starts with making smart decisions when you have to buy something.

How warranties and customer service can help

For example, years ago I began purchasing brands that offered lifetime or limited lifetime guarantees. That way, if something went wrong with the product, they would either fix or replace it for free or a nominal fee. This is versus me throwing something out and buying new all over again.

Similarly, I began shopping at stores that offered excellent customer service, including standing behind the products they sell. This is even true if there is no lifetime guarantee. Two of my favorite places to shop, with this regard, are Nordstrom and Zappos.

Focus on your credit score

As far as saving money by refinancing loans or not paying high interest rates, you’ve got to focus on improving your credit score. Here is my article that explains your FICO credit score.

I use the free service Credit Karma to keep track of my credit score. I’ve been super happy with them for a long time, and have even considered some of the credit card offers I’ve seen when consolidating debt. Those credit card offers, which companies pay to show up in your feed, are how Credit Karma remains free to you and me.

What I really like about Credit Karma (besides being free) is that the company emails me on a regular basis whenever something changes on my credit score. It keeps me mindful about my credit score without being annoying.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Seven: Weight training

This fitness New Year’s resolution caught me by surprise for two reasons. One, I thought with anything fitness related that you would see exercise more or something very generic. I found “weight training” to be very specific.

And, two, I assumed that the states where weight training was a top resolution would be in a state with an older population. You know, doctors are always talking about how important weight training is for bone health as you age. But states like Florida and Arizona were not on this list.

Apps that can help with weight training

Anyway, I’ve been getting my weight training through my free Peloton app. However, I just partnered with an on-demand fitness company called Obe Fitness. I’ll be trying out their full suite of online classes and writing about them shortly–and comparing them with Peloton. If you want to check out Obe in the meantime, here’s a bit more about Obe.

Obé is a premium lifestyle fitness network and community, streaming over 100 live fitness classes per week through their proprietary mobile app and website. The daily live classes are complemented with a library of 4,000+ on-demand workout videos.

Within the weight training category, you can find sculpt, strength and barre classes with weights along with Pilates classes. One Pilates class is listed on the schedule as “Hard AF Pilates.” Damn, that’s serious.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Eight: Vacation

Who doesn’t want to go on vacation? Everyone I know who managed to create a vacation for themselves or their families did so by renting a home. Not by staying in hotels, to be sure, but renting an apartment or house on VRBO.

My husband and I just bought a house in Maine. In hopes that this trend of people renting homes versus staying in hotels and resorts continues, we will be listing our home on VRBO this spring to help make some extra cash.

If you want to list your home as a VRBO property and make extra cash, you can use this link to sign up yor house. And if you want to find a home to rent for your home away from home vacation, here is a link to search the site.

Given my love of my Peloton, here is my blog post on VRBO and other vacation rental homes with a Peloton. Stay tuned.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number Nine: New job

I hope that if you’re looking to find a new job, it’s because you’re looking to move up in your career–not that you’ve been laid off. I’ve found niche Facebook groups to be a great place to network. I see people posting about jobs all the time or helping each other with leads or resume reviews.

If your networking game is not where you’d like it to be, look for these kinds of Facebook groups. In addition, consider joining your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club. In addition, I’ll put in another plug for Meetup groups. It’s how I found the women in business organizations that I’ve joined over the years.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number 10: Get a raise

Really, unique New Year’s resolution number 9 and number 10 are pretty similar. They both involve employment, and they both involve bettering your employment situation. So the suggestions I’ve made for “getting a new job” I think are 100% applicable to “getting a raise,” too.

Unique New Year’s Resolution Number 11: Quit drinking

First, I have to be honest–my best tip for pursuing this healthy New Year’s resolution would be to look back up at the therapy resolution above. Because you may want to get professional help through a counselor or therapist if you need to stop drinking.

If things are a little less serious, I know plenty of people pursue #dryjanuary as a way to kick the drinking habit. One friend of mine did a Dry January two years ago, and hasn’t gone back to drinking alcohol since.

Unique New Year’s resolutions by state

Now that I’ve outlined these unique New Year’s intentions, here is an alphabetical list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC, and their most popular of these unique resolutions.

• Alabama: weight loss
• Alaska: better sleep
• Arizona: therapy
• Arkansas: read more
• California: dating
• Colorado: meet new people
• Connecticut: therapy
• Delaware: weight loss
• District of Columbia (Washington D.C.): dating
• Florida: therapy
• Georgia: read more
• Hawaii: dating
• Idaho: weight training
• Illinois: dating
• Indiana: weight loss
• Iowa: save money
• Kansas: better sleep
• Kentucky: weight loss
• Louisiana: therapy
• Maine: therapy
• Maryland: therapy
• Massachusetts: vacation
• Michigan: dating
• Minnesota: therapy
• Mississippi: save money
• Missouri: therapy
• Montana: weight training
• Nebraska: weight training
• Nevada: dating
• New Hampshire: vacation
• New Jersey: therapy
• New Mexico: get a raise
• New York: therapy
• North Carolina: read more
• North Dakota: save money
• Ohio: weight loss
• Oklahoma: meet new people
• Oregon: better sleep
• Pennsylvania: therapy
• Rhode Island: weight loss
• South Carolina: read more
• South Dakota: quit drinking
• Tennessee: therapy
• Texas: new job
• Utah: dating
• Vermont: weight loss
• Virginia: read more
• Washington State: better sleep
• West Virginia: weight loss
• Wisconsin: vacation
• Wyoming: new job

Let me know if when you find your state if the findings ring true by posting a comment. If these are completely different from your own resolutions, assuming you made them, post a comment, too, to let me know what you’re trying to accomplish with your New Year’s goals.