12 Startup Founders’ Most Unusual New Year’s Resolutions

“Lose weight” isn’t the only thing on these entrepreneurs’ lists.

Question: What's the most unusual New Year's resolution you've made in the past?

Reading One Book Per Month

"A few years ago I realized that I had stopped reading books. Actually, I would start several books but never finish them. So I made the modest goal of reading one book per month. That habit paid huge dividends for me. I made the same resolution the following two years after that."


Being Kind to Myself

"Most New Year's resolutions consist of improving yourself (lose weight! sleep more!), implying that you are "less than" currently. Last year I decided to be kind to myself. The voice in your head can be harsh. You become your biggest critic, competition and heckler. I decided to quiet that voice and tell myself I was enough through meditation and positive affirmations. "


Keeping My Phone Out of My Bedroom

"I made a New Years goal this past year to keep my phone outside of my bedroom. I successfully managed to do this for over eight months of this past year. This has helped my sleep improve significantly and I'm trying to get all my family onboard as well. It's a little weird at first. But try it, you won't regret it!"


Fully Using Up Products I Buy

"I know I'm not alone on this one. I often don't finish products to the last drop before starting on new ones. My resolution is to make sure I use every drop of shampoo in one bottle before moving on, use up all the lotions and chapsticks in my bathroom drawers, burn my candles fully, and not start any new notebooks until every single page of the current notebook is full."


Observing No Screen Sunday

"In our family, we've dedicated Sunday to being a day free of screens. As a day of rest, we felt it beneficial to have physical rest as well as mental rest. Resting our mind from images, video and audio content meant that our minds were fresh for the week ahead. We kept No Screen Sunday up for most of the year and it will return this January."


Working 50 Percent Less

"After reading countless posts about how much MORE people were going to do in the next year, I realized that the more we pile onto our busy schedules, the harder is to achieve anything worthwhile. So, I decided to do the opposite: remove all the superfluous activity, focus on the high leverage actions and do it in half the time. The result? I traveled to 19 countries and doubled my income."


Eating More Raw Fruit and Vegetables

"This may not be the most unusual New Year's resolution, but it was certainly the most difficult for me. Eating raw fruit and vegetables sounds torturous, but considering the many minerals lost in the cooking process, it was a no-brainer. Taking better care of my health was one of the New Year's resolutions that I was intent on not breaking. And it didn't involve the gym at all (thank goodness)."


Learning How to Kite-Surf

"One of my 2015 New Year's resolutions was to learn how to kite surf and I ended up taking classes this past summer. I found it to be very difficult, but so much fun. You must have a really high level of coordination with your hands, eyes and feet. To say the least, it has been a memorable experience. I actually almost injured myself the first time I tried it. I definitely recommend it."


Writing Handwritten Letters

"I love digital media. But sometimes I get lost in Facebook when all I want is to connect with friends and loved ones. So, last year I decided to write a personal note to someone I cared about every time I felt the need to "check Facebook." I wasn't always successful, and when I was I always felt better. Now I email or text (letters take time!) because I love connecting in a more meaningful way."


Shifting My Sleep Schedule

"One of the best New Year's resolutions I ever made as an entrepreneur was to schedule my day so that I always get eight hours of sleep. I'm a night owl by nature so it was hard to start going to bed at a decent time, but once I did commit to getting a full night's rest, the benefits in my quality of work and ability to think strategically were undeniable. It's a small, simple but powerful change."


Exercising Gratitude

"I resolved to write a gratitude list every single day, no matter what. It has been about seven years now, and writing the list has been the most powerful exercise I’ve ever undertaken. "


Building a Lifestyle Business

"After years of working long hours and sacrifice, I decided to stop working for my business and start having my business work for me. I resolved to focus more on the life rewards and the freedom of running my own business. I started saying no more often, choosing only the opportunities that fit my lifestyle. I've also built up passive income, processes and automation to free up more time."


Resources

12 Startup Founders’ Most Unusual New Year’s Resolutions

“Lose weight” isn’t the only thing on these entrepreneurs’ lists.

Question: What's the most unusual New Year's resolution you've made in the past?

Reading One Book Per Month

"A few years ago I realized that I had stopped reading books. Actually, I would start several books but never finish them. So I made the modest goal of reading one book per month. That habit paid huge dividends for me. I made the same resolution the following two years after that."


Being Kind to Myself

"Most New Year's resolutions consist of improving yourself (lose weight! sleep more!), implying that you are "less than" currently. Last year I decided to be kind to myself. The voice in your head can be harsh. You become your biggest critic, competition and heckler. I decided to quiet that voice and tell myself I was enough through meditation and positive affirmations. "


Keeping My Phone Out of My Bedroom

"I made a New Years goal this past year to keep my phone outside of my bedroom. I successfully managed to do this for over eight months of this past year. This has helped my sleep improve significantly and I'm trying to get all my family onboard as well. It's a little weird at first. But try it, you won't regret it!"


Fully Using Up Products I Buy

"I know I'm not alone on this one. I often don't finish products to the last drop before starting on new ones. My resolution is to make sure I use every drop of shampoo in one bottle before moving on, use up all the lotions and chapsticks in my bathroom drawers, burn my candles fully, and not start any new notebooks until every single page of the current notebook is full."


Observing No Screen Sunday

"In our family, we've dedicated Sunday to being a day free of screens. As a day of rest, we felt it beneficial to have physical rest as well as mental rest. Resting our mind from images, video and audio content meant that our minds were fresh for the week ahead. We kept No Screen Sunday up for most of the year and it will return this January."


Working 50 Percent Less

"After reading countless posts about how much MORE people were going to do in the next year, I realized that the more we pile onto our busy schedules, the harder is to achieve anything worthwhile. So, I decided to do the opposite: remove all the superfluous activity, focus on the high leverage actions and do it in half the time. The result? I traveled to 19 countries and doubled my income."


Eating More Raw Fruit and Vegetables

"This may not be the most unusual New Year's resolution, but it was certainly the most difficult for me. Eating raw fruit and vegetables sounds torturous, but considering the many minerals lost in the cooking process, it was a no-brainer. Taking better care of my health was one of the New Year's resolutions that I was intent on not breaking. And it didn't involve the gym at all (thank goodness)."


Learning How to Kite-Surf

"One of my 2015 New Year's resolutions was to learn how to kite surf and I ended up taking classes this past summer. I found it to be very difficult, but so much fun. You must have a really high level of coordination with your hands, eyes and feet. To say the least, it has been a memorable experience. I actually almost injured myself the first time I tried it. I definitely recommend it."


Writing Handwritten Letters

"I love digital media. But sometimes I get lost in Facebook when all I want is to connect with friends and loved ones. So, last year I decided to write a personal note to someone I cared about every time I felt the need to "check Facebook." I wasn't always successful, and when I was I always felt better. Now I email or text (letters take time!) because I love connecting in a more meaningful way."


Shifting My Sleep Schedule

"One of the best New Year's resolutions I ever made as an entrepreneur was to schedule my day so that I always get eight hours of sleep. I'm a night owl by nature so it was hard to start going to bed at a decent time, but once I did commit to getting a full night's rest, the benefits in my quality of work and ability to think strategically were undeniable. It's a small, simple but powerful change."


Exercising Gratitude

"I resolved to write a gratitude list every single day, no matter what. It has been about seven years now, and writing the list has been the most powerful exercise I’ve ever undertaken. "


Building a Lifestyle Business

"After years of working long hours and sacrifice, I decided to stop working for my business and start having my business work for me. I resolved to focus more on the life rewards and the freedom of running my own business. I started saying no more often, choosing only the opportunities that fit my lifestyle. I've also built up passive income, processes and automation to free up more time."


See Also: 11 Ways to Help Your Employees Prepare for a Productive and Successful Year

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