Making New Year’s resolutions can feel overwhelming, especially when they involve major life changes in health or finances. The key to success lies in setting micro-resolutions—small, manageable goals that are easy to stick to and can snowball into significant improvements. Here are 15 micro-resolutions that will transform your health and finances by the end of 2025!
1. Drink an Extra Glass of Water Daily
Start by adding just one glass of water to your daily intake. Staying hydrated improves energy levels, supports digestion, and promotes healthier skin. One trick that helped me personally was to buy a new water bottle with a built-in filter. Since the filter prevents me from drinking anything but water in it, it keeps me honest. I fill it up at night and grab it out of the fridge every morning.
2. Add One Serving of Vegetables to Your Meals
Whether it’s a handful of spinach in your omelet or steamed broccoli with dinner, this small step can dramatically boost your nutrient intake. If buying and cooking fresh veggies sounds like a pain, then check out the frozen section at your local supermarket. There are tons of frozen veggies you can steam in your microwave, and some even come with herbs and spices already included.
3. Walk for 10 Minutes After Dinner
A short post-meal stroll aids digestion and can help lower blood sugar levels. Over time, you might find yourself extending the walk naturally. If the outside world around your home isn’t ideal for walking, then consider picking up a small portable treadmill. These devices are easy to move around and will keep you walking. I even use mine at my standing desk sometimes!
4. Stretch for 5 Minutes Each Morning
Morning stretches improve flexibility and reduce stiffness, setting a positive tone for the day. I can’t stress enough how much working on flexibility and balance will improve your life and protect you as you get older. You can learn a few good Yoga moves as well and even build some core strength while you are stretching.
5. Swap One Sugary Snack for a Healthy Alternative
Replace your usual afternoon candy bar with a piece of fruit, nuts, or yogurt. These small swaps can significantly reduce your sugar intake. I like to grab a small handful of raw almonds with raisins or sometimes a pitted date to get my sweet fix. And if you really can’t give up the candy, then try eating a small piece of dark chocolate instead.
6. Go to Bed 15 Minutes Earlier
Most of us are guilty of staying up too late from time to time, but if it’s a habit then consider it a red flag for your health. Incrementally improving your sleep schedule will lead to better rest, reduced stress, and improved focus throughout the day. Just be careful not to whip out your phone for that 15 minutes. Which leads us to…
7. Shave 30 Minutes Off Your Screentime
Use the extra time to read, meditate, or take a walk. Reducing screen time can improve sleep quality and mental health. I have recently started buying magazines again to have something to flip through that doesn’t require the attention that a novel does. Next time you’re out shopping, check the magazine rack for any interesting niches.
8. Try One Meatless Day Per Week
Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to go vegetarian or vegan here (nothing micro-resolution about that). But going plant-based for a day is good for your health and the environment. Focus on protein-rich alternatives like beans or tofu. Or if you’re not into those, check out the wide variety of veggie substitutes at your supermarket. From veggie deli slices to veggie burgers, you may find something to add to your usual menu.
9. Use a Money Jar
If you use cash often and have pocketfuls of change and small loose bills, get in the habit of tossing them into a money jar. But here’s the trick — find one that is NOT clear so you can’t see the money piling up inside. By reducing the temptation, when you finally decide to turn it upside down, you may find a surprising amount of cash waiting for you.
10. Round Up Purchases to Save
This fits the definition of “micro-resolution”. Use an app or bank feature that rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and deposits the difference into savings. These micro-savings can really add up over longer periods of time and I guarantee you won’t miss that small change. Rounding up also has the benefit of making your budget a little easier to manage since you’re dealing with more whole numbers.
11. Bring Lunch From Home Once a Week
This is a big one for those of you who work outside of the house. Eating out is expensive and it’s the quickest way to drain your monthly budget. But you don’t have to quit eating out whole hog… Considering it costs $10-$15 per meal, you could save over $500 a year by bringing your lunch just once a week.
12. Track Spending for One Category
Starting a whole budget can be a big task, so let’s make this a micro-resolution. Choose one category like dining out or entertainment and monitor your spending for a month. Be sure to pick a category that you know you often indulge yourself with. You may feel a little shame when you see the final tally, but awareness is the first step toward change.
13. Set a “No-Spend” Day Each Week
This is a simple one that works really well for some people. The concept is easy… Pick one day to avoid spending money entirely. That’s it. The idea here is to start changing how you think about spending. If you have to think to yourself, “Oh, it’s Tuesday. I don’t spend money on Tuesdays,” then you are much more likely to train yourself to think through ALL purchases.
Related: Simple Ways to Level Up In the New Year
14. Pay an Extra $10 Toward Debt
Even small additional payments can help you reduce interest costs and pay off debt faster. There’s usually no penalty to making multiple payments per month to something like a credit card. So if you decide to make a sandwich instead of going to the fast food place around the corner, whip out your phone and put that $10 towards your debt.
Related: For Your New Year’s Resolutions, Try “Streaks”
15. Unsubscribe From One Unused Subscription
This is the easiest micro-resolution on the list because it only takes 5 minutes and you’re done. We all have subscriptions that we rarely use. They just sit in the background and slowly drain our budgets. All you need to do is find that one subscription that you don’t use that often and cancel it. Voila, you just saved money and checked off a New Year’s Resolution.
Related: 25 New Year’s Resolutions That Aren’t About Losing Weight