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50 Things To Do on New Year’s Day

Faneuil Hall, BostonHappy New Year!

A new year is a time of hope and the promise of a fresh new beginning. Certainly, the last few weeks have been a blur of endless shopping, eating, and celebrating, and that wallet will need time to recover from all that holiday spending. But now that a new year is upon us, how will you be spending it?

Instead of a new list of resolutions to write this year, we opted for something different and came up with some that are meant for reflection and to bring out the fun in all of us. Enjoy!

1. Honor the past, cherish today, and embrace the future.
2. Say ‘I love you’ while you can.
3. Smile like there is no tomorrow.
4. Reflect on how far you have come and where you are headed.
5. Pay it forward.
6. Go ice skating for the fun of it. Falling is okay.
7. Leave the car behind and go on a quiet walk.
8. Meditate for 5 minutes in a quiet room.
9. Start a new family tradition.
10. Turn off all electronics for 24 hours and reconnect with family.
11. Read a new book.
12. Start a pillow fight.
13. Resolve to break one habit this year and name the steps needed to achieve your goal.
14. Call a long-lost friend.
15. Surround yourself with the natural world.
16. Say a prayer of thanks for all that you have.
17. Hug your spouse, significant other, or partner.
18. Hug your child/children.
19. Hug a stranger, but only if they are nice.
20. Cuddle up with a beloved pet.
21. Plan and book a ski trip.
22. Open the shades and let the sunshine in.
23. Light a scented candle.
24. Write and mail a letter to a friend (no emails, please).
25. Buy a new outfit for yourself.
26. Play a pickup game of flag football.
27. See a movie.
28. Start scrapbooking.
29. Resolve to do less and play more.
30. Start a game night and schedule it into the calendar.
31. Adopt a whole foods diet.
32. Bake a cake and celebrate all things new.
33. Start an indoor garden for the winter.
34. Count your blessings.
35. Write and mail thank-you notes for gifts received.
36. Put aside undesirables to donate to charity.
37. Roast marshmallows over an open fire.
38. Share a story with a loved one, preferably a personal one.
39. Treat yourself or the family to a New Year’s Day Brunch.
40. Sign up for a cooking class.
41. Sleep in.
42. Share a mug of hot cocoa with a loved one.
43. Make a big pot of chili.
44. Make S’mores with the kids.
45. Share a meal with an elderly neighbor.
46. Tickle someone and enjoy the laughter that follows.
47. Start a new hobby.
48. Blast the radio and sing to your heart’s content.
49. Learn a new skill.
50. Sit and relax … you have been running around long enough.

Image credit: Susan Ho