Top 7 New Year resolutions that will turn your 2024 around

Looking back and making resolutions

Travel more, learn something new, help others, be happier, meet more new people, stay connected with your loved ones, get fitter and eat healthier…

It's that time of the year again, where we look back on the fleeting past year and ask ourselves where the time went… while some will be reminiscing all the amazing things we’ve done, more of us might probably be wishing we had spent more of it doing what we really enjoy. In fact for many of us, one passing year may not even be that much different from the next, especially if we have a repetitive routine. 

Instead of making half-hearted resolutions in January and then breaking them all again by February, why not shake things up this year, by focusing on this one best thing we can do for a change?

Here’s how by workawaying, not only do you easily tackle all your New Year’s Resolutions goals in one fell swoop, you are also bound to discover plenty of other rewards and surprises en-route...

group in tent pointing at mountain sunrise

Go somewhere you’ve never been

For so many of us, the majority of our time is spent in the same neighbourhood, walking the same streets day after day. So many of us are stuck in the cycle of working to pay the bills, we don't even have a moment to stop and consider alternatives.

If you are already setting your eyes on an unique Workaway project at your dream location on the other side of the world, good on you. Alternatively, a sustainable farm just a neighbourhood away from home could also make a great adventure for those who can’t afford to leave their home country. Baby steps. One Workaway at a time. You are doing it right as long as you set the intention to constantly challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone.

workaway girls milking ranch goats

Discover a new passion

We often hear of friends complaining that they “don’t have anything interesting going on” -- so this year, let’s go out and try new things, and from there find our true passion (or multiple passions even)! You’ll never know until you try, if you want to be a mural painter whose new dream is to colour the world with your designs; or if you’d be inspired to create your very own permaculture homestead after learning about natural building at your volunteer project; and maybe you'd even find love while chasing your travel dream!

rtw-painting-murals-art-projects-free-volunteering

Stay fit

It's rather disheartening that many surveys list losing weight as the number one resolution... year after year. Sedentary lifestyles and comfort food are largely to blame, but what really makes a difference is actually being somewhere that encourages you to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle! 

Rather than working out in a stuffy gym, you could be out in the open air and sunshine, with a real reason to give your muscles a workout. From mucking out at a ranch in Canada, to doing some off-grid gardening in Portugal, or even just running around with your host family’s energetic children will be sure to help you to stay active.

At the end of the day you can even sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labours, as you’ll have also done something fun, different, and/or meaningful while ‘working out’. Time and energy well spent!

solo workaway traveller picking papayas against sunset

Change your eating habits

Wanna eat healthier, or finally go vegan for good? It’s so much easier to improve your diet if you’re at the right place and with the right people around you. Choose a destination which offers fresh local produce -- maybe at an avocado farm in Hawaii if you’re an avo lover --  and even find a host who could show you how to prepare tasty nutritious dishes. Learn all about the variety of yummy vegan food with a vegan family. Building eating habits that can incorporate into your travels also means you won't have to compromise your health while living your adventure to the fullest! 

workaway travel vegan salad cooking in outdoor kitchen

Give something back

The wonderful thing about volunteering is that by doing something for others we often receive so much in return. The satisfaction of seeing your host’s geodome come to life with your input, or nursing a rescue kitten back to health and happiness -- these are all invaluable experiences that we can gain and grow from. If you have any particular causes which you feel strongly about, volunteering is the most direct way you can channel your concerns, and start to become part of the solution!

workawayer and host build wooden fence grass  field

Learn something new

Whether this is your resolution or not, travel, volunteering and learning go hand-in-hand.​​​​​​​

There are so many fascinating hosts which are happy to take on keen, but inexperienced volunteers for their projects, and invite them into their way of life for an immersive and educational exchange. You can benefit from learning skills from experts, an opportunity which is often denied to novices. No need to pay for an expensive course to learn how to speak Spanish, or sail a boat, or build a water filtration system! If you already have a hobby or skill which you'd like to focus more on or develop, there is scope for this too. 

Check out all the possibilities and make it happen!

workaway multicultural travel group beach surfing

Surprise surprise!

You may have some specified New Year’s Resolutions in mind as you embark on your journey, but the chances are that you will return with a whole treasure trove more than what you are in search of!

You will meet new people, see the world from different perspectives, try new foods and have new experiences. There will be aspects along the way which will challenge you and your expectations, but often these are the most powerful life lessons that you will keep for the rest of your life.

You have made a patchwork of memories to last a lifetime…


Don't smother your dreams by making yet another unfulfilled resolution! There is no time like now, but a world of endless possibilities and amazing adventures out there ready for you... starting with the 50,000+ opportunities right here on Workaway ;)

workaway backpacking couple admire graffiti art Brazil
motivationself improvementself enrichmentgive backvolunteering

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