This week millions of people will start 2019 with goals in mind to better themselves in the new year.

Some of the more popular new year’s resolutions include weight loss and fitness, eating healthier, saving money and paying off debts. While each of these has their merits, they’re often difficult to stick with and aren’t always as impactful as we would hope. Most of the time, our resolutions are focused on outcomes and not as much on intentions. We focus on outcome of losing 50 pounds and not on the better intention of overall wellbeing. We focus on saving $1,000 or being debt-free and not the overall financial freedom that would offer us to improve for our families.

If you’re looking for a meaningful resolution or goal in the new year, here are some idea of alternate resolutions:

— Create a bucket list. Rather than focusing on a goal that may be difficult to maintain and will leave you feeling unaccomplished at the end of the year, create a list of all the things you want to do this year. The options are endless, but maybe your list could include going to a concert, planning a lunch date with a friend you want to reconnect with, seeing a new movie, trying something thrilling like zip lining or sky diving, taking a vacation or completing a project.

— Challenge yourself. Think of a 365-day or even 12 monthly challenges. For example, you could create a list of 12 things you’d like to accomplish this year that could be complete in a one-month time frame. Think of things like decluttering in January, completing an art project in February, planting a garden during the spring or reading an entire book. Or if you want to aim for something bigger, think of something that may take you the whole year to complete, like writing the draft of a novel or learning a new language.

— Create a list of things to look forward to. Rather than focusing on things that you want to do, create a list of things that are already planned that you look forward to. Maybe that could be welcoming a new family member through a birth or a marriage, a loved ones’ graduation, an annual family vacation, etc.

— Pick a word or phrase to live by. At the start of the year, select one word or phrase by which you would want to frame each of day, each decision you make for the next year. Write it on a piece of paper, a sticky note, on your bathroom mirror, on a note in your car, at your work desk, wherever you will see it and be reminded to stick to it this year.

— A 365-day project. Dedicate yourself to doing something every day of the year. That could be taking a photo of something that made you smile each day and posting it to social media with a unique hashtag and looking over them at the end of the year It could be writing something that happened to you each day on a small slip of paper and dropping it into a piggy bank or a jar and revisiting them on the following New Year’s Eve. Maybe it’s giving one compliment to a stranger or someone you know each day of the year. Again, the options are endless.

— Commit to something/someone other than yourself. Make a plan to give back to others. Decide to donate what you would spend on coffee each day to a local charity. Devote an hour a week to volunteering for an organization you believe in.

— Focus on something you already do well rather than something you need to change. Rather than making a list of things you want to change about yourself, make a list of things you’re good and how you can spend more time on those things. Maybe you’re a talented artist who needs dedicate an hour a week to painting or photography. Perhaps you’re a skilled athlete who would be happier and healthier if you could devote each Saturday morning to taking a long run or playing a game of pick-up basketball, etc.

These are just a few quick ideas to jumpstart some brainstorming for our readers as we start a new year that is full of hope and promise. We wish the best for each of our readers, neighbors and loved ones.

We love the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning and writing a new chapter. This year, let’s all try to select some resolutions that will have maximum impact in the most meaningful ways.