If you set yourself a New Year’s resolution, chances are you might be giving it up today. Research has shown that the second Friday in January, often referred to as ‘quitter’s day’, is the moment when the majority of people ditch their newfound optimism, restraint and self-discipline and revert back to their usual takeaway eating, pint drinking, non-exercising selves.
Don’t worry, we’re not here to berate you. In fact, we’re actually on board with this whole ‘quitter’s day’ thing. The constant social media bombardment of Instagram self-help and wellbeing gurus has only sought to make this year’s New Year’s resolutions even more brutal than ever, and quitting them might not be a bad thing.
Resolutions should seek to benefit your well-being, but all too often, people confuse this with living a life devoid of all happiness. It’s unsustainable. So, if you are quitting your resolution today, or just fancy picking up a few more, here’s our selection of achievable micro-resolutions to help you navigate the zeitgeist.
You know that film camera you bought with the intentions of starting a new career as a photojournalist? Yeah, I’d be willing to bet (if you’re anything like me) the shutter button hasn’t been pressed in months. 2026 is the year to change that.
No one ever regrets taking photos, and brushing up on your photography skills can only be a good thing in the modern world. The only hard part of using a camera is making sure you’ve got one with you – so grab your favourite tote bag, sack that ancient bottle of hand sanitiser, and replace it with the camera that has collected the most dust recently.
Events, trips, day-to-day life – start firing at will. Become that annoying mate who’s always taking photos of mundane things. No one’s arsed (provided you’re not using flash in a dimly lit restaurant or bar).
This is a micro-resolution that is sure to pay dividends. Friends will thank you for their new profile pictures, your portfolio will be more bustling than ever, and you’ll be able to show your grandchildren all the boring stuff you did when you were younger.
This one really hits home. Every time I open my wardrobe, I feel a simultaneous mix of shame, pride and anger. If clothing had to adhere to Fairtrade Standards, my wardrobe would be akin to one of those horrible battery farms. Jackets with no space to breathe, tees crammed on top of each other, and trousers that haven’t seen the light of day in years.
If your wardrobe situation resembles mine, it’s time to make a change. Open your wardrobe, and have a long, hard look at the things you genuinely wear on a regular basis (those dodgy once-a-year cream trousers definitely don’t count). You’ve got to be barbaric – unless you wear, or really like a garment, it has got to go.
The good news? It has never been easier to shift your unloved garments. Apps like Vinted & Depop are rife, and you’d be surprised by some of the junk people buy. The bits you genuinely can’t ever see yourself selling, try giving them away to unloved family members. Failing that, place them in a bin bag and march down to your local charity shop.
Cleaning your wardrobe is one of those tasks that will forever hang over you, eating away at your soul day after day. Get it sorted, and start the new year with happier garments and an overwhelming sense of zen. And if you think you’ll miss the stuff you get rid of, we promise: you won’t. Especially those trousers.
Every print is purchased with the intention of being framed. The reality is 99% of them never make it. Illusions of grandeur are replaced by blue-tac and creases. It’s not what they deserve – you owe them the life you promised years ago when you first met in that European pop-art market.
Framing prints won’t change your life, but it’ll definitely improve it. Frames can be expensive, but they can also be cheap if you know where to look. Once again, I’d point you in the direction of your local charity shop, where you’ll come across plenty of ‘Live Laugh Love‘ prints, framed in ornate wooden casings.
IKEA is also worth a shout, or somewhere like Etsy, where lots of independent makers offer frames and printing services. This might seem like a micro, micro-resolution, but trust me, you’ll be raking in the compliments when you host the party next New Year’s Eve.
There’s truly nothing worse than having a slowly-rusting pile of expensive metal sitting in your shed/garden/house. Bicycles rarely put a foot (or wheel) wrong, but all too often they’re neglected by their owners – but this January it’s time to change that.
Bikes are one of the most useful tools on the planet, but only if they’re in rideable condition. The good news is that fixing them is generally not all that hard (although it may seem daunting). Start by giving your steed a proper good wash – even get it in the shower if you have to. Once all the grime is off, put some air in the tyres, lube the chain, ask for forgiveness, and nine times out of ten you’re ready to go.
If there is something more sinister at hand, try and identify the problem through YouTube. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to walk it down to your local bike shop. They’ll almost definitely know how to fix it, and there’s no risk of damaging your bike further through clumsiness.
Once you’ve got everything in working order, the only thing left to do is to ride it – to work, to the supermarket, over a mountain, down a hill. In the process of forgetting about a bicycle, you’ll also have forgotten how fun it is to ride one – 2026 is the year to rediscover it.
If Apple issued a collective screentime report at the end of each year (and I’m very glad they don’t), 2025 would be one to forget. As a population, we could all do with a little less screentime, and 2026 might just be the year to begin cutting down.
Like any addiction, going cold turkey is not the favourable option here. Putting your phone down and staring at the nearest blank wall is a guaranteed route to failure – instead, try to consume media in a more traditional way. Not saying we should all start listening to opera and watching black and white films, but switching out devices for analogue alternatives is a sensible way to hack away at screentime.
Consume more magazines (especially Proper), try to watch films instead of Instagram Reels, listen to albums in their entirety. You could even take up something like painting if you’re that way inclined.
Start small, and slowly build up. Just like those clothes you’ve got rid of, we promise you won’t miss the existential dread of doom scrolling before work.
This one pretty much goes without saying – everyone likes getting away from the office, and everyone wishes they did it more regularly. There are lots of reasons people don’t get away as much as they’d like – annual leave, money, children – but there’s one way to combat all of them. Reshaping what a ‘trip’ is.
You don’t have to fly halfway around the world and spend loads of dough to have an adventure. Sometimes the best form of trip is the one that starts on your doorstep. If you’re short on cash, keep it local. If you’re short on holiday, utilise your weekends. Get that message into the group chat as early as possible, and make sure to hold your friends accountable.
A weekend spent camping with friends, or cycling to a B&B, can be far more fulfilling (and often cheaper) than drinking thirteen pints every weekend in the same pub. The only thing these kinds of trips require is impetus, and that’s all down to you.
Try and set some basic goals. Stay out of town at least once a month, and use it as an opportunity to rope in those old-friends you only ever see on Instagram.
If you have any micro-resolutions of your own, please share them to henry@propermag.com
