Unconventional New Year resolutions for extraordinary success in 2024

Think out-of-the-box this time. Here are 12 unconventional New Year resolution suggestions for you. From befriending your struggles to creating the ‘Not-to-do list’ to a new way of networking honed by President Bill Clinton. 

Unconventional goals may seem to defy logic. However, when examined up close, they come full circle bearing a wreath of stupendous success for the head that inhabits these unique concepts. The simple but impactful law of the Universe is that we attract whatever we send out.

Here are 12 unconventional New Year resolutions for 2024.

1. Give away for free

Joe Vitale, a spiritual teacher and author of the best-selling book, ‘The Attractor Factor’, spoke about the time he was broke.
He learned that the world’s wealthiest people like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller confessed that donating their wealth resulted in their phenomenal success.
Joe could not bring himself to give more than $5, so he decided to give away books.
The more books he gave away, the more books he received.
Next, he gave away free copies of his book titled, ‘Spiritual Marketing’.
Vitale advises, “Give freely, from your heart, wanting to share and wanting to help, and not expecting anything in return from the people you are doing it for.
You simply trust that your good deed will in time come back to you tenfold in some surprising and wonderful way.”
This single act helped him become a runaway success who hobnobbed with the who’s who of America.

2. Mudita

Mudita is a Buddhist and yogic concept of truly rejoicing in other people’s achievements and joys just like we would on our own.
John the Baptist didn’t feel sad at the news of the success of Jesus.
He reacted positively when he was told that Jesus was also baptizing.
He said, “A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success.”
Jealousy always stems from a mentality of lack.
Please consider this – If all eight billion people in the world always have enough oxygen available throughout their lives, is it possible for the Universe to be in a state of lack?
Now, if there is enough for everyone, why be jealous of another’s wealth, achievements, and success?
When you rejoice in another’s success, the Universe will provide occasions where others celebrate your successes as well.

Mudita is a Buddhist concept of rejoicing in other people’s achievements as if your own. John the Baptist didn’t feel sad at the news of the success of Jesus. He reacted positively when he was told that Jesus was also baptizing. 

3. Plug into the Universal Mind

A famous music composer from India, when criticized for plagiarism, said, “Except God, nothing is original.”
Hence, if we need original ideas, we need to connect with the source. I have experienced an avalanche of ideas descending on me during my meditations, which helped hone my creativity as a writer.
If we practice just 15 minutes of meditation daily, we develop the habit of quieting the limited conscious mind. With the conscious mind out of the way, we can tap into the unlimited subconscious which is the gateway to the Universal Mind. This is a way to ‘Let go and let God!’

4. Quit multitasking

It is a myth that multitasking is a way of getting more done in the amount of time available. Multi-taskers suffer from increased distractibility and hence make more mistakes.
Multi-taskers tend to be slower than average people as well. Instead, we can accomplish more while attending to just one task at a time with complete focus.

5. Connections instead of networking

The charming and charismatic 42nd US President, Bill Clinton, made it a point to remember minutiae about every person he encountered.
Later, whenever he met them again, he brought up those details in his conversations. As a result, every person he interacted with went away feeling very special.
In his 2004 memoir, My Life, he wrote, “All my life I’ve been interested in other people’s stories. I’ve wanted to know them, understand them, feel them.”
This quality of forging genuine connections instead of merely focusing on networking shot Bill Clinton to the heights that he saw in his career.

In his memoir, President Clinton wrote, “All my life I’ve been interested in other people’s stories. I’ve wanted to know them, understand them, feel them.” This quality of forging genuine connections instead of superficial networking took him to the White House.

6. Drop the explanations and excuses

Excuses are a sure-shot way to plunge into failure. When we drop the excuses and refrain from the explanations, we are more likely to explore the myriad possibilities.
Thus, we turn the spotlight on what is doable and achievable instead of throwing in the towel at the slightest hint of trouble.
Let’s say, you busted a deadline. Instead of offering the usual bunch of excuses, just apologize sincerely and ask for more time to deliver the project.
The honesty that you exhibit will allow the boss or the client to accept that you are fallible.
Then, give your best shot at the new deadline.
Develop a reputation of being the solution provider.
You will be the one sought after instead of the people who only offer excuses and scuttle away from delivering the goods.

7. Create a ‘Not-to-do’ list

This list is as important as the ‘To do’ list that we so passionately write down and swear by.
The items that make it to this new list guzzle our time and our energy.
For example, a) I have decided to check my social media messages only after 4 pm daily as social media frequently becomes a rabbit hole. We realize too late that we have wasted an hour or two of our precious work time scrolling mostly inanities.
b) I have resolved not to bust my sleep deadline on weeknights. Late nights leave me very groggy and as a result, the next day is a total wash-out.
This simple rule helps me conserve time and energy for the upcoming day.

8. Give credit to others or share credit

Shivani Marwaha, a corporate professional moving into life coaching, believes that there are no winners nor any laggards.
We can all grow as a collective if we share not just the work but also the credits for achievements.

9. Reverse bucket list

This is a list of the things that we thought were difficult for us and yet we managed to accomplish them by overcoming all odds.
These past successes become the stepping stones for future success as they instill confidence in us about our abilities.

10. Interacting with kids

Tony Robbins, America’s top life and business strategist and a world authority on leadership psychology, says, “Quality questions create a quality life.
Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”
How do you ask the better questions? Well, a child’s perspective can prove insightful because they care about what truly matters.
Hence, they end up asking the empowering questions.
Spending time in the company of children will help you unleash the honesty and authenticity within yourself.
You start asking the hard questions. Most often they are empowering as well and unlock the door to success.
Adding her own quirky goals to my list is Madhavi Tanikella, a life coach and a visiting lecturer at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calicut.

Spending time in the company of children will help you unleash the honesty and authenticity within yourself. This is because children care about what truly matters and they end up asking the empowering questions.

11. Drop the compulsion to complete every book you pick up

Madhavi intends to just taste several books at a time. This method might get many different perspectives and ideas to tickle our brain cells.
Also, it takes away the pressure to complete every book that we start reading.
This is the concept that all good stock marketers follow. When they end up in the red, they cut their losses and move on to better deals.
So, taste the book to figure out if it is your cup of tea. If not, move on to a better one and get more quality reading done in the new year.

12. Build a stronger relationship with struggle

Struggles carry within themselves the maximum growth potential if we can truly honor them. Hence, Madhavi wants to sit with her struggles and observe what happens within her during these times.
She feels she could even enjoy them instead of running away from them. When we learn to tango with our struggles, we develop staying power. When the waters turn choppy, we can ride the ‘Work Surfboard’, while humming, “We shall overcome someday”.
In conclusion, I quote the famous German philosopher, essayist and cultural critic, Friedrich Nietzsche, “He who has a reason to live can bear almost any how.”
So, make it a point to put pen to paper and list your own out-of-the-box goals. These goals are the roadmap that will lead you to the city of ‘Extraordinary Success’.