Making New Year’s Travel Resolutions

It’s that time of year again — time to make resolutions that will make us happier and healthier throughout the coming year. Whether your goal is to lose 10 pounds, spend more time with family, kick a habit or start a new one, these resolutions promise to make us better versions of ourselves but tend to fizzle out within a few months.

These well-intended resolutions often fail for a number of reasons, but mostly because we don’t enjoy the process of achieving them. Let’s face it, if your resolution is to cut desert out of your diet but you have an insatiable sweet tooth, reaching your goal won’t really be that much fun. In the end you’ll probably wind up eating even more sugar than before and feeling like a failure because of it.

Instead, do yourself a favor and set goals centered on something you and your family can actually enjoy. Enter the New Year’s travel resolution. When the journey to achieving your goals is fun and exciting, the result is even more rewarding. Make 2019 the year you set a new kind of resolution and make it the year of travel.

Maybe you want to take four mini vacations throughout the year. Perhaps it is the year of the road trip. Maybe voluntourism is something your family has wanted to give a shot. Whatever your goals are, making New Year’s travel resolutions is easy and fun for the whole family.

Plan ahead. When you plan your vacations ahead of time you have a motivator to keep you going. If your family is planning several little trips throughout the year, it helps to have them pre-arranged (or at least have the vacation time set aside) so the times in between vacations feel shorter. Work is always a little more enjoyable when you know you’ve got a vacation just around the corner.

Spend the extra time throughout the year planning your trip and researching fun things to do at your destination. Plus, prices are usually better when you book your trip well in advance.

Have the family participate in making the plans — come up with a list of destinations you can all agree on and decide which ones you will tackle in 2019. When everyone is vested in the decision-making process, there is less disagreement and disappointment.

Be realistic. Just because you want to backpack across Europe or hike Mt. Everest doesn’t mean your goal is realistic. Make sure your resolutions fit with the vacation time your family has available, not to mention the budget.

Stay motivated. Keep a vacation calendar with your dates and plans highlighted so everyone in the family can see how quickly they are approaching.

Regardless of what your New Year’s travel resolutions are, make sure they are fun and enjoyable. After all, these are the moments we remember and cherish for the rest of our lives.