If you, like many of us, are reluctant to throw your current life out to make room for all the things you’d need to change to achieve your highest self this year, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of things to help you make your life a bit better in 2023 – and all of them are optional.

From picking away at paying off your debt to wasting a little less food, the following 23 tips could help you along the way to reaching your goals this year – or, if you follow No. 23, help you know when a goal is well worth abandoning.

Getting adequate sleep is critical to our cognitive functioning and physical health. But even if it’s the most natural thing in the world, to do it well requires planning and preparation. Here are some ways to create a sleep routine:

There are ways to combat a tired mind:

Instead of attempting a total revamp of your eating habits, review these tips from registered dietitian Leslie Beck:

It's fairly easy to increase your step count: Walk to work, play sports with your kids, take the stairs, walk and talk to colleagues at the office instead of e-mailing. martin-dm/iStockPhoto / Getty Images

Taking 10,000 steps a day is widely accepted as a default daily goal; however, activity guidelines need to be tailored to the individual. For those who do not walk a lot, a modest increase in step count of an additional 2,000 steps a day is an attainable, healthy goal.

And the good news is that it is fairly easy to increase your step count: Walk to work, play sports with your kids, take the stairs, walk and talk to colleagues at the office instead of e-mailing.

Meet your daily fluid requirements (2.2 litres for women, 3 litres for men) and follow this simple guidance: if you’re thirsty, drink water.

Consider these tips to meet your daily water quota:

A report released last fall by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction suggested that consuming three or more alcoholic drinks in a week puts your health at risk. For a low risk of suffering negative, acute and/or long-term health outcomes from drinking, a person should consume, on average, just zero to two standard drinks a week.

For those looking to cut back, many companies now offer non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits. Try non-alcoholic wines or no-alcohol distilled spirits over the holidays, or visit bars, hotels or retailers offering elevated, booze-free alternatives.

Protein is essential in a healthy diet. Getting enough helps repair muscles after a workout, supports a strong immune system and maintains healthy hair and nails.

How much protein do you need?

There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian sources of protein, including lentils. One cup of lentils provides 18 grams of plant-based protein. iStockPhoto / Getty Images

If you want to give up or cut down on meat consumption for health, environmental or ethical reasons, there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian sources of protein, including:

And don’t forget about getting other key nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin B3, iron and zinc.

You’re eating more vegetables, but are you cooking them for maximum nutritional benefit?

Steaming is one of the best methods to preserve easily damaged nutrients, such as vitamin C and many B vitamins. Dry cooking methods such as grilling, roasting and stir-frying also retain a greater amount of nutrients than boiling.

And – contrary to popular belief – microwaving does not kill nutrients, nor are frozen vegetables significantly less nutritious. Frozen vegetables closely match the nutrient content of their freshly picked counterparts because they’re flash-frozen at peak ripeness.

Budgeting is an essential tool for meeting your financial obligations and goals. It’s a monthly tally of your income and expenses that lets you track where your money is going and be sure your spending and saving match your financial goals.

The best budget is the one you’ll actually use. Be honest with yourself about what habits you’ll stick with. If you search online, you’ll find plenty of free options to try. You can also look at spreadsheet software such as Excel, Google Sheets or Apple’s Numbers, which come with ready-to-use budgeting and savings templates.

There is almost no end to the varieties of debt you can take on – student loans, car loans, personal loans, lines of credit, payday loans, debt-consolidation loans.

There are two basic strategies to pay off debt:

Most experts advise investing in a mix of asset types to mitigate risk. For beginner investors, it’s best to begin with low-risk options like ETFs or mutual funds. Kondoros Eva Katalin/iStockPhoto / Getty Images

Investing can feel intimidating, but at its roots, it’s making your money make you money. You purchase assets at a given price with the hope they will increase in value. The greater the increase, the higher your returns. Of course, that comes with risk, so to get started investing, the first thing you want to do is consider your risk tolerance.

Some investments (such as stocks and cryptocurrency) can be quite volatile. Other assets (such as bonds) are less risky but offer more modest potential returns. Most experts advise investing in a mix of asset types to mitigate risk. For beginner investors, it’s best to begin with low-risk options such as ETFs or mutual funds.

You can start investing, without an adviser, by opening an online brokerage account or using a robo-adviser. There are many to choose from, including online brokerage services operated by the big banks and fintechs such as Wealthsimple or Questrade.

Building an emergency fund – or “rainy day fund” – is a crucial part of ensuring your financial health. Putting money aside specifically for unforeseen expenses is essential to keep those mishaps from wreaking havoc on the rest of your financial plans.

Consider these potential places to stash money away:

Remember that it’s reasonable to ask for a raise each year. If your responsibilities keep growing, you could pitch a new role to your employer. Sometimes it can be easier for employers to justify increased compensation for new positions.

Go to your boss with a firm number for the increase you are prepared to accept and the details of why you deserve it. Focus on the accomplishments associated with your increased responsibilities, and compensation, including salaries for similar roles inside and outside the organization.

If your employer says they can’t afford your request, ask what is possible: more vacation time, or other perks. If that figure is not acceptable, be gracious, and consider polishing up your résumé for a new job.

As much as two per cent of the world’s carbon emissions are caused by global air travel, not to mention the potential impact overtourism has on local environments.

Satisfy your travel bug, but still travel responsibly:

Canadians toss an estimated one in every four bags of groceries they bring home. To cut down on food waste, shop your fridge and pantry before the supermarket, meal plan and don't confuse "best-before" with expiry dates.

It’s estimated Canadians throw out one in every four bags of groceries they bring home, and according to Second Harvest, the average Canadian household spends almost $5 a day on food they will throw out. Some tips to cut down on waste:

The best way to start decluttering is to start decluttering. Pick one drawer, one closet or the catch-all room.

Find ways to savour memories: Make a photo album. A selfie with the ugly art your parents bought before you were born is a great way to preserve memories, while letting go of junk.

If your list includes a goal to read more books – or read more consistently – having a tall stack on your to-be-read books is a great place to start. And the good news is, The Globe 100 has more excellent contenders – from fiction to thrillers to graphic novels and biographies – to choose from.

Forming habits that stick starts small, with a goal you can actually achieve. Instead of 52 books in a year, consider aiming for a daily reading habit – anything from five minutes to a full hour per day. Identify when you’re most likely to read, then commit to it.

If your workout routine dropped off this year – and you want to start exercising again – treat your first return to the gym as a long warm-up. Take it slow, assess your situation and do exercises you like and are good at. nd3000/iStockPhoto / Getty Images

If an unplanned interruption derailed your routine, here’s how to start working out again.

Being sensitive can be great: You connect with others’ emotional experiences, are attuned to changes in others’ moods and have a strong ability to empathize. However, you’re also more likely to personalize things, interpret things negatively or overreact.

Identify the thoughts that come up for you in situations where you react to others’ comments, then ask yourself some questions: Is the thought realistic and accurate? What is the evidence that it’s not true? What alternative explanations could there be for what was said?

Reviewing all of the evidence can help you actively work on replacing automatic negative thoughts.

Ego gets in the way of empathy and listening. If reining in your ego is on your list of resolutions, here’s a to-do list:

At the end of each day, evaluate how you fared. By reviewing and reflecting on your ego, you might notice a difference in your humility.

Here’s are some tips to cope with family members at gatherings and over holidays:

Every January without fail, many of us will set out with ambitious resolutions. But not every plan is attainable. So how do you know when to stick at a goal and when to walk away?

Giving up on a goal isn’t always about failure. Sometimes, walking away from or pausing a New Year’s resolution can protect your mental well-being, or give you time to pursue other priorities.

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