WELL, 2018 IS just around the corner and you have 52 weeks to make it your best year yet. So, to help you do just that, we’ve pulled together 52 things to do this year to make just about every aspect of your life, well, better.
From style tips to travel intel to ways to amp up your fitness and overall health, add one of these tips to your calendar each week of the new year starting with January 1. Happy new year!
1. Buy a bomber jacket already
The bomber jacket is constantly worn by celebrities, musicians and athletes alike (from Tom Brady and Calvin Harris to Dwayne Johnson and Bradley Cooper)—and for good reason. The jacket adds a cool, casual and comfortable look to your wardrobe without compromising style, and they’re a great option to have along with jean and sports jackets. Thankfully, the bomber jacket isn’t going anywhere; they’re a huge style trend for men’s fashion in 2017. Expect them to be upgraded with more quality fabrics, softer colors, and better fits for all body types in the coming year. Check out these 11 options we pulled together.
2. Master the fitness basics
Make sure you’ve perfected these super six exercises: squat, deadlift, chest press, overhead press, pulldown, and row. After that, everything else is gravy, strength-training-wise.
3. Upgrade your camping gear
We won’t judge you if you get around with a satchel on a stick but your camping gear must be in tip-top shape. Assuming you’ve been using the same essentials for years, upgrade for newer, shinier, and more modern equipment. This includes more lightweight and durable tents, cozier sleeping bags, glow-in-the-dark water bottles, portable camp stoves and weather-proof area lights.
4. Eat your veggies first
You’ll load up on all those good nutrients, and, since you eat more when you’re hungriest, you’ll fill up on fiber. (Check out these 10 best sources of fiber!)
5. Go to Spain
Suffering its worst recession in history, Spain is undergoing a major comeback that has Americans coming in droves, especially since the dollar is majorly in their favor. Travelers can have high-end experiences on a poor man’s budget. Start in Madrid for amazing sangria, world-renowned museums like The Prado, killer nightlife and a slew of new luxury hotels like Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques (rooms from $300 a night), a five-star hotel in a former 19th-century palace that’s just steps from all the action. Head south to Malaga, an underrated resort town in Costa del Sol, where the rooftop bar at AC Hotel Malaga Palacio offers mind-blowing, 360-degree views of the port city and ancient town. The destination of the moment is Estepona, an excellent beach town reminiscent of Venice Beach, California with its new wall murals, outdoor cafes, and sublime beaches. Shack up at Kempinski Hotel Bahia (rooms from $260), a five-star seaside resort that offers luxurious rooms, electric bikes, excellent spa, and the best rib-eye steak in town. End your visit at the new Hard Rock Hotel (rooms from $283), in Tenerife, a small party island that’s rivaling Ibiza with wild, live DJ events and a wealth of outdoor activities like surfing and mountain biking.
Resolve to drink more water in 2018. You don’t feel thirst until you’re already bordering on dehydration. Don’t stress on the eight cups a day, though—just keep it flowing in general.
7. Watch your favorite shows anywhere on Earth
TV has never been better with binge-worthy shows across several platforms, from cable to online networks. Pretty soon, you won’t need WiFi to stream them. Amazon Prime allows users to download their favorite shows on their electronic devices to view at a later time, and Youtube Red recently offered offline viewing for subscribers. Now, Netflix features the same benefit, and it’s only a matter of time before competitors like Hulu and HBO follow suit. Invest in a tablet or iPad and watch popular shows like The OA almost anywhere in the world, whether it’s killing time at jury duty or days-long voyages to Antarctica.
8. Challenge yourself in the gym
Workouts getting a little rote? Increase the weight, change up the rep scheme, or try a new exercise that pushes your limits.
9. Buy a better office chair
It’s no myth sitting down for long periods of time truly has a negative impact on your body—but a bad office chair makes it even worse. Standard office chairs can add large amounts of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs, promote slouching, and fail to provide lumbar support. A chair that helps a neutral body position and allows your vertebrae to remain aligned is key to office-chair nirvana. Corechair, an active sitting ergonomic chair that has intuitive adjustments and core-strength benefits, is a good option. With any chair, remember to always get up every thirty minutes or so. Here are more ways to upgrade your workspace.
10. Become a morning person
If you’ve been having trouble keeping your lunch or evening workout routine, get up a little earlier and get the gym out of the way. It’ll suck at first as you adjust to an earlier alarm—and an earlier bedtime—but then you won’t have to worry about work (or play) getting in the way of your lifting session. There are plenty of ways to plan gym time around a weird work schedule.
11. Fly business class
Say goodbye to cramped seats in coach: business-class tickets are finally affordable. Premium seats have been reportedly much cheaper than previous years (a median airfare from NYC to London, for example, averages $2,500). The reason behind it? Cheaper fuel, record profit for airlines (which allows them to charge less for flights) and fierce competition. Even domestically, business- and first-class tickets have substantially decreased in fare, allowing passengers to actually buy the tickets rather than use miles to upgrade. Best of all, most US-based airlines have improved their premium sections. Nothing beats free booze, lie-flat seats and plated meals on long-haul journeys. When booking, remember to avoid peak times and days to get the best fare. After your seat, consider upgrading your travel gear too. A practical, lightweight and convenient slim suitcase, like Victorinox Swiss Army’s Avolve 3.0 collection, features 360-degree maneuverability, zippered expansion system and stylish, nylon-shell casing.
12. Don’t always go hard
Not only does every workout not have to be an all-out effort, it really shouldn’t be. You’ll make greater gains in the long run if you vary your intensity—and even take a day or two off every so often. Here’s how to avoid overtraining and signs you’re addicted to working out.
13. Join a frequent flier program
Airlines have made it notoriously tougher to get frequent-flier status—not to mention it’s even harder to get upgrades when business-class seat availability is shrinking thanks to cheaper prices (see number 11)—but the perks are still worth it. With most programs, even at the lowest tier, you get your checked-luggage fee waived, better seat options and priority check-in and boarding, the latter of which almost guarantees overhead bin space for your carry-on. This all becomes helpful at a time airlines are charging more fees (like United, who promises to soon charge passengers for carry-on luggage). To maximize gains with a frequent-flier program, stick with one airline alliance to fly (Skyteam, OneWorld, and Star Alliance) and pray you make the 25,000-mile requirement in one calendar year.
14. Commit to the warm up!
It’s really not a waste of time, especially if you end up pulling something because you went from 0 to 60 in your workout and you’re out entirely while it heals. Do some light cardio, mobility-based stretching, and/or some light reps before going at it.
15. Step up your dating game
For 2018, shed old habits to look and feel better in the dating scene. You’ll be surprised at how much stepping out of your comfort zone can be beneficial, proving to dates that you’re game for just about anything. Try a different cologne, a new haircut, or a new color dress shirt that still reflects your personality. Shaking up your look can help motivate you. On a date, try something you’ve never done before. See a tarot card reader for kicks, watch a foreign film, go to a themed bar, or anything else that shows your date your sense of adventure. Most importantly, be present and thoughtful during the date. Make eye contact, ask questions, put your cell phone away and absolutely do not talk about your ex. Because what’s better than a successful date? A second date.
16. Stop drinking your calories
If you’re looking to trim down, switching out juice and soda for water and unsweetened tea or seltzer can save you 100 calories or more per cup. These are the healthiest drinks you can order at a bar.
