Top 5 New Year’s resolutions in Spanish

On New Year’s Eve, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time for us to reflect and spark positive change in our lives. Most resolutions focus on self-improvement. For some, it’s about education like online Spanish lessons or professional development. For others, the New Year is a time to commit to health and fitness regimes that didn’t quite stick last year. For language learners at Lingoda, a great first step towards improving Spanish could be reading this blog post! Go ahead and count it as an exercise in expanding your vocabulary.

Aquí hay las cinco resoluciones de año nuevo más populares en español... (Here are the top five most popular New Year’s resolutions in Spanish.)

• Comer saludable – Eat healthy
• Hacer ejercicios – Exercise
• Ser más organizada/o – Be more organized
• Dejar un mal hábito – Give up a bad habit
• Aprender un nuevo idioma – Learn a new language

1. Comer saludable – Eat healthy

• En 2021 comeré alimentos más saludables y prepararé comidas saludables para mi familia.
• In 2021 I will eat healthier food and prepare healthy meals for my family. 

Eating healthy is all about meal planning. Check out this Spanish-language article from Xataka online that describes 17 apps for better meal planning. Downloading an app in Spanish is also a fun way to challenge yourself by improving your Spanish vocabulary. This can help with more than one New Year’s resolution (see number 5 below)! To stay calm and be able to order healthy options while eating out, review our blog post on how to order food at a Spanish-language restaurant.

2. Hacer ejercicios – Exercise 

• En 2021 haré ejercicio para sentirme más fuerte y saludable. 
• In 2021 I will exercise in order to feel stronger and healthier.

We all know the best way to learn Spanish is through immersion, right? Why not join an online exercise class in Spanish? As a beginner, you can easily follow the physical movements of the exercise instructor by camera until you learn the Spanish fitness vocabulary. Check out Vogue Magazine’s Spanish-language article on practical online fitness classes in Spanish. The article includes links to YouTube video tutorials on high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga and zumba classes en español. Don’t sleep on zumba! It’s a favorite of Latinx moms everywhere due to the sexy dance moves and energetic Latin pop music. 

3. Ser más organizada/o – Be more organized

• En 2021 seré más organizada para poder sentirme más productiva.
• In 2021 I will be more organised so that I can feel more productive.

Being organized helps us to feel productive and calm. One way to be more organized is to own less. The concept of owning fewer possessions is called minimalism or minimalismo in Spanish. Check out this Spanish-language article in La Tercera Magazine that explores the question: Can living with less can make us happier?

4. Dejar un mal hábito – Give up a bad habit 

Giving up a bad habit is a common New Year’s resolution. Here is some vocabulary for some common bad habits that are healthy to avoid:

• fumar – smoking
• beber en exceso – drinking in excess
• quedarse fuera hasta tarde – staying out late
• beber refrescos azucarados – drinking sugary sodas
• reventar espinillas – popping spots (¡Guácala! Yucky!)

5. Aprender un nuevo idioma – Learn a new language

Our all-time favorite New Year’s resolution in the world! Learning a new language is all about saliendo de tu zona de confort (getting out of your comfort zone) and challenging yourself to grow. Check out our blog post on how adults can learn a second language for tips to grow in your language learning journey.

Start working on those resolutions

Though we can’t help with healthy eating or giving up smoking, we are experts in helping you learn Spanish from home. If learning Spanish is on your 2021 New Year’s resolution list, it’s time to put all those stay-at-home hours to use. Keep your resolutions this year and get started today.

Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Turkish. Her consulting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on Twitter.