As we approach the last few months of the year, a lot of us will take stock of what we have been doing for the past 12 months. It’s the traditional time for making new promises and resolutions when we try and identify things that we want to improve about our lives. Of course, there are the usual things to do, such as ‘quit smoking’ and ‘drink less’. But if you really want your resolutions to have a big effect on your life, you have to look at the bigger picture.

So, today, we’re going to take a look at several things promises you can make yourself. Why now? Well, by the time the festive period comes and goes, you will run out of time. You might make the same promises on New Year’s Eve, but without a decent amount of planning, you aren’t going to get off to the best possible start.

Now’s the time to start planning, then. Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can change your life for the better.

Experience more – Much of modern life is to do with ‘stuff’. New TVs, games consoles, cars – the list is ever-increasing and pretty close to endless. Instead, why not fill your life with experiences? They will stay with you for as long as you have your memory – and long after your classic car breaks down for good. Go abseiling, or do Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity. Jump out of a plane and cross your fingers that your parachute works. There’s a world of experiences out there for you – try finding some experiential gifts for men online to get you started. We’re not suggesting you buy yourself a present! But maybe if anyone asks what you want for your birthday, you can actually tell them something concrete, instead of mumbling ‘I don’t mind.’

Go back to school – As life moves on – at a great rate of knots – it can be easy to get trapped in the same old routine. You go to work, you come home, you watch TV, and you go to bed. Day after day. Night after night. Well, maybe next year you can change things up a little. Think about all the things you wanted to do when you were at school and go back to them. Maybe you were good at languages but dropped out because you couldn’t be bothered. Maybe you regret the young you making all of your important life decisions. If so, then just pick up where you left off. Try a free online course, and if you still enjoy it, pursue it further. You could even try and up your golf game – whatever you want to do. Learning is a great gift, and one that too many people stop using when they enter adulthood.

Say hello to old friends – Why not spend some of next year traveling around the country or continents to see old friends? It’s a great way to spend a holiday away, and you will see a lot more of the world. All those connections that you made when you were younger are naturally strong. And, it’s good for the soul to catch up with those you spent your formative years with. Perhaps you both have families now – and if you live in different countries, it’s great contacts for your kids to have when they get older. Try and keep those relationships going and your children could reap the rewards one day.

Challenge yourself every day – Instead of settling into your life with predictable comfort, why not change the rules a little? Think about challenging yourself to something every single day of next year. It might take a while to plan things out, but there is a lot you can do. Perhaps you could push yourself through tough exercises every morning before work. You could even start ringing people to talk to them every day, instead of emailing or texting them. Maybe you could start volunteering for things that you don’t quite think you can do. Sometimes you might fail, but by pushing yourself to live outside your boundaries, you can do wonders for your sense of self-worth. Do this every single day, and by the end of 2016, we can almost guarantee that your life will have improved in some way.

Do you have any promises or resolutions for 2016? We would love to hear about them if you have – whatever they may be. Let us know in the comments section and be sure to get involved with the conversation.It’s early days yet, but here’s to a fantastic 2016!