How’s this for a creative New Year’s resolution? Get back to basics and embrace writing — in formats digital and traditional — for the upcoming year. Pick any one of these ideas, or mix and match with a goal to simply write more. After all, the best way to improve any skill, including writing, is to actually do it, and do it often.
Send postcards
Heading on a big adventure this year? Go old school and send a postcard from your journey. Even if it arrives home after you do, it’ll still be a neat memento and a fun surprise in the mailbox for your friends and family.
Start a journal
There are countless types of journals out there, from productivity bullet journals to journals with writing prompts. How you journal, and on what frequency, is up to you. Consider starting small with a one line a day journal to capture a memory or moment of each day. You can also use journaling to document the journey of your other New Year’s resolutions, get you through a difficult time, or to express yourself creatively.
Here’s a writing prompt idea: Try to write a few paragraphs every day using the Word of the Day as your inspiration.
Try NaNoWriMo
Every November, a global event called National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) kicks off. The challenge? Write an 80,000-word novel in one month. Sound crazy? The trick is to focus on just writing, not revising. If you’ve always dreamed of cranking out a book, this annual event can be a freeing way to just get down to writing. If you can’t wait until November, start with a monthly goal of 10,000 words and work your way up.
Share your expertise
Everyone knows a lot about at least one thing. Dive into your knowledge and write an article that speaks to a business audience, then post it somewhere free, like Medium.com or LinkedIn. You’ll have the chance to reflect on everything you know, get to work on your writing skills, and possibly even build new business connections.
Write birthday cards
Social media makes it so easy to send birthday greetings — maybe too easy. Instead of leaving a generic message on a friend’s Facebook page, why not send them a card with a personal message inside? It’ll be a welcome recognition of their special day and give you a chance to express yourself more personally (and privately) than you might be willing to online.
Send a weekly email to a friend
Texting is great for easy asks and quick exchanges, but the conversation rarely gets deep. In lieu of writing a snail mail letter, why not pick a close friend you don’t get to meet up with in person enough and try to write each other a weekly email. Who knows, you may find yourself firing off daily notes to one another in no time.
Review something you love
People are way more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one. Put a little good energy back into the world by leaving a review for a restaurant, book, product, or local business you love. If you really get into it, you could even try your hand at blogging product reviews in a specific category.