Happy New Year! It’s time to come up with resolutions for things you want to do differently in 2022. But while most lists will focus on personal goals like eating healthier and being nicer to our in-laws, what about simply living more mindfully every day? Can making a small difference really make the world a better place?

New Year’s resolutions often don’t make it past the month of January. Inc. magazine says that approximately 80% of people who make resolutions drop them by the second week in February. The reasons for this are exactly what you might expect; resolutions may be too vague, based too much on someone else’s expectations or created without a realistic plan of achieving the goals.

If you’re feeling inspired, it helps to follow a few simple rules:

  1. Make your goals specific. Rather than “eat less sugar” try skipping dessert one or two nights a week as a starting point.
  2. Make your goals achievable. Maybe you find ways to lower your carbon footprint instead of a whole lifestyle change.
  3. Set a time limit. Give yourself a specific amount of time – like three months to save $500 – to achieve your goal.

Ways We Can Live More Mindfully Every Day

History has shown the power of socially-minded people working individually and collectively towards a common goal. Here are just a few ways that we can all live more mindfully and the potential impact it can have in Tucson.

Young woman using rental bike in the city with smart phone
Drive a Little Less, Bike a Little More.

What would happen if we decided to ride our bikes more frequently instead of driving everywhere? According to Christian Brand, an associate professor at the University of Oxford, emissions from cycling can be more than 30x lower for each trip than driving a fossil fuel car. Plus, you’re getting a little exercise which can reduce stress and make you healthier.

Use Less Plastic Everything

We all know how bad plastic is for the environment so let’s use less of it. Buy a reusable, stylish, metal water bottle and use it until your kids lose it instead of buying bottled water. And maybe skip the laundry detergent in plastic bottles and buy the suds that come in a recyclable cardboard box instead.

Shop Local and Support Small Businesses

It’s ridiculously easy to one-click everything online but wouldn’t your local bookstore, to say nothing of local artisans, appreciate it if you made an effort to shop local whenever you can? Organizations like Local First Arizona make it easy to support local businesses and the Arizona economy.

Support a Local Nonprofit Organization

National organizations are great too but don’t forget to support local nonprofits that have their ear to the ground and know exactly where local needs are greatest. Organizations like the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits make it easy to partner with a local agency impacting issues you care about.

Can Insurance Help You Live Mindfully?

When you think of living more mindfully, you don’t always think about car insurance. HiRoad, a new insurance company that serves Tucson, hopes to change that. Founded on the belief that doing good has a positive ripple effect, HiRoad uses innovative technology to reward Arizonans for driving mindfully. HiRoad is reinventing insurance to recognize and reward people for their positive actions behind the wheel. In fact, it’s the only insurance where drivers can save up to 50% off their insurance every month.*

As we head into the new year, let’s resolve to do whatever we can to live a little more mindfully. If you drive, why not join an insurance company that believes in doing its part to help create kinder communities and lower monthly insurance bills? Visit HiRoad to get a quote and get started.

*Based on average monthly discounts off of base rate in Rhode Island between 10/1/2020 and 9/30/2021, determined by driving scores of users logging trips using the HiRoad app.