Who needs resolutions? This year, make a PLAY list you’ll love

Resolutions are often top of mind as January sets in; many of us make them, then break them shortly thereafter. While it’s tempting to use the start of a new year as a jumping-off point to make sweeping changes to your life, people often set lofty goals that are just too hard to stick to. And while most resolutions tend to be aimed at improvement, we think it should be about more than that—it should be about celebration! So, we’ve decided to ditch New Year’s resolutions for 2024 and focus on making the coming year full of play. 

How to prioritize play as an adult

Here’s your lightbulb moment: “Play” describes any joyful act where you forget about time and are fully immersed in the moment. That’s what psychiatrist and play researcher Dr. Stuart Brown told NPR earlier this year. Ask yourself: when you were a kid, what were your favorite ways to play? Brown and his colleagues have identified a handful of play archetypes; for example, the joker who loves to laugh, the kinesthete who loves to move, or the artist who loves to create. Once you know your style, you can figure out how to bring more play into your life as an adult. Read on for a few ideas to get you started.

1. Embrace seasonal to-do lists

An easy way to start prioritizing play is with seasonal to-do lists. In winter, you could check out a hot spring or make mulled cider. In spring, you could watch your neighborhood park start to bloom. In summer, you could plan a day trip to get outdoors (we’d pick the Oregon Coast). And in fall, you could go to a pumpkin patch or leaf-peeping.

The secret here is to keep it simple: nothing that’s too far from home, or takes more than a few hours. Seasonal lists are a great way to open yourself up to new experiences, and have the added benefit of putting a clock on your to-dos, so you can’t put them off for too long—the perfect nudge for the procrastinators among us. 

2. Get messy

Do you ever get the urge to throw caution to the wind? This may be your inner child telling you to let go. As adults, we can get caught up in organization and order, needing to feel that we’re being productive and ensuring that things are neat and tidy. But sometimes, what we really need is to just make a mess. 

The best way to do this is to find something you love and let it get a little sloppy. If you have an artistic flair, break out the fingerpaints. Love being outside? Grab your rainboots and jump in the biggest puddle you can find. Enjoy tending to your yard? Throw off the gloves and dig in the dirt. Or, if you’re looking for something really cathartic, book a slot at a smash room and go to town—they’ve become super popular post-pandemic!

3. Turn back the clock

Nostalgia is one of the best ways to bring out your inner child, and often surfaces unexpectedly. Maybe a song came on the radio that you loved dancing to in high school, or you caught a whiff of something that reminded you of your mom’s cooking. That feeling of happiness, and maybe a little bit of longing, is nostalgia at its best.

While many nostalgic moments aren’t planned, there are ways you can lean into joyful memories from the past and bring some sentimentality into your life. Put on an apron and cook up your favorite childhood dish, plan a date night that reminds you of the early days, spend the afternoon getting lost in an old photo album, or go out and do something you haven’t done since you were a kid—whether that’s roller-skating or Chuck E. Cheese. 

4. Go on an adventure 

Trying something new can be scary, but it’s also a great way to push yourself. Research has shown each new experience triggers dopamine pathways in our brains, producing feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. Our brains store this information and transfer it to other new experiences, helping drive motivation and provide a sense of purpose, connectedness, and fulfillment.  

There are countless ways to go about incorporating more adventure into your life. Maybe you’re ready to buy your first home, take a cross-country road trip, or even go skydiving. But remember: adventure doesn’t have to be big. You could also explore a new part of town, try a genre of book you’ve never read before, or just redecorate a room in your home. As long as you get lost in the moment, it counts. 

Is buying a new home on your to-do list for 2024? Take a virtual tour of homes for sale in Oregon, stop by for a visit, or sneak a peek at what’s in store for the future.