12 Achievable Travel Resolutions You Can Make Today

Easy Travel Resolutions You’ll Actually Be Able To Keep

It’s that time of year when many of us are setting our goals and plans for the new year.

If that’s you, why not make some achievable travel resolutions so you can get out more and reach your goals.

Simply making a resolution to just travel more really isn’t a plan. The way to actually realise these goals is to make them more specific and detailed.

This post is all about giving you some actual achievable goals that you can start on now and actually realise your travel resolutions for the coming year.

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”

~ Dalai Lama

Here are 12 great travel resolutions and ideas you can start at any time and actually keep!

Make Travel a Priority

The reasons for people not travelling are many, but if valid reasons become more like excuses, it can be time to rethink priorities.

Sometimes we need to prioritise something for it to become important enough for us to act on it.

To get started, sit down with a yearly calendar to map out important dates for the year. These include important family dates like birthdays and anniversaries. Then add work schedules etc. This will tell you when you can start looking at planning your travel.

You really do need to make travel a priority, it won’t happen magically without some planning.

Take time to educate yourself if you are new to travel and making travel a priority is one of your travel resolutions. Make yourself a confident traveller by learning tips and advice, especially if you plan to travel overseas.

Lonely Planet Books are a great resource and of course you can research anywhere you’d like to go on Google.

There are also lots of Facebook groups you can join. They are generally full of people only too happy to help and offer advice.

Plan Ahead

A lot of it really does come down to planning when it comes to making your travel resolutions come to life.

When you plan out your travel schedule it becomes a reality.
If you’re not sure where to start with planning, I’ve written a complete travel planner with printables that you can download for free.

Go To At Least One New Place

Don’t make this travel resolution hard – it doesn’t have to be on the other side of the world.

While we automatically think of overseas, this new place could also be a new state, a regional town you’ve never been to, or even just a local beach or restaurant.

We humans tend to be creatures of habit and stick to our routines. This can keep us stagnant, so seeking out new experiences really can be a good thing.

Do you have a list of places you haven’t been but would like to go? Now’s the time to start one if you don’t.

Break them up into local, maybe a day or weekend trip and expand on that.

Which leads me to the next point … 

Take a Mini-Getaway

Quite often the first thing that comes to mind in regards to travel, is that it has to be expensive, and be a long way away.

In reality, you can have some amazing travel experiences without getting on a plane and spending a fortune.

Let me remind you of weekend trips. Here in Australia we get quite a few long weekends throughout the year, and these are perfect for mini getaways.

Just getting away from the everyday for a night or two can be incredibly recharging.

This is one of the travel resolutions that is really quite easy to achieve. Even if you leave home on Friday afternoon you can be home again Sunday evening ready for the next week.

My recommendation for these mini breaks is to not travel more than 3-4 hours from home. This gives you the most bang for your buck as regards to time spent relaxing and exploring.

You don’t have to stay somewhere expensive. You get to see new places, make some new memories and not dip into your precious annual leave.

Of course, if you want to, and have the means, you can definitely jump on a plane and have a mini luxury getaway as well – no judgement here!

Take Better Photos

Have you had enough of coming home disappointed with the hundreds of photos you’ve taken on your last trip? If you answered yes, it’s time to learn the basics of photography and elevate your skills. With a few basic techniques and some practice, you can go from taking mediocre photos to capturing beautiful memories. 

The journey starts by understanding how light affects the image, how to properly compose a shot, and how to use manual settings on your camera. You’ll also want to learn about shutter speed, aperture, ISO and white balance – all essential elements in making a striking photograph. 

You don’t need to become a professional photographer, but take the time and effort to learn to improve your photography before you head off. Start with some photography tutorials on Youtube or consider doing a hands-on workshop.

Travel Solo – At Least Once

Exploring the world solo can be a thrilling and rewarding experience. For many, the idea of travelling without a companion can be intimidating, but travelling alone can provide an opportunity to truly immerse yourself in a new place or culture. You might even discover that there are many joys that come with travelling solo – no compromises, no distractions and the freedom to do whatever you want!

Travelling solo can be a great way to boost your confidence and prove to yourself that you don’t need anyone else to have a great time. Exploring new places, meeting new people and taking on adventures alone can help you discover the power of self-reliance and your own personal strengths. 

You may find that solo travel isn’t for you, but you won’t know if you don’t give it a go.

I usually recommend people take a test run with something like a weekend getaway or local day trip first before committing to longer solo travels. 

If you do decide that solo travel is for you, then the possibilities of what you can do and see are endless.

Related Post – Thinking About Solo Travel – Things To Consider

Explore Your Own Backyard

This can tie in to taking a mini-getaway as discussed before, but it can also mean still sleeping in your own bed. You can simply just plan some day activities in your local area.

These can range from a simple bushwalk or trip to the beach with a picnic to a luxury day spa. Or what about a special lunch date with your bestie?

Ok, maybe lunch with your bestie doesn’t count as travel, but it still would be a great thing.

I’m sure if you researched there is plenty in your local area you have never been to, or maybe just not been for a long time.

A way I like to think of it is to pretend you have someone visiting you for the weekend. Where would you take them to show off where you live?

The trick here is to pretend like you’re away. Turn that computer off, ignore the housework and washing. Try and treat your home like a motel or Air bnb. Everything that needs doing in that world can wait.

Allow yourself to chill, have a lazy sleep in and don’t do ANY chores – you are on holiday remember!

Here’s a few ideas for playing tourist in your own backyard – 

• Have a tent? Pitch it in your own yard
• Have a spare room? Sleep there instead
• Go to a day spa, movie or new cafe/restaurant
• Simply go on a new walk you haven’t been to in your area
• Visit a local national park or beach
• Go for a walk somewhere different, hire a bike even
• Check out any local zoos or gardens you may not have been to yet
• Do a cooking class or visit a local winery 
• Check out TripAdvisor – you don’t know what you don’t know

Pack Lighter

Uh oh – this doesn’t apply when I go on a road trip does it?

Seriously though, how many times have you got back home after a trip and realised you haven’t used even half of what you took?

This is something I have really been working on when it comes to plane travel.

As far as it being one of my travel resolutions, I do struggle with this one.

Because I have my photography gear, and that is not negotiable, this is one that I can only go so far.

BUT, when it comes to the rest of what I take, you really do only need a few changes of clothes, toiletries, decent shoes are enough.

At the end of the day, if you find you’ve forgotten something you can usually buy what you need.

And this can support a local business where you are, which leads me to the next point.

Do Some Good With Your Dollars

The whole world is struggling in one way or another, so it’s important that everyone tries to do their bit and help out wherever possible.

I’m not talking about spending your holiday volunteering, or being more sustainable. That is for other people and blogs and I’ll leave it to them.

What this section is about is doing what you can when planning your trip. Try and book with a local accommodation owner rather than a big chain. Booking directly through them rather than a booking agent can also be beneficial to them. Every little bit helps.

Try to eat at local cafes and restaurants rather than chains.

Yes, if possible, look at some locations that maybe have done it extra tough. If that is somewhere you want to go, and it’s safe to do so, head there.

Most tourist areas have really struggled, but so have many that are not so much on the tourist trail so give them a thought as well if it suits. You never know, you could really find some gems that you may not have otherwise.

You don’t have to try and save the world with every trip you take, but there are some simple things that help so don’t discount them.

Ignore Social Media

Ahh the dreaded Instagram and Facebook.

As a small business it’s a necessary evil, but equally important to try and take a break from these social media platforms.

While you’re away it can be nice to focus less on having to post every single day, or even multiple times a day.

It can be really nice to keep taking your images and videos, but then curate them and share them when you return. You will possibly choose different things to share and it’s a great way of reliving the memories when you do return home and help avoid those post travel blues. More on this below.

There’s also the reliance on using social media alone to choose your destinations.

There are some that are super popular that you may feel pressured to visit. You know, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out in case you weren’t sure what that meant). 

By all means visit these places if they are where you truly want to go, but don’t feel pressured.

Alternatively, don’t avoid locations if you feel like they have been over-visited if they really are places you want to see.

As a photographer it’s common to be told not to visit somewhere because it’s been overdone, or too ‘iconic’.

Take that with a grain of salt as locations that are labelled iconic are labelled that way for a reason.

So one of your travel resolutions really needs to be – go to where YOU want to go, regardless of what anyone else says.

Be Spontaneous

As a self confessed planning addict, this is one of the travel resolutions I’m going to put at the top of my list!

After saying that, it is equally important to allow for free time in all of the itineraries and planning that I do. 

Having an overall itinerary and accommodation booked keeps you on track and ensures you get to the must see locations of your trip.

But yes, spontaneity is good in that you can arrive somewhere with no plans at all. Then you can either talk to locals or visit the local tourist information centre.

There are always hidden gems to be found and some of these could be the highlights of your trip.

Or, heaven forbid, you just end up having an afternoon or day chilling or doing nothing – bliss.

Be Prepared For Those Post-Travel Blues

Yes, they really are a thing!

This final tip is assuming that you’ve achieved at least some of your travel resolutions.

Hopefully you’ve read through before actually travelling so you can see this first and prepare for the inevitable blues after you’ve returned from an amazing trip.

Apparently they get worse the longer you’re away for, but no stress please. There’s plenty you can do to minimise and hopefully avoid altogether.

Having a day or two after a big trip is just one of the things recommended in this post here – Overcoming Post Travel Blues.

Final Thoughts

This post was all about making travel resolutions that you can take today and make a reality.

I hope you pick at least a couple of these and start working on them.

Please let me know in the comments below which of these resonated with you – I’d love to know.

I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this post.
At the end of the day, I’m still a planner and love to share what I’ve learned, so please check out my free travel planner.

It includes all kinds of printables also to help you realise your travel resolutions – whether that is next week, month or year.

That’s it for now – Keep clicking and stay caffeinated

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Note – This post does not contain any sponsored or affiliated links. All suggestions and opinions are mine. Unless otherwise stated, all photos are mine and remain my copyright images – Sam Wilson Photography.