Wirecutter - We’re skipping resolutions this year

New Year’s resolutions start from a place of great hope—but can often turn into demoralizing stressors that end up making you feel bad.

‌

To try and avoid all that, we asked Wirecutter experts for the best, simplest steps they’ve successfully taken to better their everyday lives. Think of these me-hancements as favors for Future You: Spend a little time and money on these low-lift, high-reward upgrades now and reap the benefits time and again down the road. Try one, two, or all of ’em.

Michael Hession

In our experience, the key to drinking more water throughout the day hinges on strategic planning. Think about what’s stopping you from sipping more and look for an easy solution. Is your water too warm? Or maybe your bottle needs constant refills?

You may find that you’re more likely to drink water when it’s cold and carbonated. A SodaStream and a good insulated water bottle might fix your problem. Some Wirecutter staffers are more inclined to drink from a tumbler with a straw than a screw-top bottle. Another smart trick is to invest in the Pur Plus 30 Cup Dispenser, which you can use to replenish a gigantic Stanley cup a handful of times before it needs to be refilled itself.

Most people don’t think too much about their umbrellas (or lack thereof) until they’re caught in the middle of a downpour. Instead of buying a cheap drugstore umbrella in the moment, invest in a reliable one now so you’ll be ready the next time the forecast calls for rain. The Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella, which holds up in high winds, is our favorite—and it sure beats the rickety gas station umbrellas that turn inside out in a slight breeze. “I finally bought a good umbrella and I’m kind of embarrassed how much it has improved my life,” says Sofia Sokolove, audience development manager for newsletters (and the person currently editing this very newsletter … hi!). “And because it actually works, I’ve been much less likely to leave it behind.”

Pick whatever small, disorganized space bothers you the most—a cluttered junk drawer, a makeup case, a chaotic pantry—and take a few minutes to tackle it for good. (If that space is the cabinet in your kitchen that holds cookware, editor Signe Brewster swears by this five-tier pan organizer rack. We’re also big fans of a pot lid rack, which can be mounted to the door of your cabinet to keep lids in line.)

Michael Hession

Cleaning is enough of a chore on its own; schlepping your cleaning supplies around the house doesn’t make it any easier. For the rooms you clean most frequently, such as the kitchen and bathroom, give each of them a caddy or bin filled with duplicate tools and cleaners. You can take it one step further, and get a dedicated broom or brush with a dustpan (or, as a little luxury, a handheld vacuum cleaner) for each floor in your home.

And for your shower? Keeping a soap-dispensing scrub brush (like this one from OXO) in your shower filled with your cleaning solution of choice makes it as easy as possible to scrub down the corners once a week while you let your conditioner sit.

For any floor coverings that don’t already have a nonskid, rubberized backing, investing in a good rug pad—like our top pick, the Mohawk Home Dual Surface Felted Rug Pad—will not only help prevent tripping; it will also extend the life of your rug and improve the way it feels underfoot.

You already know this, but Future You hates fumbling through a middle-of-the-night bathroom visit. So take a few minutes now to revamp your lighting situation. For high-traffic areas that don’t have electrical outlets, try a trio of stick-on, rechargeable, motion-sensor night lights.

You could also set up a similar motion-sensor system using Philips Hue smart bulbs, as senior editor Grant Clauser did to check on his kids at night when they were younger. For areas like the bathroom or, say, a closet that you need to access without flicking on the overhead lights, these battery-operated motion-sensor lights do the trick for senior editor Catherine Kast, who uses them to prevent waking up her husband (who works a late-night job).

Michael Hession

Speaking of lighting, if you’ve ever left a light on after leaving the house or retiring to bed and felt anxious or stressed because of it, you’d probably also benefit from plug-in smart outlets and smart bulbs. These gadgets can seem intimidating for folks who haven’t dabbled with smart-home devices, but our picks are really easy to use. Here’s all the ways our experts suggest using your smart lights better.

Call it a kind of aspirational shopping, a purposeful splurge, the sunk cost effect, or just call it a life hack: If you want to build a new routine into your day, spending a few bucks on the things you need to carry out that routine can increase the odds that you’ll actually do it. For example, let’s say you’ve always wanted to carve out more time for journaling; try accomplishing that by treating yourself to a nice notebook or a special pen. If you hate flossing, spend a dollar or two more on fancier floss.

Here’s to a little more comfort and well-being in 2023.