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![A notepad with 2021 New Year's Resolutions written on a page with a laptop and a cup of coffee nearby on top of a wooden desk A notepad with 2021 New Year's Resolutions written on a page with a laptop and a cup of coffee nearby on top of a wooden desk](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/entertainment/movies-for-grownups/info-2020/pop-culture-new-years-resolutions/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/entertainment/movies-for-grownups/2020/12/1140-new-years-resolutions-2021.jpg)
It's that time of year: We take stock, look ahead and vow to do better. Ah, if only we had some help for our new year's resolutions, especially when just getting through 2020 seemed overwhelming. It turns out that the pop culture world of TV, books and apps has all kinds of entertaining ways to get us over the resolution hump. See if you don't add a few more resolutions once you check out our guide to what to read, watch, listen to and even drink for a happier and healthier 2021.
The resolution: “I need to get more sleep."
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The pop culture solution: If the melatonin isn't quite cutting it, download the app Calm, which reached 4 million downloads this year. In addition to guided meditations and ambient music tracks, the app features a lineup of soothing Sleep Stories, narrated by the likes of Matthew McConaughey, 51; Laura Dern, 53; and Idris Elba. Some tales are wistful and fairytale-like; others are boring by design. Take, for instance, “But Seriously, the Rules of Tennis,” read by none other than John McEnroe, 61. In October, HBO Max released the spin-off A World of Calm, which pairs celebrity narrators — including Nicole Kidman, 53, and Keanu Reeves, 56 — with relaxing images of everything from falling snow to noodle-making.
What to do: Download Calm from your favorite app store and subscribe for $14.99/month or $69.99/year. To watch the series, subscribe to HBO Max for $14.99/month.
![Kate Black and June Diane Raphael Kate Black and June Diane Raphael](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/entertainment/movies-for-grownups/info-2020/pop-culture-new-years-resolutions/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par4/articlecontentfragme/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/entertainment/movies-for-grownups/2020/12/1140-kate-black-june-diane-raphael.jpg)
The resolution: “I should get more involved in local politics."
The pop culture solution: You might recognize comedian and podcaster June Diane Raphael from her role on Grace and Frankie as the acerbic Brianna Hanson. Much like her TV mom, Jane Fonda, 83, Raphael has emerged as an activist, and in 2019, she teamed with Kate Black — a former chief of staff at EMILY's List — to write Represent: The Women's Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World. Filled with infographics and politician profiles, the book is of course entertaining, but what sets it apart is just how plain useful it is, taking the form of a 21-point checklist covering the nuts and bolts of politics, including filing deadlines, fundraising and campaigning.
What to do: Pick up a copy from your local indie bookstore for $19.95.
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