New Year, Better Me

At the start of every year, I’m always generally hopeful for the possibility of bettering myself. I don’t even want to call it New Year's resolutions, but instead, just put simply, goals. Whether it be accomplishing my personal goals of reading more books, writing, creating more art (2025 was a great year for me with all of those things!) or learning new recipes and cooking more, learning about eating healthy and exercise – there’s something I’ve learned that really makes a difference in whether these goals will be met or not. That’s by being realistic.

When you’re young, it can feel like you have unlimited time. As I’m entering my mid-30’s, I find myself reflecting on my goals when I was in my 20’s compared to my priorities now.

The truth is that every choice you make builds the foundation for the years ahead.

If I could go back, I’d reinforce to myself that growth isn’t about what you know, it’s about what you apply.

For me, it starts with setting myself up for success by making sure my goals can be “small wins” and easily attainable, setting up clear steps to reach the overall bigger goal. I want to share that here so it can also hopefully help to encourage you to be your best self. Here’s 4 realistic goals I’ve put together for myself for 2026, but I want to address you in this as well dear reader, so that if you agree, you can visualize these goals for yourself too:

Real Goal #1: Fall in love with exercise or something physically good for you

Making exercise more of a priority is something I wish I would have done when I was younger. With the stresses of work and daily life, physical activity has been way low on the list of things that motivate me for too long. The way to realistically approach this goal is to remember the small wins. 10 - 15 minutes a day of some physical activity and go from there. This will help to motivate and build up a routine that turns into a habit, that turns into a lifestyle. I’m tackling this with a promise I made to my dog that I will walk him at least once a week, a 10 - 15 minute walk around our neighborhood, and we can build up from there. A win-win for the both of us!

Real Goal #2: Cut out the enablers

If someone is always encouraging your bad habits and goes along with activities or things that do not improve your life in any way (remember, the small steps you take every day are the building blocks for habits and your lifestyle in the future) they’re not a true friend. Surround yourself with people who want the best for you, and who celebrate your small wins, encouraging you to continue on the right path – even when you miss a goal for the day, they’re cheering you on. You can do the same for them! (Pro tip: It’s important to show ourselves grace too. Starting over is OK. Every day is a new opportunity to try again.)

It’s ok to shrink your circle but upgrade its quality. Spend time with people who are driven.

Real Goal #3: Invest in self-development

This is a big one for me. I went through a very major depression spiral from 2020-2023 and I was so burnt out with work and exhausted with many things in my life that I just felt stuck. I was not doing things that brought me joy and I was having constant mental breakdowns. I lost out on any motivation to develop myself in a positive and productive way. I felt like I was losing my shine.

A lot has changed for the better, which I’m so grateful for, and it started by getting a better job. That was the catalyst that allowed me to have more time for myself, and although I still have some low days, doing things that brought me joy brought me out of that darkness. I became more clear with what I wanted for myself, and what I would no longer settle for. Slowly I started to get my shine back. So read the books. Write the article. Paint that masterpiece. Make something that you’re proud of. Try a new hobby. And learn from those who have already walked the path. Your brain is your greatest asset, feed it with good things. If you can master your mindset, you can accomplish your goals because thoughts become beliefs. Beliefs become behaviors.

Real Goal #4: Quit complaining and searching out the negatives

This often is easier said than done. I catch myself going down the path of complaining and finding the negatives in everything when I think about something that went wrong in my day. It can be too easy to continue on that negative spiral and overthink everything. I used to be very sensitive when I felt that someone did something to purposely sabotage me and I would overthink the situation, build it up in my own head, and then I was in a bad mood for a while. It can be hard to get out of that cycle once you start dwelling on the negatives. I’ve stopped being easily offended. I’ve leaned into self-reflection and asked myself “Why did I react that way? Why do I think this person intentionally wronged me? What is the underlying reason I’m so upset? What really set me off?” My communication was more clear and became more direct, and I learned to also set healthy boundaries. I refuse to play the victim. Energy spent sulking and whining is energy you could use winning and striving to reach your goals.

I want to leave you with one last piece of advice: become an action-taker now. Don’t wait until things line up perfectly. Try, fail, adjust, repeat. Momentum is built through movement, not overthinking. I used to mentally beat myself up saying “Why didn’t you start these good habits sooner? You wasted so much time, you could be so far along in your goals by now.” Not only is negative self-talk like this unproductive, but it puts you at risk to beat yourself down and discourage you from moving forward. The key thing is to reset your mentality and realize that it’s not too late and that you’re starting now. Only looking forward with hope, not looking back with regret.

So what do you say? Do you want to get serious about your goals this year and approach it with an intentional action plan to get those small but realistic wins with me? I want that for myself and I want that for you.

Here’s to more intention, commitment, realistic goal-setting, and developing your best you. Say “YES” to YOU in 2026 because you deserve it. ~