Don’t Set New Year’s Resolutions
Ask yourself these powerful questions instead to get the best out of 2026
Well we are already a month into the New Year and I don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt for not setting New Year's resolutions. In the past however, I used to feel all the hype and pressure of setting big, capital R, “Resolutions!!” for a brand new me in the coming year.
I realized a few years back that I don’t actually have a lot of “new-me” energy at the New Year. It’s overwhelming to think I have to overhaul my whole life and health and become someone new starting on January 1st.
We are in the middle of winter (here in the northern hemisphere) which is prime time to spend cozy evenings reading a book with a cup of tea. How can I get the motivation and energy to set big, new goals?
I’ve taken a hint from nature and slowed things down to give myself a chance to rest and recover. This is a season of comforting soups and Dutch oven meals. A season of long sleeps and lie-ins. Actually, these all sound like very good things for our health.
The media’s big campaign for “new year, new you” feels like a push to become a totally new version of ourselves when hey, what we have going isn’t too bad. I don’t believe we can make a lot of big changes at once...that overwhelms our nervous system. But we can, at any time of the year, set small realistic resolutions/goals without a lot of pressure.
It’s OK if you don’t set resolutions for the new year.
There, I’ve said it.
And this goes against my best interest as a Health Coach who makes a living at helping people set goals! I’m just saying that you don’t need to set 10 giant goals now, when your body is in a natural season of taking it slow and hunkering down.
It's also OK if you did set some resolutions and now at the beginning of February you've dropped them. Nothing has gone wrong.
There is plenty of time for us to set our big goals as we emerge with more energy in the Spring, just like nature is quietly telling us to do.
So take a moment to enjoy who you are right now, with all the good habits you already have in place, and let your body enjoy this restful season that is Winter.
That being said, during the winter I do actually love thinking about who I want to be when looking ahead to the blank slate that is 2026. The future holds possibility and we can shift into a new identity whenever we want.
Thinking about what your ideal vision of health could look like in 2026 is far more powerful than setting up a new smoothie routine.
Ask these questions to set yourself up for an amazing 2026
Grab your notebook (I have many Dingbats bullet journals, but am trying a cute new one for this year) or the notes app on your phone and spend a few minutes with the following:
How do you want to experience 2026?
What types of activities (related to health, life, career, family etc) would bring you so much joy to engage in each day?
What would make your body feel wonderful to live in?
What habits or activities do you want to track so you can celebrate your progress?
Who do you want to connect with or visit this year?
What nourishing foods do you want to provide your body that is lovingly carrying you around?
How would getting more quality sleep affect your overall health?
What relationship do you want to have with your stressors?
How do you want your children to describe how you are living each day?
You don’t have to answer each question. Chose 2 or 3 that stand out to you and give you a little punch to the gut. Trust your intuition that the question you think about is the right one for you.
Remember you don’t have to live your life by what you have accomplished in the past. As you think about these questions don’t limit yourself to who you have been. Think about what’s possible for you.
Are you someone who used to never work out? Future-you can. It is possible and doesn’t need to be a Resolution.
You can decide if you want to be someone who lifts weights and goes on hikes. You can decide you want to be someone who reads books about financial health or about a period of history that interests you.
It’s all fair game when thinking about who you want to be.
Mindset shifts available to you in 2026
As you think about the above questions for who you want to be and how you want to experience 2026, I offer you a few mindset shifts to ponder about your health and making changes to your life when you’re ready. Sometimes we need a few new thoughts to help us along our health journey.
“Creating my ideal vision of who I want to be in 2026 is a more powerful motivator to change than setting Resolutions”
“Winter is a time for slowing down, resting and recovering”
“We can set goals for ourselves any time of year”
“Motivation and energy to change will naturally increase as we move toward Spring”
“It is possible that I follow through on my goals this year, no matter what has happened in the past”
Taking action on one step toward your vision
And when you’re ready to set a small goal to begin moving toward your ideal 2026, pick one area of your life or health that you want to work on (instead of feeling like you have to change 10 things at once). ie:
Take a walk in the morning to set your circadian rhythm on the right track
Add fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi to your lunch
Put your phone away an hour before bedtime
Sit in stillness for 5 minutes a day focusing on your breath
These small steps will get you much closer to your desired life than any Resolutions will.
I’ve spent some time visualizing how I am going to create an amazing 2026 for myself. I am going to focus on writing, focus on building muscle, and focus on getting the kids involved in planning and cooking dinner. I have started writing out my goals and steps that will get me there. I am going to start one by one, without rush, without hurry, and without trying to create a whole brand new me.
This process feels pretty amazing and much more doable. I welcome you to try it out and let me know how it goes.
xo,
Sarah
What do you want to create for your health? Sign up for my newsletter where we discuss all things taking care of ourselves with as much energy as we give everyone else. See you there.
