The first month of 2026 is officially over, and you know what that means: our grandiose New Year’s resolutions are either thriving or epically failing by now. I always make an extensive list of resolutions at the start of every year, determined to “reinvent” myself, because new year, new me, am I right?
However, over the years, I’ve realized that this method is simply ineffective; it’s unrealistic to believe that a ball drop completely changes who you are as a person. So instead, this year I prioritized setting resolutions that actually felt attainable to me and my lifestyle.
Journaling Every Sunday
Journaling has always been a goal of mine, but I’ve never been consistent enough to write in one every day. I’ve tried to keep a journal in the past, but I unfortunately always find myself falling off after the first week (maybe it’s commitment issues).
That’s why this year, I set the goal to journal every Sunday about my whole week. One day a week seemed more realistic for me, given how I’ve approached journaling in the past. I’ve integrated this activity into my Sunday reset routine, actively setting aside a full hour every Sunday to listen to music and reflect on my thoughts from the past week.
After buying an aesthetically pleasing journal to motivate myself, I’ve actually been able to stick to this resolution, and I honestly look forward to the journaling time in my schedule now. Sipping coffee, listening to Lana Del Rey, and writing about myself? My dream date.
Read At Least one Book a Month
I’ve always loved to read books, primarily over the summer when I have ample free time. After all, there’s nothing quite like reading a good book on the beach. However, I wanted to prioritize reading more consistently throughout the whole year, not just in the summer. Setting the goal of reading at least one book a month felt measurable and doable to me, especially during the busier winter months when I find myself reading less.
Over winter break, I took a trip to Target and took it upon myself to buy annotation tabs (shoutout BookTok for influencing me). In January, I started annotating the first book of the year that I was reading, marking up certain quotes and paragraphs that stuck out to me. I’ve noticed that annotation allows me to soak in the content of the book rather than just flying through the pages. Being a fairly quick reader, this activity has helped me slow down and appreciate what I’m reading more than if I simply read the whole book in one day.
Establish a Morning Routine
I’ve never been much of a morning person, and I’ve somehow managed to avoid taking a single 8 a.m. class throughout my entire college career. However, recently, I’ve started noticing that how you start your morning really does have an impact on the rest of your day. I set the resolution of establishing a morning routine to help me feel more energized and productive before I head off to class.
One change that I’ve started to implement has been actually taking the time to make and eat breakfast, which was a meal that I always tended to overlook in the past. Lately, I’ve been making avocado toast with a fried egg, and it’s become a yummy, easy meal that I genuinely look forward to. Throw some Everything But the Bagel seasoning on there and consider your life changed.
Of course, not all of my resolutions have been going exactly as planned for the new year. There are definitely still mornings when I wake up embarrassingly late or find myself falling back into old habits. However, the point of New Year’s resolutions isn’t to be perfect or to transform your life overnight. It’s to take one step forward, even if some days you take two steps back.
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