At the start of every new year, most of us make a list of goals we want to achieve — yet most of us fall short. It is now April — how many of the goals have you worked toward? If you have been sticking to your list, I’m impressed! But if you’re like me and have been falling a little short on those goals, just know that it is never too late to start them! When I was younger, I used to think that you could only start your new routines at the beginning of the year or a new month. It was silly, but in my mind, it was a fresh start and an opportunity to completely change my life (this unsurprisingly never worked.) Lately, I let that mindset go. Who cares if you started going to the gym in January or June? No one. The important part is that you’re going. This also applies with putting time limits on your phone — no one is going to notice when you spend less time on Instagram or TikTok. So why not just start your “New Year Rebrand” now?
My 2026 goals are as follows:
- Take more pictures
- Finally get my drivers licenseÂ
- Get a tattoo
- Buy clothes that make me feel confidentÂ
- Better my relationship with my younger brother
- Nurture and prioritize friendships that make me feel good
- Reach 10k steps a day
- Build financial literacyÂ
- Go out more, party, and have fun
A lot of these things are very easy to improve on a day to day basis — they aren’t unrealistic. Part of being able to “rebrand” is having reachable goals. It is easy for me to get 10k steps a day and take more pictures. Nurturing relationships can start with a quick text; and having fun, well, I go to JMU where there are a million ways to have fun.Â
What I have found is that limiting my time on social media allows me to have more free time and also spend less time feeling like I am missing out. I used to take pictures only in the hopes that they would make a good Instagram Story, but that is no way to live your life. I also archived all my posts on Instagram, and there was something freeing about it. By limiting my doomscrolling, I have had way more time for friends and family and hobbies.Â
Some of these goals I still have to work on, like building my financial literacy and being more aware about what I am spending my money on (mostly books and clothes.) I also have to spend more time driving so I can get over my driving anxiety and finally get my license. These things will take more time, but the pay off will be beneficial.Â
Goals don’t have to be draining, and they don’t have to be life changing; you just need to take baby steps in the direction you want to end up in.Â