Tomorrow is the first day of 2026! For some, this is an exciting time of new beginnings and fresh starts. For others, this is a time of scrambling to make resolutions and feeling pressure to “fix” themselves before the clock strikes twelve.
I’ve tried to set “New Year’s resolutions” in the past. Instead of feeling inspired by them, they caused me to feel worse about myself than I did before I made them. This is because New Year’s resolutions are structured to make you look at everything you think is “wrong” with yourself. They ask you what negative aspect of your lifestyle you need to change. Focusing on what you deem your negative traits all at once can be incredibly discouraging, causing you to exaggerate and spiral.
This unpleasant introspection causes many to set unrealistic expectations for themselves for the new year, and when they don’t achieve these goals, they only end up feeling worse. By the end of the year, they feel like they failed, causing the whole cycle to repeat itself.
This is a cycle we are going to end in 2026.
One very important phrase to keep in mind as we go into the new year, which I’ve written about in a previous article, is that you can’t hate yourself into loving yourself. You can’t say, “I’m so lazy. I’m going to work out every single day of the year.” You can’t say, “I’m stupid. I’m going to study every day and stop hanging out with my friends until I get all A’s.” You can’t say, “My diet is bad. I’m never eating out again, and I will lose 50 pounds by the end of the year.” If these mostly unrealistic, stressful goals are tied to negative affirmations, why would you be motivated to achieve them? Why would you want to constantly remind yourself that something is “wrong” with you? Answer: You won’t want to feel those emotions, and you won’t stick to your goals. You’ll stress yourself out thinking about them all year, just to be disappointed when nothing changes.
At the end of 2024, I decided I couldn’t live like that again. I couldn’t keep viewing my goals as personal faults, or I would never truly love myself. At 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025, I simply opened a new note on my phone and made a list. Some things on this list included, “recognize negative thoughts, sit with them, rationalize them, and let them go,” “focus on moving your body, but make sure to enjoy it,” “it’s the year of my career,” and “make time for the ones you love and who also love you back.” Looking at this list at the end of 2025 makes me emotional now, because by viewing my goals and myself in this more positive light, I was able to achieve more than I ever have before. This year was the best year of my life!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having goals for the new year, but it’s all about how you reinforce them. You can make a simple list like I did last year, or you can organize them using fun and creative methods like Pinterest, Notion, or vision boards. Keep your goals realistic, encouraging, and rooted in self-love.
There is also nothing wrong with setting fixed, tangible goals, but first, acknowledge when you should do that and when you shouldn’t. Last year, I set a goal to read one book a month. I failed in January, but I knew that failing this goal wasn’t going to greatly affect how I view myself. I can brush it off and set a different goal for the next year. (I’m aiming to read 20 new books in 2026.) Setting goals like a “goal weight” might not be that big of a deal to some, but if you know you’ve had issues with body image or food in the past, this is something you shouldn’t do. It’s all about knowing yourself, and what impacts your own mental health.
This year is going to be a big one for me. I’m starting a new internship in the summer, stepping into the role as president of my Her Campus chapter, finishing a huge project, graduating in December, and starting to search for jobs. I want to stay focused and motivated so I can bring the best version of myself to every aspect of my life, but that doesn’t mean anything about me needs to be “fixed.”
Go into 2026 with a positive mindset and a positive vision for the year. You’re doing amazing–so make sure to celebrate this and everything you will be in 2026!