It is officially the new year, and the buzz about goals, resolutions, and glow-ups is everywhere. I don’t know about you, but my Instagram feed is full of influencers telling me how to make this year “my year.” For a lot of us, this passion gets us excited – and stressed. The pressure to accomplish our new year’s resolutions, despite the chaos and stress of everyday life, can seem more like a burden than a chance to make our lives better. That’s why this year, instead of making resolutions, I made 2026 punch cards.
What is a 2026 Punch Card? A 2026 punch card is a bit like a loyalty card – after a certain number of punches, you get a reward. Instead of a free drink at your favorite coffee shop, though, a 2026 punch card is all about the things you want to do in the new year. It’s a way to keep track of your progress and creatively motivate you to accomplish your goals.
Each punch card has a theme – something you want to do more of or something you want to keep track of in the new year. Even though I made mine for 2026, you could really make yours whenever: seasonally, monthly, or without a time period at all!Â
The goal of your punch cards is to avoid the pressure of “should,” and motivate you by getting you excited to do the things that will enrich your life. I made my cards for the new year, and I can already tell that they’re working. Things that I would normally procrastinate are exciting instead – now, I get to mark my progress and work towards a reward, rather than shaming myself and thinking about all the things I “should” be doing. Of course, I’m not really doing it for the reward. The “rewards” on my cards are just my way of celebrating the real reward: doing the things that make my life better.
How Do I Make a Punch Card? Making your punch cards is pretty easy. With a little creativity and time, you’ll be set. First, make a list of things you want to do more of. That could be goals you procrastinate (like going to the gym or applying for jobs) or hobbies you want to do more of (like crocheting or watching movies).Â
Then, pick a way to measure those things. For example, you could measure “crocheting more” by deciding to crochet eight items. Some might be a little trickier to measure. One of my goals is to stay in contact with my family this semester, so I get to punch my card each time I call home.Â
The last step of your planning is to decide on a reward. Ideally, your reward should match the theme of your card – for example, on my workout card, my reward is to get a cute new workout set. Your reward doesn’t have to be totally relevant, though. The best reward is one you’ll actually work towards. For my “Articles Written” card, I’m planning to buy myself a cute CD player.Â
Now it’s time to make your cards. Get some paper or some blank notecards, and start drawing! I’d recommend sketching your cards first, and then painting or inking on top of them. You can use whatever materials you want: watercolors, markers, stickers, etc. Then, decide how you want to mark your progress. If you want a true punch card, get a hole punch. If you want to get creative, you could sticker over your tracker or color in pictures each time you accomplish it! For a final touch, I made a hole punch in the corner of each card and put them on a key ring, so I can flip through my punch cards like a little book.Â
Examples and Ideas In my opinion, planning is the hardest part. I highly recommend going to Pinterest or social media (like Instagram or TikTok) for inspiration. You can get really creative with your cards or simplify them. For example, if you’re not artsy, you could make them on your computer and print them out. The world is your oyster.Â
If you want some other ideas, a few of my friends and I made our own punch cards. Feel free to steal some of ours!
- Books read
- Job applications
- Workouts
- Movies/TV shows
- Creative projects
- Scholarship applications
- Homework assignments
- Etsy orders filled (from my friend with a small business)
- Calls home
- Walks
- Cleaning
- Tattoos
- Savings
The new year is a great time to make goals that you actually want to follow through on. Now is your time to try something cute, creative and actually effective. So what are you waiting for? Go get started!