We’ve all done it at least once, setting a new year’s resolution goal towards overall fitness and body image. There is nothing wrong with this by the way, working on yourself and being happy within your own skin whatever way you do that is an incredible goal to achieve and you don’t need to go to the gym or lose weight to do this. But if like me you’re looking for a way to do something different with your 2026 and give yourself a goal or task you wouldn’t normally set then we’re here to help. Below are a handful of different resolutions you can set yourself to take on a new and unique challenge in 2026.
Expanding Your Taste
This one was a habit that spawned during covid lockdowns and then turned into a resolution later the next year. How often do you get told “you must watch this!” or “you must read this!”, it can be a book, film, video game or even an album. Expanding your taste and diving into classics or new modern iconic pieces of media you typically wouldn’t engage with is a great way to expand your mind. How I did it one year was on January 1st I set a theme for every month of the year and I’d try to watch one movie a week, listen to one album a week, and read one book a month based on that theme
For example: In January the themes were True Story for books and films and the 90’s for music.
So in January I read: The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku (literally in my top 3 books ever now, you must read it)
I watched: Green Book, Catch Me If You Can, Titanic, and Schindlers List. (I cried a lot this month)
I listened to albums by: Radio Head, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jeff Buckley. (Seriously, so many tears)
The goal was to step outside my typical choice of media, try new things, and that I did. I created a new routine to try these and loved it, and found new favourites. Other themes included: Award winners, sports, fantasy/scifi, music/musicals, crime. etc.
Backing Yourself
This is the one I will be taking on in 2026. The title might sound like it’s all about self confidence, but it might not be in the way you’d expect it to be. I am one of those people who when they leave the house or when they go to bed, make sure they’ve checked the front door is locked. But I end up checking it like two or three more times afterwards because I don’t trust myself. Not once have I ever gotten it wrong but I still do it. This New Years Resolution is all about trusting myself with these little things. Not having to check things a thousand times to reassure myself before I leave home, go to bed, or walk in to an event. It’s such a little thing but a good challenge to help better your life and grow some confidence.
“No” Is a Full Sentence
I’m stealing this one from the very popular actress Elizabeth Olsen. Elizabeth Olsen shared in an interview that she had adopted the mentality that saying “No” is enough of a reason to not do something if it makes you unnecessarily uncomfortable. You don’t need to have a reason to be uncomfortable, it’s okay to not want to do something and you don’t need to make up some random reason as to why you can’t do it. You don’t need to fake an illness, pretend a grandparent died, or even (and someone pulled this on me) fake a minor car accident. Looking at all you people pleasers.
The Ted Lasso Effect
Another one I want to take into 2026 is from one of my favourite shows, Ted Lasso. From the viral darts scene in season one, Ted Lasso utters the phrase once spoken by Walt Whitman “be curious, not judgemental.”. The purpose of this resolution is to confront the reality that you do in fact not know everything, and that going in to a situation, even one where you’re so sure the other person is wrong, with a readiness to listen and understand. You can still be sure in your assessment of whatever situation but being mindful of taking the time to stop, listen, learn and assess will allow you to learn and grow. Stop going in to conversations just waiting for your turn to talk again and completely missing everything the person opposite just shared with you. Whether friend or foe, take the time to stop and understand something completely before lunging in. Plus, there is nothing wrong at all with not having an answer to something and you don’t need to feel threatened by that.
A Literal Bucket List
One huge goal can sometimes feel extremely daunting. Another way to feel good and grow as an individual is you can write a list with lots of smaller goals. These can revolve around travel, new hobbies, career goals, or even family and friends commitments. Make sure you go in with the reality that you don’t need to finish them all, it’d be really fulfilling if you did, but that’s not the purpose. I set myself 32 goals one year which included fitness goals, language learning goals, picking up new recipes in the kitchen, and many more, and slowly crossing them off over a year felt incredible. By the end of that year I finished maybe just over half, but I felt incredibly accomplished by the end.
Reconnecting With Old Loves
No, don’t call them back. I don’t mean that. Getting back in touch with old hobbies you loved or old friends is a great way to respark some inspiration. Played an instrument in high school? Pick it up again and take it further. Used to love experimenting in the kitchen but grew complacent? Take a cooking class and expand your palette and find new ways to enjoy hobbies you’ve already engaged with before.
