2026 Keeping It Real with Resolutions
It's that time of year. You know what I mean, don’t you? The annual appointment with self-improvement, where we attempt to draft some *meaningful New Year's Resolutions. Ideally, this would also be the moment we dust off last year’s list and tally our magnificent successes (or spectacular failures). Since my previous list was apparently scribbled on a cocktail napkin and lost to the ages, we’re starting fresh!
The Old Standbys: Resolutions That Just Won't Quit
Based on my “in-depth” research (read: skimming three articles while waiting for coffee), these are the perennial favorites—the tried and mostly untried.
The Top 6 New Year's Resolutions (The 2026 Edition)
While the marathon of fitness and the quest for financial freedom always dominate, 2026 sees a marked shift. Turns out, we’re finally realizing that sanity and joy might be more important than just fitting into those old jeans.
1. Exercise more (The perennial #1, often achieved by walking from the couch to the fridge.)
2. Be happy (The "just tell me to be rich" of mental goals. Rapidly rising priority.)
3. Eat healthier (A resolution that lasts until the first piece of chocolate cake is sitting on the counter.)
4. Save more money (or improve finances. Translation: Stop buying things you don't need.)
5. Improve mental health (e.g., reduce stress, better sleep. A noble, essential goal.)
6. Lose weight (See #1 and #3.)
They look fantastic on paper, don't they? But let's pause for a sobering reality check. How many people actually stick the landing? The statistics on maintaining these grand promises are generally abysmal, proving that the road to good intentions is paved with mid-January surrender.
Overall Success Rate Only - about 6% to 9% of people succeed for the “entire” year. | You are statistically more likely to be terrible at this. Some issues to face….
Quitter’s Day - The second Friday in January. A sacred day for shame-eating leftover holiday cookies.
The Drop-Off Timeline -43% quit by the end of January. New Year's energy evaporates faster than morning dew.
Average Duration - The average resolution lasts roughly 3.74 months. We're not sprinters; we're ambitious crawlers.
Okay, how am I going to beat this? It’s hard to argue with the depressing stats, but I'm going to try to defy them. Here’s my personal, and highly negotiable list for the year:
My (Slightly More Realistic) 2026 Starting Point
And these are not in any particular order. (except for the first one)
Don't worry about my daughter!! Okay, I'll rephrase. Of course, I will worry—that's the Parent Contract—but it’s time to dial it back. She’s currently living her dream in a far-off land. While I miss her terribly, she is happy, and that is the only metric that matters. I will try to swap worry for pride.
Be Happy. I'm generally a cup ½ full guy, but who couldn’t use a little more joy? My (unmeasurable) metric will be this: trying to be positive (less negative internal monologue) and taking a deep breath (more often, especially before rolling my eyes).
Listen Better and More. This is a genuine problem. My brain is usually drafting my rebuttal before the other person has finished their sentence. The goal? Listen to what they have to say, “don't” argue immediately, and perhaps try to accept the other person's viewpoint... even when they are profoundly, hilariously wrong. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room.
Read more. This should be easy. I used to be a bookworm, but the printed page has been mercilessly elbowed out by the glowing, infinitely distracting rectangles of my iPad and iPhone. Time to reclaim the pleasure of turning a page.
Lose weight. Really? Fine. Let's aim for a modest 5-8 lbs. My recent foot injuries have thrown a wrench into my exercise routine, so the new strategy is: less sweets, slightly less alcohol, and finding ways to move that don't involve crippling pain.
Kiss the wife - more. I think I can nail this one. Do I need a daily quota? Must I track the KPI (Key Performance Indicator)? Perhaps I'll just focus on quality over quantity (but maybe aim for both).
Be A Nice Guy on the Pickleball Court? I’ve been working on this and I’m getting better. Work in progress, I guess. I'm still actively trying to be the "Nice Guy on the Pickleball Court." It's hard—apparently, the desire to win is a stronger personality trait than I thought. My sportsmanship is tested when that little voice tells me to dramatically sigh after a whiff.
Well, that’s a start. I’m quite sure I could have aimed higher, like saving the world or finally finishing that 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a cloudy sky. But, let’s be realistic—I'd probably just end up dropping the puzzle. They say life has 4 laps (like running a mile), and I know I've definitely blown past the first two. Let’s just hope the finish line isn't around the next corner, because I still haven't figured out where I put my car keys.
Thanks for reading! I'll check back on these goals in a few months to see how I'm doing, or if I've just started collecting more dust than accomplishments!
