As another year winds down, many of us start thinking about goals for the next one. We begin setting targets and making promises to ourselves that this will finally be the year we achieve that goal. Whether it is losing weight, working out, practicing more self-care, taking up a new hobby, save or make more money or work on a career goal – our goals often lean towards “doing” or “achieving” something in some way.
What if it didn’t have to be about doing more? What if, instead, it was about just being more? Not more over-productive. Not more over-impressive. Not more over-accomplished. But more who you want to be and how you want to show up in this world. More real. More grounded. More compassionate. More aligned with the kind of person you want to be and the energy you want to bring to everything and everyone around you.
One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself when heading into a new year is “Who am I and do I actually truly like this version of myself?”
It invites us to reflect on how we speak to people, the energy we bring, our level of patience and understanding, how we respond to stress, and whether we’re creating connection or tension. It forces us to really consider “are you proud of how you show up and the impact you have”?
What if 2026 was the year of inner growth instead of outer pressure?
Instead of goals like “Get more done” or “Be more productive,” try things like:
- Show up with more kindness.
- Practice responding; not reacting.
- Listen with curiosity.
- Self-manage those assumptions or judgements.
- Honour energy and boundaries for yourself and for others
- Truly, be someone you’re proud of at the end of each day.
A different kind of reset. A reset doesn’t have to be about a new plan or accomplishment. It can be about a new perspective where you ask yourself:
- What parts of myself am I ready to outgrow?
- What parts am I ready to nurture?
- Who do I want to be in the moments no one witnesses?
- How do I want people to feel after interacting with me?
- What would it look like to live more from my values than my to-do list?
You don’t need to accomplish your way into retirement. You need to strive to become the best version of yourself. The part that knows what truly matters to live a fulfilled life that isn’t about “stuff”.
So, let 2026 be the year you choose growth over pressure, presence over perfection and being over doing.
Could you only imagine what kind of world we would co-create if we all focused on that?
As you move into this new year, ask yourself: “How can I show up as someone I truly like, trust, and respect?”
If that’s the only goal you set for 2026, it’s more than enough.