It's nearly the start of another new year, and if you're anything like me, you might be swept up in the hope and anticipation that 2026 has the potential to be your best year yet. And while statistically, most New Year's Resolutions do eventually fall by the wayside, there's absolutely nothing wrong but using the momentum and fresh feeling of a blank calendar to get on top of things and to feel like your life is in order.
I've always been a fan of physically writing things down with pen and paper — there's just something about getting out behind your screens, the tactile feeling of actually putting pen to paper, and adding the personality of your own handwriting to your goals and intentions that seems to make them feel more real.
So crack open a fresh page of your journal, and let's get to work — because this is the perfect time to write down your 2026 New Year's Resolutions and answer a few January journal prompts so that you kick off the year on the right foot!
Pssst... Here's a few printable planners I thought you might like!
At the start of 2025, I finally cracked open a small notebook that a friend had given me for my birthday a few years back — one of those "One Line a Day" journals that asks you to write a quick summary of each day of the year. I'm proud to say that I've successfully completely filling out the notebook every single day this year (okay, a few entries were a day or two behind, but nobody is perfect).
Being able to flip back through my thoughts during 2025 is a gift. On days when I'm feeling imposter syndrome, I can turn to February or March and really remind myself just how far I've come on all of my goals — and it's fun to pick a random date and re-read my entry, almost like a time-travel portal back to exactly how I was feeling that day.
This is the benefit of daily journaling, and January is the perfect time to start a new habit if you don't already have a morning routine or daily ritual of jotting your thoughts down. Journaling allows you to bring to the surface and untangle your most complicated, sometimes jumbled or unclear thoughts.
Simply writing things down — even if it's a total brain dump or feels like a disorganized mess — can help you identify patterns, deep-rooted concerns, and allow you to figure out what areas of your life you may want to focus on as you move through you days, weeks and months.
But one thing to be careful about as we try to put our best foot forward in 2026: Make sure to resist the urge to overhaul everything at once. January often turns light self-reflection into a pressure cooker, especially when it’s framed as a deadline for getting your life fully organized. Instead of trying to tackle everything in one sitting and all of your goals right out of the gate, it helps to look at how your days actually work right now.
Pay attention to where your time goes, what consistently drains your energy, and what you somehow keep finding space for even when things feel busy — that's a signal you really care about it. These patterns are more informative than any resolution list, and understanding them gives you a more realistic starting point for coming up with resolutions that you can actually follow through on.
I hope the fresh start of 2026 brings you clarity and forward momentum, even if it shows up gradually or uneven at first. Enjoy some downtime during the holidays, and try to carve out some time before New Year’s Eve for yourself — not to force impossible-to-keep resolutions or a total life overhaul, but to take an honest look at what’s been working, what hasn’t, and what you want more room for in the year ahead.
A few pages in a notebook, a walk without your phone, or an uninterrupted solo morning can be enough to reset your perspective. You don’t need everything figured out before the clock strikes midnight — you just need to identify a few of the things that are worth carrying with you into 2026.
Happy 2026!
