Revisiting New Year’s Resolutions: Stepping Back Onto the Field
As I think about the year ahead and what I want 2026 to look like, one thing feels clear: I want this to be a good year. Not a perfect year. Not one where every goal is met effortlessly or every box is checked. Just a good year. A year that is marked by intention, presence, and honest effort.
That’s why revisiting New Year’s resolutions matters.
Too often, resolutions are treated as a one-time event. We set them in January, full of hope and motivation, and then quietly abandon them when life does what it always does. Life gets busy, messy, and unpredictable. But meaningful change doesn’t happen in a straight line, and it certainly doesn’t happen simply because the calendar flips.
Revisiting our intentions gives us permission to pause and reassess. To ask: Is this still realistic? Is this still important? Does this still fit the life I’m actually living, not the one I imagined in a burst of January optimism? A fresh start doesn’t belong only to January 1st. It’s available any time we stop long enough to reflect.
Over time, I’ve stopped chasing perfect goals and started building what actually supports me. Simple habits. Small check-ins. Structures that help me stay connected to what matters most. For me, that grounding often comes back to values. To the two words I wear every day: STRONG and HAPPY. They’re not goals to achieve, but reminders of how I want to show up.
I think of this approach as creating a calendar of catalysts: intentional moments throughout the year that invite reflection. These aren’t checkpoints meant to judge progress. They’re gentle invitations to ask, What’s working? What feels heavy? What might need adjusting? They remind us that growth is ongoing and that course correction is part of the process, not a failure.
This way of approaching change creates space for both acceptance and expectation. We can accept ourselves as we are today with our energy levels, our limitations, and our humanness, while still expecting more from ourselves in ways that are compassionate rather than punishing. These ideas aren’t opposites. In fact, they work best together.
Self-compassion doesn’t mean lowering standards until nothing matters. It means setting standards that honor reality. Sustainable habits aren’t built through pressure alone; they’re built through consistency, forgiveness, and recommitment. They are built through noticing when we drift and then choosing to come back.
If you find yourself wanting support as you revisit your goals, build habits that actually stick, or create a rhythm of accountability that feels kind instead of rigid, this is the work I help clients do. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Often, having a thoughtful space to reflect and recalibrate makes all the difference. I’m available for individual sessions. You can reach me rachel@livehealthynyc.com.
As you revisit your resolutions this year, consider asking yourself: What still matters? What needs to change? What would feel supportive right now? You don’t need to start over. You don’t need a brand-new version of yourself. Just a willingness to keep showing up thoughtfully, imperfectly, and with intention.
This is how good years are made!