Resolution Revolution
What people are commiting themselves to do in 2026, and what it says about the state of where things are at.
What’s going on?
January = resolution time – so here’s a quick primer on the promises people have been making to themselves, and the behaviors they’re embracing to make it happen.
Of course, traditional self-improvement content persists – like the It Girl Rebrand.
And for all my snarking on the “2026 is the year of analog” trend pieces, becoming less tech reliant (or at least more conscious of one’s tech consumption) is a leading goal, from generally being more analog to finding ways to limit ones’s screentime.
In more emerging trends, self-improvement comes with a softer dimension: a lot of advocating for self-care, and permission to pause traditional resolutions and instead treat January as a “reset month.”
But a big general shift is more people rejecting traditional resolutions as “boring and ineffective.”
So how to mix it up?
One way is focusing on “achievable resolutions,” sometimes in the form of “26 goals for 2026.”
But it’s also about being “more fun” and “less boring” (with tips for each month) and developing “fun resolutions” – and, of course, embracing whimsy – think: befriend a crow.
And some specific behaviors people are embracing (because again, a bigger theme is “habits, not resolutions”)
Analog bags and baskets: A physical place to keep things that take people offline – think paint brushes and games.
Side quests: Low-stakes pursuits that sit outside productivity logic.
Naming every single day like an episode title: making days memorable without needing to be busy.
Trying to be more of a villager: embracing community.
What’s driving it?
A growing fatigue with optimization culture: when self-improvement becomes an exercise in constant discipline, it starts to feel like another job. Softer approaches resolutions offer a way to opt out without giving up entirely.
What does it mean?
Instead of focusing on momentum or visible transformation, people are paying closer attention to how they can make their daily life more grounded – and more enjoyable.
But the 2026 resolutions also reflect how constrained many people feel. Resources like time, energy, attention, and money feel tight, so commitments shrink as well – big transformations feel out of step with the realities of everyday life.
The rise of whimsical resolutions reflects another signal: many people don’t seem to be enjoying their daily routines very much. If more traditional self-optimization resolutions came from a time of leisure and abundance, these resolutions suggest we’re living in times of deprivation. (Also: many of the “more fun” or “less boring” resolutions add some degree of friction – also a growing theme of 2026.)
Final takeaway
Our 2026 New Year’s resolutions mark a shift away from self-optimization. Rather than chasing transformation, people are looking for ways to make everyday lives feel steadier – or even just a bit more joyful.