I try not to set New Year’s resolutions; I set aims instead of goals! The reason for that is to be gentler to myself and to pull myself in a certain direction rather than giving a promise I don’t even know if I can keep.
I’ve actually written more deeply about “aim instead of goals” in my newsletter, in this particular archived post: https://buttondown.com/trixjoyce/archive/i-set-aims-instead-of-goals-for-2026/
You can subscribe to my newsletter here as well: https://buttondown.com/trixjoyce
But here I want to share what aims I have for 2026, nonetheless!
1 . Only say yes to people if I have the energy and willpower
Yes, this means even family! As it is now, I don’t have much contact with my biological family. I feel like they don’t deserve it, and I feel like I’ve said yes too much to them in the past. My biological family will never care about me as much as my chosen family does. And I’ve finally realized that I can’t be the only one keeping things together when they don’t even try to do the bare minimum.
This means saying no to things because I either have no energy or willpower. Like this week, I said no to an event in my biological sister’s family. Of course, she got very offended and upset and accused me of being the one splitting up our family and of being awful and ruining things in the past. Like our Christmas when we were younger. Even though it was actually our parents who ruined it by treating me the way they did. But no, I’m the one at fault, according to her. A child was at fault. Wonderful.
So I’ve started to say no more frequently now.
2 . Gentle productivity is important!
While I have goals that can be categorized as “productive”, like finishing my bachelor’s degree or keeping the apartment organized and such, I still recognize the importance of doing things gently. This year will be a year of more gentle productivity!
3 . Make self-care a priority
I have always prioritized self-care, but more in the theoretical sense than doing it in practice. This year, I will rest when I need to, meditate more often (but not to make it a chore), journal to take care of my feelings, and so on.
I’ve also realized that my spirituality is a big part of self-care. So I will definitely take more time for my spiritual practice this year. Like tarot/oracle cards, crystal healing meditation, doing spells and rituals, candle magick, and so on.
4 . Only let people in my life who genuinely want to and can be there
As I’ve written about above, my dysfunctional family is, of course, what this is about. I’ve tried, but without success for years now. Now I proudly choose who I want to let into my life. I’ve realized that biology is overrated anyway. I’ve chosen to cut out toxicity, even if that means biological family or relatives.
If we cannot treat each other with dignity and respect, we are not meant to be in each other’s lives.
5 . Be realistic in my healing journey
This is a tough one. Because I really want to do more than I sometimes can. I have a hard time being realistic, I think. So now I will expect baby steps. And that’s okay. I don’t have to take giant steps to feel like I’m moving forward.
So these were my 5 aims for 2026!
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