New Year's Resolutions - Lets keep it real...

With 2026 only weeks away, and burnout well into its burning phase, the pressure to make 2026 “the best year yet” is already looming. The pressure to do everything you didn’t quite get to this year (likely for very valid reasons…) is quietly brimming below the surface—already wreaking havoc on nervous systems that are, frankly, very full.

So before you commit to waking up at 5am, meditating daily, training for a marathon, learning a language, and becoming your best self by February… let’s pause.

How do you set resolutions that actually honour your emotional, mental, and physical health in the long term—in a way that is genuinely sustainable and doesn’t land you right back in burnout by the end of January?

Here are a few tips that may come in handy.

First and foremost, take a moment to appreciate all that you went through—and all that you overcame—in 2025.

Take a moment.

Take a deep breath in… and a pause to exhale. (Yes, a real one.)

Be grateful for all that you got yourself through, all that you tried, all that you gave a go, and all that you took on—even the things that didn’t go quite to plan. Especially those.

Next, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what didn’t—without critique or self-judgement. This is curiosity, not a performance review.

What did go well, and why?

What didn’t turn out as you expected, and what might have gotten in the way?

Which goals or habits were the hardest to sustain—and looking back, what do you think made them difficult? (Hint: “I was exhausted” is a very valid answer.)

This process helps you understand what may actually be sustainable in 2026—and what you may need to say “no” to, adjust, or approach differently.

Now pause again—this time for a little longer—and ask yourself:

Were these resolutions realistic for me?

Not for my neighbour across the road. Not for an Olympian. Not for a mythical, well-rested, responsibility-free superhuman.

But for me. In this stage of life. With these stressors, demands, and the very real limits I’m juggling.

What goals could I set that don’t launch me into burnout by February… or late January… or, if we’re being honest, the second week back at work?

And beyond being realistic—do these goals actually align with my values?

If someone asked you, “What would you want to look back on your life with contentment and integrity years from now?”—what would you say?

It doesn’t have to be perfect, eloquent, or fully formed. Just something true.

Lastly, throughout next year—live in the moment and adjust. Live and adjust. Not the other way around.

Notice what it feels like to live out the goals you’ve set. Are they doable? Do they serve you? Do they need adjusting? (More than once? That’s allowed.)

So here’s to 2026—the year of living with curiosity, self-reflection, flexibility, and a little less pressure to have it all figured out by January 1st.

Cheers to being you in 2026!

And if you’d like support in navigating burnout, setting sustainable goals, or stepping into a place of mindful next year, we’d love to support you. Please feel free to reach out to our practice.