New Year Goals For 2026
I have been giving thought to how few goals I have for 2026, compared to previous years. The reason is that I worked diligently this year to make a few changes, and for once they actually stuck.
The goals I managed to achieve and continue throughout 2025 are:
- Drink more water
- Practice Spanish regularly
- Break my processed sugar addiction
- Lose 20 pounds (I actually lost 25)
- Read more
- Add more organized social groups and clubs to my/our lives
I am so very happy with the results of the above goal achievements, and that they have now become regular practices.
A book that I read this year, and found extremely helpful was 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear. I had more 'aha' moments as I read through the book than I have in a very long time.
The most compelling idea that I read in Mr. Clear's book was:
Success rarely occurs overnight, but through the power of incremental changes
I interpreted, and implemented this, to mean that consistency was much more important than perfection. I didn't need to be perfect, I just had to keep trying. And eventually, I did become consistent, which was the ultimate goal. Not perfection.
So with that in mind, my list for 2026 is fairly modest by comparison:
2026 Goals
- Practice daily meditation
- Strength train 5 of 7 days at home (push ups, planking, and squats) and 2 of 7 days at our gym
- Lose 3 pounds
- Run a 5k and a 10k
-The daily meditation is in an effort to slow my increasingly frenetic brain.
-The strength training is to help offset the effects of the natural physical decline of aging.
-The additional 3 pound weight loss is to reach the very lowest healthy BMI threshold for my age and height. I feel really good at 108, but I am interested in seeing what if any difference getting to the absolutely lowest 'healthy' BMI weight feels and looks like.
-The 5k and 10k are an effort to overcome (I.e., ignore) the painful bunion I have in one foot. Longer distances, of which I did oodles in my 30's and 40's, are probably no longer feasible per the afterward pain from my bunion, but the shorter distances should be doable and not create too much residual pain. (I did see a podiatrist already about the bunion, and he said to go ahead and run as long as I care to, as it will not negatively effect the bunion in any way. Though it may hurt! 😂)
Wishing the Happiest of 2026 New Years to you all!
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Today's Healthy Focus Plan - Six mile walk to and along beach, do laundry, book hotel and activities for pre-Panama Canal cruise stay in Fort Lauderdale, send list of excursion choices for Alaska cruise to younger daughter, book post-Alaska cruise land tour, read, nap, depart for sunset viewing and small bites dinner at our social boat club.
Those sound like good goals to have. Hopefully the foot discomfort won't hamper your 5k and 10k runs! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThe bunion is the pits - I am increasingly having to just say 'hi' to all the cute shoes in my closet instead of wearing them.
DeleteI'm nothing if not vain over here! 😄
My older daughter and her partner will be here visiting for a week this spring, and we'll all be doing a 5K while they are here. They will be focusing on speed (they are fast) and I will be focusing on completion and not being last. My how things change!
Hope all is well where you are Debs. I'll be in the British Isles the entire month of August on first a cruise, and then a land tour. Hoping I'll hit the weather just right!
Great goals! I plan to be more social in clubs and activities as I keep reading that is a key to aging well. I also have the usual goals of eat better and exercise more. But most of all, enjoy each and everyday and be in the moment.
ReplyDeleteI joined two new social groups this year, and am so enjoying both. My husband and I together joined a social club, and that has been GREAT. So many opportunities to socialize and become involved. Can't overstate how much it has added to our retirement lives. I/we feel surrounded by friendly people now, almost whenever we go out. As we age, it has been really, really fantastic in feeling like we have ongoing connections within our community.
DeleteOur daily walks to the beach are probably our best ways of enjoying being in the moment on a regular basis. I do know exactly what you mean by striving to live in the moment, even if I'm not always able to execute. But I do try!