As 2025 comes to a close, it’s always a great idea to look back on the year ending to give ourselves credit for our accomplishments and notice areas we’d like to improve on, whether its as simple as reading a new book once a month, keeping a promise to yourself to work out every day, or finally booking that dream vacation you’ve always wanted to take.
A new year offers the chance to finally close the book on some of our doubts, stop beating ourselves up for mistakes, and take advantage of the start of the new year and all of the possibilities it holds.
We definitely don’t need to wait for a new year to make positive changes since we get a fresh slate each morning, but if you’re feeling pumped to start the year off on the right path, here are some simple tips and ideas to kickstart your 2026.
Make a morning routine
Every morning when we wake up, we need to decide what kind of day we’re going to have; otherwise, our lives will always be at the whim of what goes right or wrong, whether our coworker is kind to us that day, or our kids get into trouble at school. One of the best ways to set the intention to keep joy in our hearts is as simple as establishing a morning routine, such as committing to staying off social media for the first hour of the day, meditating for three minutes upon waking, or reading for five minutes every morning. Everyone has different schedules and commitments, so it doesn’t have to be a fancy hour-long ritual; it can be as simple as listening to an empowering or funny podcast on the way to work, but it’s a good idea to find at least one thing and commit to doing it every day.
Taking an honest look at your spending habits
When it comes to finances, sometimes it can feel like money is always going out and it can seem difficult to save money. It might not be fun, but it can be really helpful to take a hard look at how much of our income is going toward bills, how much is being saved, and where the rest of our income is flowing. Even setting aside $25 a week to an interest-bearing account or retirement fund will make a big difference in the long run. Try to see if there are any spending habits you can cut back on while still being able to enjoy your life. If you love getting your morning latte, there’s nothing wrong with that, but even opting to buy one every other day can save a lot, along with cutting down on streaming apps or automatic subscriptions that you aren’t really using.
One area to step out of your comfort zone
Whether you want to meet new people, run a marathon, start dating, or learn a new language, we all have something that we think about doing from time to time, but sometimes it feels intimidating and we keep setting it aside. The new year is the perfect excuse to finally give it a try and just see what happens. Oftentimes, when we want to try something new or different, our brain will start giving us a ton of reasons why it can go wrong, and usually these worst-case scenarios never even happen. There’s nothing like finally putting yourself out there and feeling that sense of confidence and being proud of yourself for trying something new, and it usually goes so well that it makes you want to find even more ways to step out of your comfort zone.
Finding healthier eating habits for your body and mind
As with any new habit, the best way to begin is by making a small change and building from there. If you want to eat healthier for your body and mind, you don’t need to do a complete overhaul of your diet and fill your entire refrigerator with fruits and vegetables. Start off small – make a plan to eat at least one fruit a day or even try adding just a handful of almonds or cashews to your diet. When you focus on adding healthier foods to your diet rather than just focusing on eliminating foods you enjoy, it can be easier to turn a small habit into a more consistent change over time.
Find a way to get moving every day
There are many simple ways to add much-needed movement into your daily routine, from taking a 30-minute walk to daily stretching, making a plan with friends to try a free workout class followed by coffee, or joining a gym that offers a variety of classes and fun workouts. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t need to be intense, but it’s extremely important for our body and mind to engage in some kind of movement every single day.
Leave the past behind
Every day, we have the chance to start anew, but our minds can have a tendency to look back on things that are no longer serving us. Setbacks, disappointments, and even betrayals can become catalysts for real change in our lives if we let them, but we also need to learn how to forgive others and even ourselves in order to heal from the past and move forward. There’s nothing wrong with being hurt or upset about certain situations, but there comes a point when we need to recognize if we’re just replaying the same hurt and disappointment over and over in our heads. A new year is the perfect time to leave the past behind and focus on all the good things to come.
Practicing gratitude
As with letting things go, it’s also important to focus on everything we have. Gratitude literally changes our brain when practiced regularly and rewires it to focus more on the positive aspects of life, boosts happiness, lowers stress, and improves self-esteem. There are so many things to be grateful for, from the fact that we woke up to see another day, have a healthy body and mind, to getting home safely at the end of another day. Write down one thing you are grateful for at the end of each day, no matter how small, and the habit will slowly transform your mindset.
