This year, I’m not pretending to float into January like a yogi who’s mastered inner peace. I’m arriving messy, hopeful, determined… and ready to dance.
South Africa (01 January 2026) – The time between Christmas and New Year is a little weird. I tend to lose track of what day it is. And I eat far too much. Mostly cheese. But every year, at this time, I think about the year that was, and the year to come… and inevitably, resolutions.
I like to kick off the year with a “resolutions” article. And this year, I wrote something really beautiful. It was polished. Everything I thought you wanted to hear: that resolutions are outdated, that intentions matter more, and that presence and gratitude are enough. I wrote about ditching pressure and embracing gentleness. I apologised on your behalf for every time the calendar has made you feel like you had to fix yourself.
And then I realised… it was too polished.
It was what I thought you needed to hear to “ease into the New Year without guilt”… but it wasn’t what I actually wanted to say. Yes, presence matters. Gratitude matters. And sometimes choosing gentleness is the bravest choice you can make. But also… I have real things I want to do in 2026.
So, in my full glory (no pandering here), these are my 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2026. Maybe you’ll find some of your own in them. Maybe it will inspire you to write a list. Maybe you’ll just feel seen. Whatever happens, let’s step into 2026 together… messy, hopeful, honest and determined to make this year feel like ours.
1. Dance more. And be the reason others dance.
I’ve always said, “Never be the reason someone stops dancing.” Like, if someone is doing something they love (or even like a little) and it’s not hurting anyone else, or illegal, then never be the reason they stop.
This year, I’m upgrading it. I want to be the reason someone starts dancing (or doing things that they love). I am going to compliment you. I am going to cheer for you. And I am going to inspire you.
Yes!! Do all the things you love (or like, even just a little).
2. Remember that most people feel like they’re not enough.
Anxiety, impostor syndrome, not feeling worthy… most of us are carrying this. Me too. So, with that understanding comes a responsibility: more empathy, more softness and more kindness. Towards everyone. Even to me. If I can be gentler with strangers than I am with my own reflection, something needs to shift.
3. Say yes to more things. With a list.
I once had a “Year of Yes”. It was decades ago. But it changed my life. For the better.
So we’re doing it again. Those shoes? Yes. In every colour? Yes! That island holiday? Yes. And add on those extra days? Yes!!! Doing that thing that scares me? Absolutely yes! And I’m making a list… a physical record of every yes I say yes to. I want to measure my 2026 courage.
4. Skip more.
Why did we stop skipping? Children skip because they’re happy. Or maybe, maybe, they’re happy because they skip. Skipping is joy in motion.
Implementing immediately.
5. Learn to love the body I live in.
I have body dysmorphia. I grew up overweight. Those feelings don’t vanish just because the number on a scale has changed. The media doesn’t help. Old narratives don’t help.
So this year, I’m learning to love the body that has carried me through every adventure.
Not when I earn it. Not when I look a certain way.
Now.
6. Be present. And grateful.
Okay, so my first attempt at writing this article only featured these two things. As an “intention”. But now it’s one of my goals for this year.
Gratitude is not pretending everything is fine. It’s remembering that even when things are hard, there are still pockets of good.
Presence lets us see them. Gratitude lets us feel them. Together, they build a life we’re actually awake for.
Write that down.
7. Take more pictures of ordinary joy.
Not the perfect Insta shot. Photos of things. To remember. Me, in my pyjamas, still at midday. The sun hitting a carpet in a certain way. A friend laughing. The mundane moments that, one day, will mean everything. The archive of a life well-lived.
8. Do more things for the plot. Main character energy.
Book the flight. Cut the hair. Wear the outfit. Leave the room. Transform the story.
Life is short and the plot is ours to thicken. If future me will laugh, grow, or learn from it… it’s probably worth doing.
9. Tell that voice in your head to f*ck off when it’s being an asshole.
Mine is mean sometimes. Yours might be too. This year, I am literally telling that voice to f*ck off. If it wouldn’t be acceptable from a colleague, friend, or stranger, it shouldn’t be acceptable from me. Being an asshole, even when it’s internal, is not going to be part of my new year.
10. And that goes for real people too.
I am putting up boundaries. If someone is toxic, unkind, belittling, or draining… totsiens. Kindness matters. So does self-respect. You can love people and still choose peace. You can wish someone well and still walk away. Both things can be true.
So, those are all my resolutions.
And maybe you love resolutions. Maybe you hate them. Maybe you’re just trying to kick-start January without crying in the shower. Wherever you are on that spectrum, it’s okay. There is no correct way to enter a new year. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life simply because the calendar moved forward. But you are allowed to try, if you want to, in whatever way feels manageable. You’re allowed to want more without apologising for it, to choose joy before justification, to set boundaries that protect your peace and to take up space in your own story.
This year isn’t waiting for you to reach some imaginary finish line of perfection. It’s waiting for you to begin, exactly as you are, with whatever energy you have, even if it’s just enough to take one small step.
Happy New Year… wishing you only good things.
by 