If you want ‘New Year’s intentions’ instead of resolutions, start here

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If you want a positive mindset, skip the resolution this year.
Table of Contents
- What’s the difference between resolutions and New Year’s intentions?
- Not sure where to start? Here are 10 simple intentions to guide your 2026 goals.
- 1. I intend to care for myself without needing to earn it.
- 2. I intend to notice what actually helps me feel better.
- 3. I intend to release the idea that I have to do everything well at once.
- 4. I intend to speak to myself with more kindness.
- 5. I intend to make space for joy in small, ordinary ways.
- 6. I intend to let my energy guide my priorities.
- 7. I intend to stay curious instead of judgmental.
- 8. I intend to be present more often than I am productive.
- 9. I intend to allow my goals to evolve.
- 10. I intend to move through this year with grace.
There’s a certain kind of irony to the timing of New Year’s resolutions. Coming on the heels of a busy holiday season that pushes burnout even further for many of us, feeling the pressure to then “change” something about our lives or habits is, well, not particularly an act of kindness. Yes, this time of year may shine a light on some habits we could shift for the better—like making more space for self-care, revamping a morning routine or prioritizing something that you’re passionate about.
But, the problem with a New Year’s resolution is that it can feel binary: Either you stick to it and it’s a success. Or you don’t, and it’s a failure. Really, neither is true. And, more importantly, that is not the kind of energy we need in our lives right now.
Related: Mama, just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you need to be a ‘new you’
If you want to enter the New Year with a fresh and positive mindset, skip the resolution this year. Instead, create New Year’s intentions to guide you during 2025.
What’s the difference between resolutions and New Year’s intentions?
One of the biggest challenges with a resolution is it is a goal without a plan that makes it possible. Think of common resolutions we hear year after year: to feel stronger, eat healthier, sleep better, spend less time on our phones, focus more on your mental health, strive for a better work-life balance. On their own, these are all fine goals—but without a roadmap, many of us get lost after the first turn. (AKA about mid-January.) Then what? We feel worse than when we started. Happy New Year!
New Year’s intentions, on the other hand, are positive-yet-gentle directions you want to move. These are the steps in the process rather than the end destination. For example, instead of saying “I want to eat healthier,” an intention looks like “I intend to learn what nutritious foods I enjoy cooking and eating.” It may seem like a small change to the phrasing, but the effect can be a powerful act of acceptance and positivity.
Related: I’m done with New Year’s resolution pressure
Not sure where to start? Here are 10 simple intentions to guide your 2026 goals.
1. I intend to care for myself without needing to earn it.
Rest, quiet, nourishment, and support are not rewards for productivity. This year, I intend to meet my own needs simply because I am human.
2. I intend to notice what actually helps me feel better.
Instead of forcing habits that sound good on paper, I will pay attention to what truly restores me, whether that is movement, solitude, laughter, or asking for help.
3. I intend to release the idea that I have to do everything well at once.
Some seasons call for growth. Others call for survival. I intend to let each season be what it is, without labeling myself a success or a failure.
4. I intend to speak to myself with more kindness.
When things feel hard or messy, I will practice replacing criticism with compassion and remind myself that effort still counts, even when outcomes are imperfect.
5. I intend to make space for joy in small, ordinary ways.
Joy does not need to be big or planned. I intend to notice it in a hot shower, fresh air, a shared laugh, or a quiet moment at the end of the day.
6. I intend to let my energy guide my priorities.
Rather than pushing through exhaustion, I will check in with my energy levels and allow them to shape how much I take on and when I rest.
7. I intend to stay curious instead of judgmental.
When I feel stuck or frustrated, I will ask myself what I might need or learn, rather than assuming something is wrong with me.
8. I intend to be present more often than I am productive.
I will practice putting my attention where my feet are, even if only for a few minutes at a time, trusting that presence matters more than perfection.
9. I intend to allow my goals to evolve.
If something no longer fits or serves me, I give myself permission to adjust without guilt. Growth does not have to be linear to be meaningful.
10. I intend to move through this year with grace.
Grace for my children. Grace for my partner. And especially grace for myself on the days when everything feels harder than expected.
These intentions are not rules to follow or boxes to check. They are gentle directions, offering support and grounding as the year unfolds, one imperfect, meaningful day at a time.
What’s one intention you’ll set for yourself in 2025? Share it with us on social media!
A version of this post was published December 20, 2021. It has been updated.

















































































