How I'm Approaching 2026 Without New Year's Resolutions
By Suzie Thoraval
A more sustainable way to lead, work and live throughout the whole the year
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
As this year comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about what I’m choosing not to take with me into the year ahead.
Not because ambition doesn’t matter to me — it does — but because I’m increasingly aware that the way we approach a year shapes how it feels to live it.
And I don’t want 2026 to feel like something to get through. I want it to be a year I can actually enjoy.
Stepping off the resolution treadmill
Most of us know what research confirms - that many resolutions are broken within the first couple of months, often because they’re overly optimistic and not connected with how unpredictable and full life already is.
It’s not necessarily that we lack willpower or commitment. More often, it’s that the expectations we set at this time of year don’t leave much room for busy periods, low energy, or the realities of everyday life.
One of the things I’m consciously leaving behind is the idea that January needs to begin with intensity or reinvention. I’m more interested in what it looks like to begin the year in a way that can be sustained.
To that end, instead of starting the year with a long list of goals, I’m choosing something simpler and more flexible: a small set of principles to guide my decisions as the year unfolds.
Why principles, not goals
Goals are useful, but they’re often fixed in time. Principles are different. They stay useful wherever you are and whatever is happening.
Just as they do in a good policy document, personal principles help you make choices when circumstances change. They offer direction without locking you into a single outcome. And they support consistency without rigidity.
This way of thinking fits closely with adaptive stability — holding enough structure to stay grounded, while allowing flexibility when things shift.
We want to create the conditions to lead and live well across a whole year, not just during the weeks where things are calm.
The principles I’m holding for 2026
These aren’t rules or promises. I’m thinking of them as touchstones I can return to as the year unfolds.
Sustainability over intensity If something can’t be maintained for more than a short burst, it’s worth questioning. I want to build rhythms that support energy and clarity, not just output.
Health and wellbeing are non-negotiable Not as an afterthought, and not only when things slow down. How I eat, move, rest and recover directly affects how I show up — especially when the pressure is on.
Relationships matter more than efficiency The people who support and challenge us make a tangible difference to how we cope with the unexpected. I want to protect time for those connections and invest in them before I might need them.
Flexibility without losing direction Plans will change. Priorities will shift. Having adaptive stability means adjusting course without abandoning what matters.
Make room for enjoyment Not everything has to earn its place in my schedule by being productive. A year that includes fun, curiosity and lightness is easier to sustain — and easier to lead from.
What this means for leadership
As much as how we design our year is important for us — it's good to remember it also sends signals.
It tells others what pace is acceptable, whether rest is legitimate, and how pressure is can be handled. Leadership is modelled as much through behaviour as through words.
There’s strong evidence from decision-making and leadership research that sustained fatigue narrows thinking and increases reactivity, while leaders who protect their energy and relationships tend to make better judgments over time.
Groundedness, presence and perspective are supported by the way leaders manage themselves across the year. Having adaptive stability supports you to maintain the capacity to lead well, even when the year doesn’t go to plan.
A few questions for the year ahead
Here are some questions you might like to ask yourself as we head into 2026:
What principles do I want to keep coming back to when I’m making decisions this year?
What kind of pace do I want to set for myself — and for the people around me?
When things get busy or uncertain, what actually helps me stay grounded?
Where would having a bit more support help more than just pushing myself harder?
At the end of the year, what would make me say, “That was a good year to live,” not just a productive one?
These are simple prompts to help orient the year ahead.
Looking to 2026
For me, this next year is about shaping a year that can be lived with energy, care and adaptability — a year guided by principles that support both leadership and life.
That’s what I’m carrying into 2026. This helps me be clearer about what I’m ready to leave behind.
As you think about the year ahead, what principles would you like it to be guided by?
