Hey Team!
Here we are in day two of 2026, and I have a reminder for you when it comes to new habits, resolutions, and activities:
YOU CAN PICK SOMETHING FUN.
I know, I know! We get so many messages this time of year about crushing our goals, and about dedication and determination, and about how hard we must work to be better, better, better.
And to that, I say, “Meh.”
If that kind of approach inspires you, then please forge ahead.
BUT
If that kind of talk makes you feel kind of tired and worn out before you even start, then please remember that your new year doesn’t have to be filled with that stuff.
You can choose a fun path that will lead you where you want to go.*
That might mean picking fun or whimsical activities or it might mean being fun and whimsical while doing a more straightforward activity.
If you wanted a fun or whimsical fitness goal, you could try a new dance video every week or you could challenge yourself to find specific items on your walks (kind of like a scavenger hunt.)
If you want to get stronger instead of lifting weights, you could pick items around your house that you’re going to practice lifting.
If you want/have to do ordinary activities and you can’t find a fun version, you can choose fun outfits or accessories, specific music or podcasts, or ask someone fun to keep you company while you get things done.
The main message here is that trying new things, taking on new habits, adding to your fitness or your wellness levels, does not have to be a slog.
I just want you to be kind to yourself, to be good to yourself, and to be able to expand your life in ways that will be satisfying for you, without feeling like the whole thing is a punishment.
Expanding your life may take effort, it may take focus, but it doesn’t have to be awful.
The days of “no pain, no gain” are long behind us.
When it comes to any fitness or wellness goal you might have this year, there is probably a fun way for you to achieve it, or, at the very least a way, to have more fun in the process.**
REMEMBER: Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it’s not working.
So, Team, please be kind to yourselves out there and try to make things a little more fun when you can.
Go Team Us!
Here’s a happy gold star for your efforts today:
PS – I have been seeing a lot of people using punch cards and bingo cards to keep track of their plans and resolutions this year and that seems like a pretty easy way to add some fun to the process. If drawing isn’t your thing, you could type your plans into blocks in a table/spreadsheet or you could use a site like this one.
*For example, a few years ago, one friend of mine decided to spend the year trying different types of tea and another friend resolved to add more colour to her wardrobe. Now, those aren’t fitness goals, but I could argue that they are wellness goals. And pursuing those goals definitely added more fun to my friends’ lives.
**I get that not every part of every thing can be fun, some tasks and activities just have to be endured, but we don’t have to use that as an organizing principle for every goal.