My final post of 2026 goals covers my personal goals for the year, or life goals, as I tend to call them. I did not post any life goals last year, so there’s nothing to recap before we dive right in.

Build a Community

I’ve talked about this a little previously, but this year I want to focus on building my own personal community in addition to helping the community at large. I want to engage more with other people, rekindling old friendships, joining in community activities, and finding people around me that I can share my life with.

Find Ways to Give

Giving back has always been important to me, and several years ago I figured out that it was one of the keys to my happiness. It has been very frustrating to me over the last couple of years, not being able to give in the same way that I have done before. But I really started looking at the different ways that I can give back that I can do with little to no money. I want to continue to build on this throughout 2026, donating to food banks, volunteering my time, and supporting others on their journeys.

Maintain Balance

I have a very bad habit of throwing myself into projects and neglecting other areas of my life (thank you hyper-fixation). This year I want to really focus on maintaining balance between work and rest, between giving to others and taking time for myself. Even if that means I have to actually schedule breaks into my daily tasks.

Take Time for Self-Care

This goal plays into the one above. I am terrible about taking time for self-care. I push myself until I break, but sometimes don’t really notice that I’m close to breaking. I think taking time for myself and doing things that both recharge by batteries and make me feel cherished will help me maintain some of my balance and be less likely to start the slippery slope to burnout.

Embrace the Moment

I often find myself rushing through tasks and focusing on what still needs to be done and arbitrary time schedules. It often leaves me exhausted and stressed and wondering where all of my time is going. This year I want to slow down and embrace the little moments of my day. Yes, I’m probably still going to want to rush through washing the dishes or folding laundry, but I can take the time to be present while doing other projects, especially those that take me outside.