Happy New Year!

Going into 2026, my 2026 goals and resolutions feel less about doing more and more about living with intention. Becoming a mom has reshaped the way I think about time, energy, and what truly matters, and this year I’m focusing on goals that support our family, my health, and the kind of life I want my daughter to grow up seeing. These resolutions aren’t meant to be rigid or all-consuming, but instead to guide this next chapter with more presence, connection, and care.

This year holds a lot of change for us, including a move back to Washington and settling into life as a family of three, and my goals reflect that. From building community and prioritizing health to making space for creativity and hobbies, these are the intentions I’m carrying into 2026 as we find our rhythm in this new season. In this post, I will be sharing my 2026 goals and resolutions that reflect these intentions.

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2026 Goals and Resolutions

Community

My main New Year’s Resolution this year, since becoming a mom, is to foster and strengthen a sense of community. This goal will be my focus during the second half of the year after Danny and I move back to Washington.

Host at least 6 casual gatherings

One way I want to foster community is by hosting simple, low-pressure gatherings. Nothing fancy, just game nights, casual dinners, play dates, or craft nights. Once we’re back in Washington, this feels both realistic and life-giving. My goal is to host at least one gathering a month after we move, for a total of six this year (and if more happen naturally, even better).

Be the Village

Becoming a parent has made me realize just how much everyone needs a village. I am so deeply grateful for the people who showed up for us this year, and I want to be that village for others, too. For me, that looks like checking in more often, helping without being asked, dropping off food, offering validation, and simply showing up. I want to model community for Lainey and let her grow up seeing what connection, care, and belonging look like in everyday life.

Commit to one recurring outing each week

The last way I want to foster community is by committing to one recurring outing each week once we move. I’d love to connect with other moms regularly, and I think consistency is key. I haven’t decided exactly what this will look like yet, but some ideas include a weekly stroller walk followed by coffee, a standing library story time, or joining a local family space like a mom group. I hope that by returning to the same place week after week, the community will have room to grow naturally.

Health and Wellness

I wouldn’t say that my health took a back burner while pregnant, but my body has changed a lot. I gained 68 lbs while pregnant! I am 4 weeks postpartum at the time of writing this and know that I lost a lot (especially since I had severe swelling at the end). However, I am looking forward to rebuilding strength, more walks, and running again. Doing things while pregnant felt like it took SO much effort. I was pregnant almost all of 2025, so health and wellness are something I really want to focus on in 2o26, especially since I am breastfeeding and want to be as healthy as possible for my baby!

Run at Least One Race

Last year, before getting pregnant, I had begun to run again. It felt so good to get back into running! I was in cross country in middle and high school, and it was one of my favorite things. Around 7 weeks pregnant, when the nausea and fatigue hit, I ended up falling off running. Once I am cleared, I want to start running again and finally sign up for a race! I think it would be fun, and I am ready to feel that sense of accomplishment and rebuild my stamina.

Prioritize Pelvic Floor and Core Health

Pelvic floor and core health are so important for postpartum recovery! I plan on working with a pelvic floor PT, and I want to slowly start rehabbing my core as well. Pre-baby, yoga and pilates were two of my favorite ways to exercise. I feel like it served me well during pregnancy since I had no back pain, as well as labor, since I only had to push for less than 10 minutes. I want to get back into pilates and yoga a few times a week to help rebuild my core and pelvic floor, and help me recover in between pregnancies, since I do want more kids in the future.

Move My Body Daily

I was very good at moving my body daily, even through pregnancy. I prioritize walks, especially since I have a high-energy dog who needs them several times a day, since we live in an apartment. So far during postpartum, I have been focusing a lot on intentional rest. However, I am ready to get back into daily movement like walks. I also want to get back into the habit of moving to model a healthy relationship with movement for my daughter. Quality of life and longevity are so important to me, especially now that I am a mom! There is no better way to improve the quality of life than adding daily movement to my lifestyle. It is also a great way to bond as a family.

Hobbies

Something that I have seen already in the last month of motherhood is that I have to scavenge for free time! I want to try and maintain some of my hobbies, so this is another big focus for me this year.

Start a scrapbook for Lainey and make at least one page for every month

One thing that I have always looked forward to doing once I have kids is making them a scrapbook of their lives! I remember my mom scrapbooking while growing up. It’s hard to do once you get behind and have an overwhelming amount of pages to catch up on. To prevent this, I want to work on it monthly and have at least one page for every month. I already have so many pictures to choose from, so I am ready to get started on this project! It is also a good hobby to work on here and there during naps and other free time with a baby.

Read 52 books

Like every year, I have a goal to read 52 books. I have been reading much more frequently on my Kindle lately since I have been breastfeeding and have been getting nap trapped. In 2025, I reached my goal but didn’t read a lot of “good” books. I don’t think I even rated one book 5 stars. This year, I want to be more intentional about which books I am reading.

Sew at least one item of clothing

Now that I have a baby, I have been dreaming up all the cute outfits that I would love to make her! She has this one pair of red gingham ruffle newborn pants that I want to recreate, and I have also been eyeing a few patterns on Etsy. I originally made this resolution for 2025, but what held me back is my perfectionism and not having a serger. I am planning on getting a serger so that I can make the quality of clothing that I want to, and not feel like I am wasting my fabric.

Finish 5 quilts

An ambitious goal, but a lot of the quilts I am planning are baby quilts for friends who are expecting! Quilting and sewing take a lot of intentional time. I leave my sewing machine out to encourage using it more, but when I sew, I have to pull out fabric, iron it, and cut it. It’s not really something I can do here and there. I want to take advantage of the spare time in my maternity leave to be able to quilt (and sew) more before we move.