2026 Reset: My Reflection Prompts and Goal Setting Method (+free worksheet)

Every year for the past few years, I’ve approached New Year’s resolutions and goal setting a little bit differently. I’ve ebbed and flowed in how I think about it. When I was younger, I really tried to set resolutions that were more “personality-based”, things like be more positive. I’d try to keep a gratitude journal for the whole year to force myself to be a more positive person. And of course, like so many, I’ve fallen into the trap of the “lose weight” resolution.

Inevitably, I didn’t actually accomplish those because they are personality traits or unrealistic, and you don’t just change your personality because you set a resolution in January. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided that I don’t need to set a goal at a random time just because the calendar says so, but January does feel like a refreshing point in time to reflect. It’s a chance to think about the life I want to build and what things I can do to move the needle toward that.

I’ve started to approach my goals in a much more realistic way, moving away from what society thinks we should achieve and focusing on what I actually want to work toward. Today, I’m sharing that shift in philosophy and providing a 2026 goal setting printable worksheet that includes the reflection prompts and mini-goal frameworks I’m using myself. (You can find the download link in the grey box below!)

Step 1: Deep Reflection on 2025 Before Jumping Into 2026

One thing I’ve done differently over the past couple of years is spending more time truly reflecting on the prior year before I even think about the new one. A few years ago, when my husband was in the Kellogg MBA program, he got this great worksheet with about 15 deep reflection questions. I started doing them with him, and it changed how I viewed the process.

Instead of just jumping into what I want to do differently, I spend time thinking about what I accomplished, what I’m proud of, and how I actually felt during the year. In my 2026 goal setting worksheet, I’ve pulled out the prompts I found the most useful. You might see a barrage of journal prompts on social media right now, if some of those resonate with you, save them in your notes app and use them. The point is to think about where you’ve been before you decide where you’re going.

Finding Your Theme: The “Word of the Year” Hack Using AI

One of the prompts I saw circulating on social media recently was choosing “three words” for 2026 and basing your goals off of those. I liked this because instead of external comparators of success, it’s focusing more on an internal focus. 

From “Sparked” to Action (My Personal Example)

If three words feel overwhelming, you can just anchor on one Word of the Year for 2026 and work your goals backward from there.

For example, one of the words I chose was “Sparked.” For me, this was really focusing on finding things that bring me joy and things that I want to continue to explore. That word then translated directly back to the one of my goals: making sure that I’m doing one unique activity each month out and about in San Francisco.

The Gemini Prompt for Your 2026 Word of the Year

I will be honest: I definitely needed a list of synonyms to get to that word. I’m just not someone where words like “sparked” come naturally off the top of my head. I love to see a list to find what resonates. So, here is my hack for finding your 2026 Word of the Year Ideas:

1. Go Analog First: I sat down with pen and paper and filled out my reflection questions from 2025 “analog style.” I highly recommend carving out time for this with no distractions.
2. Bring in the AI: I took photos of those handwritten reflections and uploaded them into Gemini (Google’s AI).
3. The Prompt: I dictated to Gemini:
   • “I’m doing my 2025 reflections and 2026 goal planning, and I’m trying to think about a theme for 2026. Look at the attached photos of my reflections. Please give me a list of 20 different words that are linked to those reflections so that I begin brainstorming on what I might want my word of the year to be.”

I looked through that list to see what stood out to me and narrowed it down from there. Once you have your word, reverse-engineer it. Pretend you are at the end of 2026. What did the year look and feel like? What will you have achieved to feel “Sparked” (or whatever your word is)?

Choosing Monthly Challenges Over Year-Long Pressure

I’ve also rethought the timeline of my goals. Instead of a lofty 12-month goal, I’ve enjoyed mini monthly challenges. They feel more bite-sized and less overwhelming.

For January, I like a natural reset. I’m doing Dry January and taking a social media break (no TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram). To balance out what I’m taking away, I always add something in. This month, I added 10 minutes of stretching because I have perpetual lower back pain that just won’t go away!

You can use these mini goals for anything – not checking your work email for the first hour of the day, or doing a “no-buy” month for Amazon. If you’re looking for realistic New Year’s resolution ideas, I find that these 30-day sprints give you much more traction and set you in the right mindset without the pressure of a “mega resolution.”

Organizing Goals by Category (Health, Personal, Career, and Finance)

If you do want overarching goals, I find it helpful to break them into buckets. I usually have a professional/career related goal, a personal goal, health, and a finance goal. They don’t have to be major life-changing things:

• Finance: Setting up an automatic monthly $250 transfer to your savings.
• Personal: Developing deeper friendships or volunteering more.
• Health: Stretching for 10 minutes every day. 

The Science of the Small Shift: Why I Recommend Atomic Habits

If you have a goal this year that involves changing a habit, and maybe you’ve struggled to make it stick in previous years, I highly recommend reading Atomic Habits. I know it’s a book that is constantly recommended, but there’s a reason for that. One of the biggest takeaways I’ve integrated into how I structure my own goals is the idea that small improvements add up to big results over time.

The Power of the 1% and Monthly Micro-Goals

One of the core concepts in the book is the power of small improvements, which is why I’ve leaned into monthly goals. Setting an overarching, massive resolution for the year can feel unattainable. But if you make those “micro-goals” for each month, you’re essentially dipping your toe into the habit. By the end of the year, you’ve moved the needle on so many different things because you weren’t trying to do it all at once.

Habit Stacking & Environmental Design

The book also talks about the psychology behind how we change behaviors, specifically through “Habit Stacking” – pairing a new habit with one you already have – and designing your surroundings to support your goals.

For me, that meant that I was going to do my 10 minutes of stretching at the same time I did my red light mask in the morning. If you want to dive deeper into the science of how small habits become larger ones, you can get the book on Amazon. 

Intentionality Over Ambition: Why You Don’t Need a “Big” Resolution

The last thing I’ll say is that we don’t all need to have crazy, ambitious resolutions. Sometimes, after a big year, it’s okay to just “be.” Your goal for 2026 can simply be to stay present with your friends and family and enjoy your achievements. That is truly enough. 

Download the 2026 Goal Setting & Reflection Worksheet

Ready to start your own reflection? I’ve put together a Google Doc with the reflection prompts, the Word of the Year brainstorming space, and the monthly “Add & Subtract” framework I use.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE 2026 WORKSHEET

Instructions: 1. Click the link above. 2. You will see a prompt asking you to “Make a Copy.” 3. Click the blue button to save a private, editable version to your own Google Drive!