As 2025 comes to a close, it’s officially time to enter your reset era. But as exciting as designing your 2026 vision board may be, *actually* sticking your shiny new goals can be challenging—especially when school starts back up again and life gets in the way.

That’s why we’ve rounded up our top tips on how to stay on track, so you can slay every rezzie on your list.

Break your resolution into baby steps

The biggest thing to remember when you’re planning your 2026 goals? Don’t try to go big right off the bat. You need to consider if what you’re dreaming of is a goal you can realistically reach in 12 months.

If you want to try working out more in the new year, you can’t immediately expect yourself to be able to run a marathon by the time spring rolls around. Instead, break your end-game goal into something smaller, and build up your new habit as the months pass. You could start by running on the treadmill three times per week in January, then trying your hand at a 5K come March. That will prevent you from burning out—or feeling disappointed if you don’t hit a major milestone right away.

Create an accountability system

Some people say it takes 21 days to officially turn something into a habit, some say it takes closer to 66 (!!!). With most new skills or activities, the first couple of days are *always* the hardest. That’s why building a system to hold yourself accountable is key.

Our fave way to do so? A habit tracker, aka a spreadsheet to mark how many days per week you actually accomplished a certain task. Ticking off the box is motivation in and of itself—not to mention that seeing your growth over weeks and months is super motivating.

If you’re more of a pen and paper gal, you can grab a habit tracker journal or notepad to manually mark your progress. There are also tons of habit tracker templates on Notion, if you prefer to log on your phone or laptop.

If your New Year’s resolution is the same as your BFF’s, you can also try to reach your goals together! Both trying to work out more? Sign up for a gym membership together (deadlifts are way more fun with your pal by your side) or plan a daily walk around your neighborhood. Want to read more? Start your own BFF book club (or join ours…wink wink). Having a friend who will be by your side when new habits start to get hard is a great way to keep morale high and make your achievements feel more fun.

Be forgiving

Over the course of the year, there are bound to be times that you fall off the wagon, whether that’s because of a busy school sched, sickness or simply needing a break. And that’s OK! Changing a habit can be super tricky to adjust to. While you might not practice your new skill every day, what truly matters is that you’re willing to keep showing up.

You’ve got this, girl!

Follow us on IG for more motivation @girlslifemag!

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Top image: @oliviarodrigo
Body images: @avatank.fit, @blue_codes