Starting Out in 2026, I Made No New Year Resolutions

Here are 3 things I’ll be doing differently.

AI image via Microsoft Copilot.

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How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives

~ Annie Dilard

As we live our days, so we live our lives.

Every January, as the new year begins, millions of people around the world set grand resolutions and ambitions, either in writing or just in thought.

New Year’s resolutions serve as a roadmap for self-improvement and becoming a better version of yourself.

Do you want to earn more money, get fit, overcome a debilitating addiction, or read more books? Your New Year's resolutions can serve as your guiding principles. After all, those who fail to plan have already set themselves up for failure. January is the perfect time to set your agenda and outline your resolutions and goals for the year.

I entered 2026 with no New Year’s resolutions. I've resolved to live my life with love, day by day, and more intentionally.

Why?

How?

Read on.

As soon as the ink dries on these resolutions, they are soon overshadowed by more urgent concerns or completely forgotten by those who made them.

As 2026 begins, I have chosen to forgo New Year’s resolutions. I didn’t write down a single one. However, I still have my plans and goals.

Think ahead. See Ahead.

~ Isuzu Motor Corporation

Here are three things I'll be doing differently.

1. Live more intentionally

And what does it mean to live more intentionally?

Acting intentionally and making choices that match my goals for change, self-improvement, and personal development.

Although easier said than done, intentional living means I am no longer subject to the unpredictable push and pull of life.

Rather than living on autopilot in reactive mode,

• I'm mindful and aware of my actions and their consequences. Are they gearing my long-term goals? Am I taking meaningful and purposeful actions with my time, money, and resources? Are my actions aligned with my values, or am I being swayed by every wind of external pressure?
• I will be my own man. Do my actions align with my values, or do I let others dictate my choices?
• Thinking ahead is seeing ahead. And seeing ahead stacks the odds in your favour for succeeding when ahead becomes now. Being proactive requires forward thinking. Take intentional actions now instead of waiting for things to unfold.
• I'm conscious of how my actions and decisions impact not only my life but also the surrounding community and the world.
• I will set and maintain healthy boundaries. Am I prioritizing my time and energy on what truly matters, or am I constantly sacrificing my well-being to please others?

2. Take More Chances.

At the end of life, we will regret more of the decisions we failed to make than of the ones we did make.

~ Leo Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia's theme reminds us of life's brevity, as inaction often leads to missed opportunities.

At the end of life, the missed opportunities because of inaction and indecision often weigh more heavily on us than the mistakes we made through action.

Mistakes can be fixed, but you cannot retrieve lost opportunities.

Decisiveness and recklessness are not the same. Being decisive means making thoughtful choices and taking action, even when you don’t have all the information or a guaranteed outcome.

Once, a foreign partner who found my profile on LinkedIn invited me to collaborate. Initially, I was hesitant to team up with someone unknown who spoke an unfamiliar language.

A few months later, he reached out to me again. That was when I woke up from naivety into what became my first breakthrough. What ultimately ended our partnership was the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and its aftermath. However, the experience I gained from that failing venture has boosted my business confidence.

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

~ Thomas Edison

3. Nearer My God to Thee

For me, crossing over from December into January was like stepping back in time.

I spent eight days without internet access or electricity. Then it dawned on me that man shall not live by internet and electricity alone. I enjoyed several nights of pin-drop quietness in the open air, clear moonlit skies.

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

~ Jesus Christ (Holy Bible — Matthew 4 verse 4)

Writing on Facebook, my friend, Aiyebelehin James, captured what should be the framework for any Christian desirous and longing after the Deeper Life. Yes, after God in 2026.

Let me recapture the essence of that post

• Don't allow religious activities to overcrowd your plate.
• Be intentional about the religious programs you join. Stop running from program to program.
• Don't do (or undo) anything because of what others feel or think. Seek true devotion. Serve God, not men.
• Go back to the Holy Bible. Pray and preach the Gospel. And above all, Chris, live what you preach.
• Keep out internal and external distractions - spiritual, social media, etc
• Take a stand against errors and false teachings, no matter their popularity or who is peddling them.
• Chris, possess your possessions in 2026. By God's grace. I'll be fine.

Amen.

Facebook screenshot image source.

Thanks for reading. Share your insights for leading and living a more intentional life in this New Year.