Choosing a theme for the new year

As we say good-bye to another year, many people are setting resolutions and goals for the coming year. In recent years, I’ve stopped setting annual goals and started choosing a theme for the new year. This approach that has served me well at this stage of my life makes a lot of sense for pre-retirees and retirees. 

Read on to find out how a theme differs from goals and resolutions, and how you can get started on choosing your theme for the new year.

A lot can change in a year

Throughout our working lives, we tend to be very goal driven. One of the things I don’t miss since leaving the corporate world behind is the annual performance review and goal setting cycle. 

In a world where things change constantly, setting goals for an entire year always felt like a pointless exercise designed to tick a box on an HR system. I don’t recall a single year when my performance review in December looked anything like the list of goals I set at the beginning of the year. In fact, there were years where my projects and plans shifted within days of me entering my goals into the system. 

The same is true in our personal lives. We can make plans, but life has a way of throwing obstacles in our way that require us to change direction. While they might seem like a good idea on January 1, rigid goals often lead to frustration and feelings of guilt or failure. 

Embracing the flexibility of retirement

Retirement is a new chapter that offers the freedom and flexibility to structure our days, weeks, and years as we wish. But even retirees need direction. Those with no structure, purpose or direction run the risk of getting to the end of their lives wishing they had done more with the time they had. 

If you don’t want to let the years slip away but don’t like the idea of setting rigid goals, a theme for the year might be the compromise you need. 

How a theme for the new year is different from a new year’s resolution

New year’s resolutions are often vague proclamations like “I will get in shape.”, “I will be more positive.” or “I will eat better.” This general lack of clarity is what dooms most resolutions to failure. Research shows just 9% of people who set new year’s resolutions actually complete them. And many people abandon them by the second Friday in January, known as Quitter’s Day. 

Unlike a vague resolution, a theme for the new year is a single word or phrase that expresses your intention or focus for the year. I’ve found a theme provides several advantages over larger goals:

• It provides direction that aligns well with building positive habits, and setting and achieving smaller goals throughout the year. 
• This approach allows for celebration of small wins that move us in the right direction. Acknowledging these small wins can help us maintain motivation throughout the year.
• When circumstances change, a theme allows for flexibility to shift pace or go in a different direction. 
• Finally, a theme relieves the guilt we feel when we don’t achieve a larger goal. 

How to choose your theme for the new year 

If you’re ready to embrace a new approach in 2026, here’s how to get started on choosing your theme for the new year. 

Reflect on the past year

Start with a reflection on the past year. Grab your favourite beverage, a notebook and a blank piece of paper. Or click the image above to download a worksheet to guide you. Then, think about the following questions:

• What went well? Make a list of things you feel good about.
• What do you wish you had more of in your life?
• What would you like to have less of in your life?
• What’s your motivation to change? 

Pick a big category you’d like to focus on

With the answers to your questions above in mind, think ahead to the end of the coming year. Pick one area of your life that you would like to look different a year from now. It might help to think in terms of big categories, like the ones I use in my retirement readiness assessment with my clients:

• Physical health 
• Mental wellbeing
• Social connections
• Financial readiness
• Family relationships
• Home 
• Sense of purpose 
• Attitude toward aging 

Choose your theme for the new year

Now that you’ve narrowed your focus, it’s time to pick a theme that will support moving in the right direction. It can be any word or even a short phrase, but the idea is to keep it short and easy to remember. 

Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing:

• Adventure 
• Authenticity
• Balance
• Connection
• Courage
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Discovery
• Faith
• Frugality
• Gratitude
• Growth
• Health
• Hopefulness 
• Humility
• Joy
• Kindness
• Mindfulness
• Optimism
• Patience
• Peace
• Purpose
• Reinvention
• Simplicity 
• Spirituality
• Tenacity

In 2024, my theme was reinvention. This theme guided my activities as I prepared to leave my full-time career behind. 

Six months into my second life, I chose intentionality as my theme for 2025. This focus helped me ensure I was spending my time on the right things rather than just saying yes to every opportunity that came along. 

In 2026, I’m getting back to basics. After experiencing a series of minor health issues over the last few months, my theme for the coming year is health. With my daughters both living outside of Ontario, my motivation is to stay healthy so I can travel to visit them. 

Find a way to keep your theme top of mind

Finally, once you’ve chosen your theme for the new year, find a way to keep it top of mind. You could print it on a mug or t-shirt but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Here are some simple ideas. 

• Write your theme on post-it notes and put them where you’ll see them often. 
• Make a vision board of ideas related to your theme. 
• Find an image that represents your theme and use it as wallpaper on your phone, tablet or computer. 
• Decorate a journal with visual reminders of your theme and use it to record your thoughts and progress. The journal will also help you reflect at the end of the year and choose next year’s theme.  

I created a digital vision board and made it the wallpaper on my tablet. I also printed copies for my journal, and the table beside the chair where I do my writing and thinking. 

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Whatever your theme or plans for the coming year, I send you good wishes for a healthy and joyful year. 

If you’re looking ahead to your next chapter, contact me to get started on creating a life filled with meaning and purpose.