This Is Not Just Another Resolution Story.

Every January, people make the same promises.
Eat better.
Exercise more.
Be more productive.

But two new mental health stories are exposing a harder truth about 2026.

Mental health experts are telling people to stop chasing perfection and start building habits that actually protect their minds. They are recommending connection, gratitude, and emotional care as core to any resolution plan. That came out this week here.

At the same time, a new Talkspace survey reported that nearly 30 percent of Americans say mental health struggles could block their ability to reach their goals in 2026.

That number matters.

It tells us something simple and uncomfortable. Most people are trying to set goals while already running on emotional fumes.

Goals do not fail in January.
People burn out underneath them.

Mental Health Is Not a Side Goal.

Mental health is not something you work on after you hit your goals.
It is the system that makes goals possible in the first place.

If you are anxious, disconnected, or emotionally exhausted, no planner or productivity app will fix that. You cannot discipline your way out of burnout.

That is why experts are pushing people toward things that sound small but are not.

Connection.
Gratitude.
Daily emotional check-ins.

Those are not soft habits. They are stabilizers.

Your 2026 Wellbeing Goals

If mental health can block your goals, then your mental health goals need to be clear, specific, and written down. Vague intentions do not change behavior. Actionable plans do.

Research on goal setting is clear on this point. Goals that are specific and written down are far more likely to be achieved than goals that live only in your head. Writing them forces clarity. Specificity gives your brain a path to follow.

So take a minute and write yours. Now I will share mine with you!

My 2026 Wellbeing Goals

1. Get 7+ hours of sleep per night at least 5 nights a week
2. Write at least 15 mins per day (preferably in the morning before my kids wake up - this requires me to accomplish #1 and go to bed earlier)
3. Lose 15-20 pounds

Do not write something you hope to become.
Write something you will actually do.

Goals written down that are specific and actionable are much more likely of being accomplished.

Not “be less stressed.”
Try “walk outside for 10 minutes after work three days a week.”

Not “be more grateful.”
Try “write down three things I am grateful for before bed.”

Specific goals give your brain something it can act on.
Written goals make them real.

That is how change sticks.

A Different Kind of Resolution Culture

What if 2026 is not about fixing yourself but supporting yourself?

What if the first goal is not hustle but stability?

That is what these two stories are pointing to. When people build their goals on mental health instead of ignoring it, they stop breaking promises to themselves.

If you want to share one of your 2026 wellbeing goals, reply here or send me a direct email. Let’s make this a year where people stop pretending that they are fine and start writing down what they actually need.

Happy new year to all of you!! 🥳

Until next Friday morning, come back…be here.

Keith