Where Are You Headed Next? How to Choose Your 2026 Theme

It’s that time of year again—where I explain, loudly and proudly, why theming your year is leagues better than writing another New Year’s resolutions list that will burn out by February.

Resolutions are rigid.
Themes are directional.

Resolutions tell you think you what to do.
Themes remind you who you’re becoming.

When you choose a theme, you’re not boxing yourself into a checklist—you’re giving yourself a compass. A theme creates momentum, clarity, and intention without the pressure to perform perfectly. It’s permission to evolve. It’s structure without confinement. It’s direction without constriction.

So as 2026 approaches, the question is simple:

Where are you headed next?

Below is a guided journal-prompt experience to help you choose a theme that feels true, expansive, and aligned with where you want to grow next year.

Step 1: Reflect on 2025 With Honesty (but not judgment)

Before choosing where you’re going, look at where you’ve been.

Journal Prompts:

• What felt good this year? What felt heavy?

• What did you outgrow?

• What did you start to desire more of—peace, structure, adventure, stability?

• What surprised you about yourself?

• What drained you more than you expected?

Let 2025 teach you without punishing you.

Step 2: Identify What You Need More Of

Themes are not about what you “should” do. They’re about what you crave.

Journal Prompts:

• What does your spirit need more of in 2026?

• What emotional tone do you want next year to carry?

• What do you want to feel at the end of 2026?

• Which part of life feels ready for a shift—health, work, relationships, creativity, travel, finances, identity?

Look for patterns. The theme usually hides inside the repeated answers.

Step 3: Imagine Your Ideal Day in 2026

Not your ideal life (that’s overwhelming). Just one day.

Journal Prompts:

• When you wake up, how do you feel?

• What’s the energy of your day?

• What are you confident about?

• What are you no longer tolerating or carrying?

• Who are you becoming through your daily habits?

Your ideal day reveals the direction you want to walk in consistently.

Step 4: Choose a Feeling, Not a Goal

Themes are emotional anchors. They guide choices, decisions, and opportunities.

Some examples:

• Expansion

• Ease

• Discipline

• Flow

• Connection

• Courage

• Rebuilding

• Soft Adventure

• Presence

• Generosity

• Creation

A theme should feel like a gentle push in the right direction—not a chore.

Journal Prompts:

• Which word feels spacious instead of stressful?

• Which theme feels like the next natural version of you?

• What word feels like a supportive hand on your back?

Your theme should feel like a whispered “keep going”.

Step 5: Write Your 2026 Theme Statement

This is the fun part. Turn your theme into a guiding sentence.

Examples:

• “2026 is my year of soft confidence. No forcing, just growing.”

• “2026 is my year of capacity. Proving to myself that I can hold more without breaking.”

• “2026 is my year of effortless discipline. Doing what needs to be done without drama.”

• “2026 is my year of curiosity. Learning, exploring, experimenting.”

Journal Prompts:

• What statement feels energizing and exciting?

• How do I want this theme to show up in my habits, choices, and boundaries?

• How will my theme guide me when I’m lost, tired, or unsure?

Write your theme somewhere you’ll see it often—your phone background, journal cover, bathroom mirror.

Step 6: Connect Your Theme to Micro-Actions

Themes thrive on simplicity.
Instead of a full plan, take gentle steps that align with your direction.

Journal Prompts:

• What are three small actions that reflect my theme?

• How can I check in with my theme weekly or monthly?

• How can my theme support me when challenges arise?

Final Reflection: Your 2026 Compass

Before closing your journal, answer this final question:

If I lived by this theme fully, how would my life feel different one year from now?

This is your direction.
This is your compass.
This is the energy that will carry you into the next version of yourself.

As you walk into 2026, remember:
You don’t need a resolution. You need a foundation.
You don’t need pressure. You need purpose.
You don’t need perfection. You need direction.

Where are you headed next?