Hey everyone!
I imagine we are all feeling a little overwhelmed with everyone’s “2026 goals” posts, but I too want to share. And I know I am a bit late, but let’s be real, it’s never too late to make goals and create excitement about your future. I decided I’d do something a bit different in that I will share my goals along with some things I am looking forward to and some things I am nervous about. I am hoping that looking at my fears will help shed some reality on these posts, because the truth is, life happens and we never know what it may look like.
Blog
Before we get started, I wanted to mention a few things regarding my blog for this year. For starters, I want to continue posting twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. I know this post is out on a Thursday, the start of the semester is taking some adjusting, but moving forward that is the goal. With that, I will be changing the themes for each day. Sundays will now be dedicated to all things books and reading. While I love talking about life in general, I really do love books, so I want to highlight that here. Wednesdays will focus on content relating to university life… at least until the end of April. I will be finished my degree come the end of April, so I anticipate a shift in my content. As of right now, I think it will turn into an “adulting” series, but that may change when the time comes!
Goals
I am not going to share all of my goals, some of them are personal, but here are three goals I’m hoping to complete this year.
1. Read 52 Books
My first goal is to read 52 books this year which means I am hoping to double what I read in 2025. To be fair, I have read close to 100 books a year, but recently that has not been the case. 52 books equals one book a week, which feels manageable since I know there will be times when I read more, and times when I read less. I will be including any books I read for school—looking at this semester it will only be one, but hey, Middlemarch absolutely should count towards my reading goal. The main reason I chose this number is because I want to challenge myself to get back into reading, so while this seems ambitious relative to last year, I’m hoping it will push me to pick up my book.
2. Run a 5K
I know, I know, I sound like every other person on your social media, but honestly I don’t mind because this has been a goal of mine for years. I got into running in high school, but didn’t start taking it seriously until I got to university. The past three years, I’ve ran consistently, but never signed myself up for a race. This year, I want to run an official race sometime in the summer. Given that I do not have a job yet this summer (see fears), I will be waiting to sign up for a race until I have a better idea of what my schedule will look like. I absolutely love running, so this is something I want to do for me.
3. Go for a hike (go to the mountains more)
In part, I chose my university because it got me closer to the mountains. Unfortunately, it’s been three years and I’ve gone to the mountains maybe 5 times (and honestly that might be an exaggeration). This year, I want to take advantage of the mountains because I am close enough for day trips. Going to the mountains is something that always makes me smile, so I know that’s something I should do more.
Anticipations
Up next are things already planned that I am excited about.
1. Graduation
Graduation is something I am really excited about, but also I cannot believe university is almost over. I have loved my time in university, and I am sad to know in a few short months I’ll be finishing my degree; however, I am also really excited and proud of myself. University is a grind, but I am proud of the work I’ve done and I am so grateful for the friends I’ve made. I love the student life, so I will be soaking it up while I still can. Despite that, I am looking forward to graduating and taking a break from being a student. A break because I am currently interested in pursuing my Masters, but nothing is set in stone yet, so we will see where life takes me.
2. Trip to Mexico with my boyfriend
This trip is coming up in February and I am super excited for it! It was our graduation gift to ourselves and I know it will be a fun time. While the weather is actually quite nice right now, it’s not 25 degrees on a sunny beach. This will be our first big trip away together, and we are both really excited. We don’t have any plans, but who knows what we may decide to do once we are there.
3. Starting a new job
Okay, transparency moment, I don’t have a job yet for after graduation, but I am excited about the prospect of a new job. The goal is to find something in my field, but I plan to apply to a variety of positions and see what happens. I am definitely not the type of person who plans on revolving my entire life around work, but I am still excited to see what life after graduation holds for me.
Bonus: The Love Hypothesis Movie
If you know me, you might know that this is one of my favourite books of all time. I honestly love the characters, the tropes and storyline, and the academic setting. Essentially, everything about this book worked for me as a reader. The movie is scheduled to come out some time this year and I am so excited for it. I do plan on going into it with an open mind. Instead of viewing the book as a script, I am going into it thinking they used the book for inspiration. I am hoping by viewing it this way it doesn’t disappoint because I know how adaptations can disappoint.
Fears
1. Starting a new job
I know I listed this as an anticipation, but it is also a fear. Last year the job search process was really tough, so I am already mentally preparing myself. I have already started the process this year, and all I can do is hope my applications stand out. While I am keeping an open mind, I am also hopeful that I find something that excites me in some capacity.
2. “Adulting”
I suppose this goes with starting a new job, but also it is more than that. For the first time since I was five years old I won’t be returning to school in September, and that is a scary thought. I have always really loved school and the routine it provides, so it is scary knowing I won’t have that this fall. Additionally, there are more responsibilities after graduation, and it can feel overwhelming thinking about it all. I know I will figure it out, but it is new and unknown to me, so some fear exists too.
3. Letting time slip away
A few weeks ago I wrote an article about how I feel like my phone is ruining my life, and along with that is losing time. I have noticed myself slipping into bad habits regarding doomscrolling which takes away time I could be using to do something I love. It’s so easy to keep scrolling because those platforms are designed to keep you on them, so while I can’t fully blame myself, I want to make a change. I have deleted multiple social media platforms (although I will redownload Instagram periodically to post on @lifewithhailey3) in the hopes I can build better habits. Once I feel comfortable that I have implemented habits that make me feel good, I do hope to redownload social media. My hope is that I build better habits that I love, so doomscrolling becomes less appealing; therefore, I can use social media without it taking hours and making me feel like garbage in the process.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article, and if you want to see more check out my Instagram. Hopefully, this article inspired you to make some manageable goals, but also shed some light on reality and the fears that also exist in the New Year.