26 For 2026 List
Jan 05, 2026
Ever heard of a 26 for 2026 list?
I learned about it on The Happiness Project podcast with Gretchen Rubin and have done it for probably the last 3 or 4 years.
It's simple: list 26 things you want to do, experience, or complete in 2026. Think quick wins, bigger goals, and what brings joy or adventure. Some years, I hit the number exactly. This year I ended with 28 but I'm going to keep them.
Looking back at my 25 for 2025 list, over ten items were centered around my coaching business and almost none were accomplished. But my energy shifted toward family and it made sense. That’s what the year required.
This year’s list is heavier on bigger projects that will take real focus and planning.
Examples from my list are: earn a new coaching credential, finish setting up our trust, gym 5 days/week, improve my holiday wardrobe, plan spring break trip, read at least 24 books (1/2 fiction), and help my boys transition out of college and into jobs/new housing.
I grouped them into categories to help me think of them in buckets. Mine were:
Coaching
Health
Family
Finances
Personal Fun/Delight
In past years, I’ve used categories like Books to Read, Travel, Spiritual Growth, and Personal Development. You can organize your list to whatever makes sense to you.
Here's how you can make your own 26 for 2026 List:
1. Start with a blank doc or notebook page
2. Brainstorm freely—don’t overthink or edit. Just write
3. Look for themes and sort into categories
4. Edit or expand until you land close to 26
5. Finalize the list—I like to color-code mine by category
6. Keep it somewhere visible to look at weekly or monthly
This year, I asked ChatGPT to help me because some of what I wrote needs to be planned out. So I also walked away with a month by month plan to sequence the list out.
I'll admit this year's list feels a little more dense - not much light and whimsical.
I think I'll stick with it for now, but the last thing I allow myself with this list is the permission to revisit and tweak it over the year. I may want to venture more over into the realm of "being and feeling" and not stay in the energy of accomplishment and achievement.
Some "purists" take another approach and don't allow any changes. Some don't even look at the list again until the end of the year, and see what came about and what didn't.
The choice is yours - you get to do it however you want. You even get to not do it at all!
But if you do, what might be on your 26 for 2026?
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