#2026 intentions

[the-forest-library]

My goal last year was to do something creative (craft, class, etc) each week. It looks like I tracked creative activities on 29 weeks, and many of those weeks had creative activities multiple days, so I feel pretty good about that. I am sticking with that intention for this year. Here’s to another year of fun creative adventures!

[wecandoit]

Intention-setting for the new year

@psych.student_diaries on Instagram

[literaria-journal]

2026

Ins:

journaling

back to black

coffee dates

reading as devotion

walking everywhere

wide leg trousers

homemade bread

tarot

trusting my intuition

over accessorizing

writing poems

card games

sacred rest

Outs:

3 a.m. intrusive thoughts

tight clothes

people pleasing

takeouts

phone in bed

cream tones

apologizing without a reason

prioritizing productivity over well-being

saying yes instead of no

high heels

stiff paperbacks

skipping skincare

waiting for the winds of winter (!)

[seekingskywhales]

2026 intentions - year of culture

Go to libraries

Go to theaters

Go to museums

Watch movies without your phone in your hand

Listen to the whole album

Celebrate the works and wonders of humanity

[the-forest-library]

I am calling this my 2026 Manifesto, and it got a little long, so it’s going under a cut. Basically my intentions and focus for the year.

I am ruthlessly and brutally trying to claw back some of my time and attention this year. I want the time I spend to have value in ways that are meaningful to me. I want to set myself up to best protect my mental health and sense of peace.

I am unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists and newsletters - many of which I open just to delete. I want to be intentional with those that remain. And if the ones that remain have an option to reduce the frequency received - even better.

I am not feeling guilty if I lose a streak on the daily games I play (squareword, hue - I quit wordle after the NYT ‘Did Women Ruin The Workplace?’ debacle). If I get to them, I get to them. It’s not anything I need to stress about. They’re supposed to be fun.

I have always DNFd a lot of books since I get through so many, but I have DNFd 27 so far this year (we are at day 12). Previously, if I was halfway through a book that wasn’t working for me, I’d sunk cost my way through the rest - I’d already made it that far and I’d get to count it as a book read, after all. But since I didn’t love those books, they pulled down my average rating and made me feel like everything I was reading was mediocre. I had 277 four or five star reads last year, but it didn’t remotely feel like it.

I have made space to reread this year (both in a planned way and in the moment - finish something and want to immediately start it over? Cool. Seems like that’s what I need right now).

I am reevaluating the reading challenges I participate in this year. I have determined that I won’t be participating in the popsugar reading challenge. I did it from 2015-2025. While it did lead me to a few favorite reads over the years, it also made me force my way through so many slogs. Plus the prompts have been so repetitive, and the challenge just wasn’t fun any longer. I am excited about my 26 in 2026 list, but I’m not sure if I’ll focus on any other challenges.

I am less than 6 months into my new job, working on an urgent and high-pressure project, on a two-person team that includes a flaky coworker who is not meeting any deadlines, with a brand new boss. This scenario would have sent former gifted child/perfectionist/high performing me into a burnout spiral. I am meeting what is expected of me, but I am not voluntarily or proactively taking on anything extra. This is revolutionary for me.

I am pushing back against ‘rules’ I have set for myself and allowing grace and space in big and small ways. (Is my planned lunch no longer sounding appealing? That’s ok. I can eat what my body is craving.)

I am working on building more connections, scheduling fun and having things to look forward to (signed up for several art classes this month and next), and embracing whimsy.

I am still looking to reduce screen time, which will likely be one of the bigger challenges of the year. Some of the items above will help with this.

[itsyourworldgoforit]

Soft Life, Sharp Boundaries: My 2026 Non-Negotiables

I’m not “protecting my peace.” I’m protecting my future.

Quiet luxury. Loud standards. Zero negotiation.

DATING

Consistency isn’t a bonus feature.

If you like me, it will look like an effort. If it looks like confusion, it’s a no.

Mixed signals are a complete sentence. It says: “I don’t like you enough.” Heard.

Last-minute plans are not romantic. They’re convenient. For you.

Chemistry without character is just a cute hazard. I don’t collect red flags like souvenirs.

I’m not competing with your phone, your ex, or your fear of intimacy. Pick a lane. Preferably away from me.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

FRIENDSHIPS

Access to me is earned, not assumed.

I don’t do one-sided loyalty. I’m a friend, not a donation.

If your support has an expiration date, keep it. I’m not here for “I miss you” during your lonely phases.

Jealousy dressed as jokes is still jealousy. Try therapy. Not me.

I’m not shrinking, so you can feel tall. Stand on your own growth.

If honesty makes you leave, the trash took itself out. Love that can’t handle truth was never love.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

WORK

I don’t do hustle as a personality.

I’m allergic to performative busyness. If it’s not productive, it’s just loud.

Your lack of planning is not my emergency. I do solutions, not chaos.

I protect my time like it has a price tag. Because it does.

I’m not “grateful” for being overworked. Pay me. Respect me. Or lose access.

I don’t chase rooms that don’t value my contribution. I built my own table. With good lighting.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

SELF

I don’t abandon myself to be liked.

I don’t betray my needs to be “easy to love.” I’m not a convenience store.

If my body says no, I’m done negotiating. Intuition doesn’t stutter.

I don’t tolerate disrespect, even if I understand the backstory. Trauma is not a hall pass.

I’m not staying where I’m tolerated. I require warmth, effort, and grown behavior.

I choose myself in the small moments. That’s how standards become a lifestyle.

2026 Energy

Soft life. Sharp boundaries. Sassy follow-through.

Reblog and add one non-negotiable you’re taking into 2026.

Make it short. Make it scary. Make it yours.

[polarislex]

✦ 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼 Writing Intentions ✦

soft plans, loud ambition, zero pressure

I want 2026 to be the year I write with purpose, not panic or worry. More finishing. More trusting myself. Less guilt about timelines. Still unhinged. Still indulgent. Just… slightly more organized.

✧ ✦ MAIN STORY GOALS ✦ ✧

(aka: the fics that own my soul)

✦ I’d Rather Be Crazy Like You

NOMIN | Chaptered Fic

Currently at Chapter 18

Last updated: December 2025

Goal: FINISH by March 2026

This fic is my priority child. My feral little creature. 2026 goal is to carry it across the finish line without rushing the emotional payoff. I want:

✦ cleaner transitions

✦ see the emotional arc through to the end

✦ let consequences land

✦ trust the story to close where it’s meant to

This story deserves a proper ending—and I’m determined to give it one.

✦ I’m Sorry For My Young Love

CHANBAEK | Chaptered Fic

Currently at Chapter 11

Last updated: April 2025 (we do not perceive time linearly here)

This one needs care, not speed. My goals:

✦ reread and lightly edit existing chapters

✦ rework the endgame so it lands emotionally

✦ finish the fic by May 2026

She’s been waiting patiently. It’s time I come back gentler—and finish what I started.

✦ ✧ BACK BURNER / REIGNITING THE FLAME ✧ ✦

(a.k.a. ideas that will not let me rest)

✦ I Love You and Despise You

NOMIN | Reincarnation | Magic | Devotion & Ruin Currently just a prompt, but one I deeply believe in.

➤ link here

This sits in the “someday but not forgotten” category. I want to:

✦ expand the lore

✦ decide if it wants to be a longfic or a tightly controlled tragedy

✦ let it marinate without forcing it

✦ ✧ IDEAS I WANT TO DABBLE IN ✧ ✦

(no promises. only vibes.)

✦ Demigod Nomin (and extended mythological chaos)

✦ Rapper x Model AUs

ChanBaek

NoMin

MarkHyuck

✦ Revisiting Vampire Nomin because apparently I never left that phase and that’s okay

These are exploration projects—for joy, curiosity, and creative breathing room. Unsure if they'll be chaptered fics or a brilliant yet messy one-shot.

✦ ✧ THEMES I WANT TO LEAN INTO ✧ ✦

(my creative compass)

✦ obsession vs devotion

✦ fate, reincarnation, divine threads

✦ fantasy worlds that feel lived-in and intentional

✦ building something that feels distinctly mine, while thoughtfully engaging with ideas I love

✦ power dynamics handled with care

✦ the difference between a happy ending and the right ending

I want my stories to ask quiet questions, not hand out easy answers.

✦ ✧ EXPLORATION GOALS ✧ ✦

(gentler challenges)

✦ write seasonal / holiday one-shots

✦ keep them shorter, softer, and more self-contained

✦ use them as a way to practice restraint and emotional clarity

✦ let myself write cute, warm, and low-stakes stories without overcomplicating them

✦ ✧ SKILL GOALS FOR 2026 ✧ ✦

(the craft arc)

This year I want to focus on:

✦ smoother, more natural external dialogue

✦ avoiding repetitive beats within scenes

✦ better pacing so tension escalates instead of circles

✦ continuing to balance world-building and description with letting moments breathe

✦ trusting that not everything needs to be explained

✦ ✧ POSTING INTENTIONS ✧ ✦

(low pressure, high joy)

✦ post when it feels right

✦ share snippets without overthinking

✦ allow myself to disappear and return without guilt

✦ get back into making moodboards—for fics, characters, vibes, and worlds

✦ ✧ FINAL VOW ✧ ✦

I give myself permission to write slowly. To change my mind. To finish things imperfectly. To explore without needing an outcome. To love my own work loudly.

Here’s to 2026— may it be creative, kind, and just a little (or a lot) unhinged ✨

[queerandunresolved]

2026 Intentions

On the winter solstice (December 21st), I saw a couple Instagram reels on setting intentions for the coming year. I'm pretty sure it was all rooted in Wiccan practices which 100% are not bad, but as an Episcopalian turned Mormon turned ex-mormon turned Episcopalian, it's not in my wheelhouse (yet?) but honestly it sounded like a really fun idea and a definitely better way to prepare for 2026 than making a bunch of unachievable new years resolutions.

What I read (watched) said that I needed to set 13 intentions, write them down in present tense, fold them up on small pieces of paper, and then starting that day and the following 11 days, properly dispose of (burn) 12 of the 13 intentions to show that I would be trusting the universe to take care of those. The remaining intention would be for me to nurture and care for more intentionally on my own.

I'm pretty sure the intentions were supposed to be focused on feelings rather than concrete descriptions of myself, but I'm giving myself some grace here since I decided to do this based on one video (and then re-Googling it a bunch when my ADHD brain inevitably forgot important details such as how many days in I was and how many intentions I should have left, haha).

Anyway, I wrote them down, rolled them up like tiny, itty-bitty scrolls (cute!) and used the overturned top to my fancy pants Versace perfume bottle to keep them safe in the bathroom like a weird little bouquet.

I don't trust myself to burn things safely in the house (or anywhere really) because I'm pretty clumsy and easily distracted and I also had my parents and sister's family staying with us for Christmas and I was not about to explain why I was trying a fun little Wiccan practice I found out about through Instagram that morning. My business is my own. I wasn't interested eliciting raised eyebrows and judgy questions -- unless my ADHD brain decided to overshare, but I was locking this one down. Except telling my partner. I had hoped she would want to do it with me, but she didn't suddenly, drastically, magically change from her known anti-new years resolution ways. Shocking.

So the other alternatives to burning the intentions were to bury it (yeah...no), or send it down a stream or river (also no). I decided that letting the paper dissolve in a Dixie cup of water while I brushed my teeth and then flushing it down the toilet was basically the same thing, just a little less aesthetic. So I flushed the intentions I trusted the universe to take care of...down the toilet. As I type this, I'm realizing that was probably not the best way to treat intentions I hope to come to me in 2026, seeing as the symbolism basically says buh-bye to those intentions. Whoops.

Hopefully the universe has pity on my stupidity.

My intentions weren't anything surprising tbh and I was kind of disappointed in the one that was left at the end, but now that I'm reflecting on it, it makes sense. Sort of how you can make whatever shape you want out of clouds if you squint hard enough. Still working on that positivity.

Anyway...here are my 2026 intentions set during the winter solstice.

2026 Intentions

I read books that strengthen and nourish me (Instead of the questionable choices I make by means of Kindle Unlimited)

I am a great mom (Honestly, I just needed the trust this one would be made true because I have some mad imposter syndrome about pretty much everything in my life)

I exercise and eat healthy (Gotta include some basic ones, right?)

I do not worry about money (Trying to take the focus off material things)

I speak to myself with love and respect (Just not calling myself a fucking idiot would be an improvement)

I do not fear trying to make friends (Because social anxiety tells me making friends is just as risky as hunting bears in the woods)

I assume positive intent (Hey, stop being an asshole by assuming everyone is thinking asshole things about you)

I accept my ADHD as part of me and not a failure (This one will probably require therapy)

I facilitate growth and connection at work (Get it girl!)

I am a loving, affectionate, respectful, and playful partner (Stop being a lazy partner because you've been sucking at that lately)

I put my family first (My partner's and my kids' happiness is the priority this year)

I am a selfless person (A generic way to prioritize volunteering, helping neighbors, and generally being more proactive about being the kind of person I want to be)

And the last one...the one that I'm in charge of this year:

I find joy in the act of living

Starting the new year with good intentions doesn't mean there won't be shitty days. It doesn't mean that I will suddenly maintain motivation or that my ADHD brain won't fuck me over. However, I can choose to find the joy despite the frustrations. I can choose to find the joy despite the inevitable sadness. I can choose to be the joy when it's hard to find. I did a pretty good job at genuinely enjoying being with my girls last year. I found even the frustrating parts of parenting not so bad, maybe because I'm learning to better appreciate the time I have with them since co-parenting slices away half of their childhood (brb, sobbing). But I'm pretty abysmal at finding the joy in everyday life when it's just me and my partner, and even worse when it's just me. If life is to be enjoyed and not just endured, it's time for me to do the work to find the joy in everyday life; peek around the corners, open the doors, and sometimes I might just have to squint a little more to see the joy. I can do that.

I think I can...I think I can...I think I can. Chugga-chugga-choo-choo bitches!