Out with the old, in with the new: I’m sure many of us felt a 2026 rebrand calling our name as we entered the new year. As a serial resolution setter myself, I have fallen victim year after year to the journal propaganda, hoping that in listing out my goals daily, I’ll finally become that super health-conscious, lemon-and-ginger-shot-drinking pilates princess I’ve always dreamed of being. And yet, all these journals soon find themselves empty and shoved into the back of my wardrobe, along with one dusty yoga mat (one of last year’s unsuccessful resolutions was to Marie Kondo-ify my room, leaving only things that spark joy). Failing to stick to resolutions is an all-too-common struggle – one epitomised in Bridget Jones, the OG frazzled English woman, though she at least makes more thorough use of her diary than myself.

In the age of hustle culture, it can feel like there is massive pressure to transform into a maximum productivity machine. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to want to better yourself, but sticking to resolutions isn’t the only way to do this. Fear not, breaking resolutions is no catastrophe, but rather an opportunity to reflect and adjust, instead of simply returning to square one in January 2027, with a new list of goals in a fresh, soon-to-be-forgotten journal.

“Yes, the idea of a complete rebrand can seem enticing, especially after a particularly motivating scroll through Pinterest”

Sometimes, we only realise how unrealistic a resolution really is through the process of trial and error. Yes, the idea of a complete rebrand can seem enticing, especially after a particularly motivating scroll through Pinterest, but ultimately it is much more important to gradually implement change in a way that accommodates for any potential hiccups along the way. For example, if you want to become a 6am early bird and initially failed to sustain this after many luxury lie-ins during the holidays, try phasing your alarm to gradually go off earlier each day as you ease yourself into the new routine. So, avoid throwing yourself in the deep end with overwhelming, unrealistic expectations, and try using small stepping stones like these to reach your goals.

We’re humans, not robots – after all. The fact that our schedules sometimes get upended with unexpected twists and surprises which may hinder complete consistency to resolutions is part of life. And having spontaneous or special activities that disrupt our routines and goals is something to be cherished, not feared. Especially with Cambridge terms being just 8-weeks long, it is so worthwhile to sleep in on Saturday morning after boogying the night away in La Raza and miss your scheduled 5km run. At the end of the day, it’s natural for daily life to vary, and so it’s natural that our commitment to goals will fluctuate in order to fit around other priorities in our lives – like that 3am chicken quesadilla from Van of Life.

“it is so worthwhile to sleep in on Saturday morning after boogying the night away in La Raza”

Through all the excitement surrounding the idea of starting the new year with a blank slate, we can set massive goals without thinking about why specifically we want to make this change in our lives. Failing to stick to a resolution can encourage us to think more deeply about how we want to live our lives and to reevaluate whether this resolution is truly the right fit for us individually – it provides an opportunity for greater self-discovery, a check-point at the beginning of the year to become more grounded in ourselves and our goals. As much as they say the early bird catches the worm, ask yourself: would waking up at 6am everyday actually be fulfilling to you?

It’s easy to get so fixated on the ‘new’ that we neglect to acknowledge our accomplishments from the previous year, but ‘new’ is not always better! There is value in appreciating who we already are as we enter the new year. So, rather than centering your focus on resolutions, think instead about what you accomplished in 2025, and how you can continue this streak into 2026.

Whilst it is wonderful to be motivated to improve and better yourself in the new year, if you are struggling to keep to your resolutions, perhaps taking a sec to pause and reflect will be beneficial. A desire to self-improve is positive in many ways, but there is so much more to life than whether we rigidly stick to our goals. Bridget Jones never sticks to her resolutions, yet she thrives and is loved by the people in her life. Indeed, there is charm in being, as Mr Darcy says, “just as you are”.