Before You Set Goals for 2026, Pause and Reflect on 2025
- Kristin Kurian
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
As the year comes to a close, many people feel pressure to look ahead.
Their New Year's resolutions include new goals, new habits, and a better version of themselves. They think that if they run into the New Year with these, they'll become the person that they wanted to be in 2025. But becoming a better version of yourself doesn't happen overnight. It happens over time through intention, patience, and breaking goals into small, manageable pieces.
Before you rush into 2026, I want to invite you to pause. In that pause, I invite you to breathe and reflect. Not to evaluate what you didn't do, not to list where you think you should have been further along. Instead, take a moment to reflect on the whole picture of 2025.
Our growth isn't always obvious, but it is there. And often, it happens softly.
Growth Isn't Always Obvious
So much of the work we do to take care of ourselves happens quietly.
It's easy to overlook growth when it doesn't look productive or impressive from the outside. Especially for teens and young adults navigating transitions, or parents carrying the emotional weight of others alongside their own.
Growth often looks like:
Having a difficult conversation you were avoiding
Taking a pause instead of pushing through
Setting (or even just noticing the need for) a boundary
Choosing rest when your body asks for it
These moments don't always show up on a highlight reel. They still matter. They are worthy of being noticed and celebrated. Quietly celebrating moments of self-growth and self-compassion reflects resilience and honours how far we've come in our journey.
Not everything that matters is visible or publicly celebrated. Setting boundaries, shifting perspectives and being open to change takes inner strength and courage, and you're allowed to acknowledge the bravery it took to keep growing.
Resilience Is Often Subtle
Resilience doesn't always mean powering through or staying positive.
Sometimes it looks like:
Showing up when things feel heavy. When life feels heavy, showing up can feel incredibly hard. Putting one foot in front of the other is an act of resilience and growth.
Pulling back. When we feel overwhelmed, pulling back isn't weakness; it's strength. It's recognizing the need to set a boundary, recharge, or redirect.
Getting through a day that felt harder than it should have. Hard days come to everyone. Often, we d don't know how we'll get through them until we do. It's usually at the end of the day that we realize what felt impossible that morning became possible because we met ourselves with compassion.
If 2025 asked a lot of you, it makes sense if your wins feel quieter this year. Quiet or loud, they still count.
Offering Yourself Credit and Compassion
As therapists, parents and helpers, many of us are far more practiced at extending compassion outward than inward.
As you reflect on this year, consider offering yourself the same understanding you would offer someone you care about. Giving yourself credit is about being honest, not boastful.
You might ask yourself:
What did I get through that I don't talk about much?
Where did I honour myself, even in small ways?
What did I learn about my limits, needs, or my values?
When did I choose kindness toward myself instead of criticism?
How did I handle setbacks or mistakes?
You don't need to turn these reflections into goals.
Sometimes naming them is enough.
When you make decisions that protect your well-being, that's something to take credit for. It reflects growth in self-compassion and awareness, and that matters.
A Gentler Way to Close the Year
Before moving forward, give yourself permission to acknowledge what you've already done.
Give yourself credit.
Credit isn't about achieving and maintaining perfection; it's about effort, intention and resilience.
Give yourself compassion.
Compassion doesn't mean you're letting yourself off the hook; it means you understand the conditions you were working under. Showing yourself the compassion you show to others doesn't erase responsibility; it reflects deeper self-awareness and inner strength.
Give yourself rest.
Rest is not a retreat, it's a pause. Rest is care, not neglect. When we rest, we give our bodies and brains the chance to reset and recharge.
If you're entering 2026 feeling tired, unsure, or in between chapters, you're not alone. Reflection can be a grounding place to stand before deciding what comes next.
If you'd like support, whether through ongoing therapy or a more focused therapy intensive, you're always welcome to reach out when it feels like the right time.
About Kristin Kurian, RP, MA, MHsc
Kristin is a registered psychotherapist and founder of A New Perspective Psychotherapy. She supports teens, young adults, and parents navigating life transitions with compassion and empathy. Sessions are available virtually across Ontario and in person across Toronto.
