Intentions Before Goals: A Different Way to Approach 2026
We live in a world where the moment January arrives, the pressure to set goals comes rushing in. We’re just starting to crawl out of our holiday hibernation and—BOOM!—we’re expected to have an entire year mapped out. Suddenly, we’re spiralling about what resolutions we should have, what we need to change, and everything we didn’t quite finish last year. For many people, this can quickly turn into a negative experience, especially if last year’s goals didn’t go as planned.
Now, if you’re someone who thrives during goal-setting season…get it! That’s amazing. Keep going. Goals are important, and if this approach works for you, there’s no need to change it.
But if you’re the person who writes “2026 Resolutions” at the top of a page and then stares at it for 20 minutes… you’re not alone. Maybe jumping straight into goals feels like starting at step five. Maybe what you actually need first is to dig a little deeper and establish your intentions.
Try asking yourself:
How do I want to feel this year?
How do I want to move through my days?
How do I want to approach both the joyful and challenging moments?
What’s my overall vibe for 2026?
This can often be a much gentler, and possibly a more effective starting point.
You might try narrowing things down to three or four words that capture those answers. Still feeling stuck? One tool I love is an intentions word search I learned from Shifting Perspectives Coaching. Take a look at a word search like this one and write down the first three or four words you notice. Then sit with them. Do they feel aligned with how you want to move through this year? If yes—great. If not, what words would feel more supportive?
Once you’ve set intentions, let’s talk about how they connect to health and wellness resolutions.
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions revolves around weight loss. While this goal isn’t inherently wrong, an overwhelming focus on it can become problematic. I could write an entire blog on the many reasons someone may carry what’s often labeled as “extra weight” (a very subjective measure), and why it’s far more complex than simple calorie deficits—as media messaging often suggests.
Instead, I invite you to shift the focus to how you want to feel:
Do you want to be in less pain?
Do you want to move more smoothly through your day?
Do you want more consistent energy and more restful sleep?
Or perhaps your intention is skill-based:
Improving endurance for running
Building strength
Increasing flexibility or mobility
Enhancing performance in your chosen sport
When your intentions are grounded in skills and how your body feels, they can become an anchor. Especially when consistency gets hard. Life will get busy. Motivation will fluctuate. But intentions that genuinely reflect how you want to feel can act as a north star, guiding you back when your health and wellness start to slide down the priority list.
These intentions can also play a meaningful role in your treatments here at Rivers RMT. Understanding your broader health and movement goals helps guide treatment plans that support what you’re working toward outside the clinic. Many people are surprised to learn that Massage Therapists can also support movement goals through therapeutic exercise guidance.
If you’re not sure where to start, myself and the team at Oshawa Wellness Collective are here to help. Whether it’s a conversation at your next massage appointment about your intentions and first steps, or working with Rob at Upshift Kinesiology to build strong foundations you can grow from—we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Here’s to a year guided by intention, not pressure.
My intensions for 2026 is to continue to focus on my own health in order to continue to bring the best care for my clients. Courage to move forward with ideas I’ve been holding on to and continue to challenge myself to grow and learn as a therapist. My words that jumped out to me were balance, quality, nourish and courage.
