Countdown to Happiness

The countdown is on—only eight days remain before 2026 begins, inviting reflection and possibility.

Knowing that the new year is approaching fast, many people start contemplating new resolutions to accomplish over the year. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a resolution is a personal expression of will or intent, especially in pursuit of a goal. This is a common practice among Americans, with exercising more, saving more money, and eating healthier ranking the top three resolutions for 2026. But with many people starting new resolutions, only about 4% complete them. It is safe to say I am not one of those people.

I am 35 years old, and I have never completed a New Year's Resolution before in my life. With the new year approaching, I aim to be happier with my life. I have a long list of goals I want to accomplish over the years to help me achieve happiness. Over the years, I have made many goals for how I want to improve my life, but I can never follow through. Maybe it is the ADHD, maybe it is because I lack the means, or never prep before starting; maybe the reason I fail so many times is that I set such unrealistic, over-the-top goals that even the most wealthy, most disciplined man could not accomplish. Whatever the reason, I feel like this is my year, and I will accomplish something.

Lately, I have been going through some emotional struggles, and when talking to my family, they like to remind me that I have a good life and I should be happy. Yes, this is true. I have a great husband, two amazing little ones, a good job, and a roof over my head. What more can I ask for? A lot. I was looking up some information on my favorite website, cough Google cough cough, and I discovered this book called “The Happiness Project”. It is a book by Gretchen Rubin about her journey toward greater happiness. After reading a couple of chapters, I thought to myself, I could do this! I recalled this movie (which I am sure you all have heard of) called Julie and Julia, where a writer creates a blog and documents her journey of completing all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 365 days (1 year). I remembered how ambitious she was and how, after creating a blog and eventually gaining a following, she became more determined to finish her goal. That is what I am going to do here.

I invite you all to join me as I strive to complete my specific resolutions, measure my progress, and share my journey toward a happier life.