Happy New Year 2026, everyone! Hope this year brings good things for us all. Are you setting any new year resolutions? At the start of every year I like to set a couple of resolutions: a health goal, a writing goal and a reading goal.

Writing goal for 2026

With the draft of WIP#7 that I printed from Lulu

In 2025 I had writer’s block a grand total of two times with ghost novel WIP#7. The only option left to me was to print a paperback draft of my WIP to read it in book format and get the story back in my head. This has helped to give me a fresh perspective on the story, especially as I changed a major character, which impacted all the relationships and even the protagonist’s journey.

My goal for 2026 is to actually get the manuscript finished, and take it from there. I’m not going to say much else for now, as I feel this project has stalled enough. Needless to say, it’ll be a big celebration when it’s finally done.

Health goal for 2026

Best book I read in 2025 as it has helped my health

In my post on New Year’s Eve, I mentioned that I had lost 16lbs (7.2kg) through following a recommended intermittent fasting plan as outlined in The Obesity Code, pictured above. Initiating autophagy through occasional 24 hour fasting has worked really well to shift stubborn visceral fat and helped me to break through a weight loss plateau last year. I plan to continue using intermittent fasting combined with ketosis through a strict low-carb eating plan and hopefully will be able to maintain my weight loss in 2026.

Reading goal for 2026

Let’s see if I can accomplish this goal in 2026

I’m going to stick to my same Goodreads challenge as last year and plan to read 30 books on my author account and 30 on my reader account. Let’s see if I can achieve my reading resolution of 60 books – no mean feat in addition to writing, publishing Bindweed, teaching creative writing and my library day work – but I think I can pull it off!

If things don’t go to plan?

As with any resolutions, plans can derail and goals can fall by the wayside. To save myself from any possible disappointment, and because I don’t think being rigid is the best approach generally speaking, I’m going to set my goals as intentions, with an aim to reflecting on things in December this year, and see what happens.

What do you think about resolutions? Fixed goals, or intentions? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Posted by on January 7, 2026 in Health and tagged , , , , , , .

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About Leilanie Stewart

Leilanie Stewart is an award-winning author and poet from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She writes ghost and psychological horror, as well as experimental poetry. Her writing confronts the nature of self; her novels feature main characters on a dark psychological journey who have a crisis and create a new sense of identity. She began writing for publication while working as an English teacher in Japan, a career pathway that has influenced themes in her writing. Her former career as an Archaeologist has also inspired her writing and she has incorporated elements of archaeology and mythology into both her fiction and poetry. In addition to promoting her own work, Leilanie runs Bindweed Anthologies, a creative writing publication with her writer husband, Joseph Robert. Aside from publishing pursuits, Leilanie enjoys spending time with her husband and their lively literary lad, a voracious reader of sea monster books.

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  1. lyndhurstlaura's avatar lyndhurstlaura says:
    January 7, 2026 at 10:13 PM

    Congratulations on setting challenges for yourself – all the best for achieving them. I’m not big on challenges, what will be will be and I’m good with that, sort-of. I’d like to make it through to see another Christmas, write a book or two along the way, read some good stuff, whatever. 🙂

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