Get Your Kicks in 2026

How to Make the Most of the Year You’re Actually Living

Most New Year content asks some version of the same questions: What will you fix? What will you achieve? How will you optimize yourself this time? This series is asking something different.

What makes a year feel worth being alive inside?

“Getting your kicks” isn’t about chasing constant happiness, reinventing yourself, or turning your life into a performance review. It’s about attunement; noticing what animates you, choosing presence over autopilot, and shaping a year that feels inhabited rather than endured. Not a fantasy life. Not a highlight reel. The year you’re actually living.

Why this series exists

Many of us move through our days efficiently but not intentionally. Time passes. Weeks blur. Joy gets postponed. Meaning becomes something we expect to stumble upon later, when things calm down or improve. Psychological research suggests something quietly hopeful: Well-being isn’t driven primarily by achievement or intensity, but by values-aligned experience, attention, curiosity, and psychological flexibility. In other words, the texture of ordinary days matters more than dramatic milestones.

This series draws on research in:

• savoring and positive emotion regulation

• meaning-making and narrative identity

• autonomy and values-based action

• curiosity, novelty, and exploration

• psychological flexibility

But it’s written for humans, not productivity machines.

What “Get Your Kicks” means here

“Kicks” aren’t thrills or escapes, or actual high kicks (unless you want them to be). They’re the moments that make you feel:

• present

• quietly satisfied

• amused

• absorbed

• moved

• connected

• more yourself

They’re often small. They’re easy to miss. And they’re rarely what culture tells us we should care about. This series helps you notice them, make room for them, and build a year that reflects what actually gives your life texture and meaning.

How the year is structured

Each month in 2026 focuses on a single theme, not as a goal to perfect, but as a lens to look through.

You’ll get:

• a short essay grounding the theme

• one simple practical activity

• journaling prompts for reflection

• a lightweight tool or template you can actually use

No pressure. No streaks to maintain. No falling behind. You can dip in, skip weeks, revisit later, or adapt everything to fit your life.

The monthly themes

• January - Fresh Starts: setting intentions without pressure

• February - Self-Compassion: why kindness fuels progress

• March - Mindful Productivity: working smarter, not harder

• April - Creativity: unlocking play and curiosity

• May - Resilience: bouncing back without hardening

• June - Connection: deepening relationships

• July - Energy & Wellbeing: body-mind alignment

• August - Curiosity: lifelong learning and exploration

• September - Clarity & Focus: deciding what actually matters

• October - Gratitude & Joy: finding richness in routine

• November - Reflection & Integration: making sense of the year

• December - Celebration & Renewal: carrying forward what worked

How to approach this series

Think of this as a companion, not a curriculum. You’re not trying to “do the year right.” You’re practicing noticing, choosing, and adjusting. Some months will resonate more than others. Some exercises will feel obvious; others might quietly shift how you move through your days. That’s expected. This is not about becoming better. It’s about becoming more here.

A starting question

Before January even begins, consider this:

When do I feel most alive, without needing to justify it?

That question, gently returned to over the year, can change more than any resolution ever will. Welcome to Get Your Kicks in 2026. Let’s build a year that feels lived in.

References

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