As the year changes, we want to change too. Our stewing desires bubble up and reach the surface in their own time, but often with a temporal marker which helps us make the leap. Throughout the year, we begin our diets on Mondays, plan to start exercising at the beginning of the next month, or await the ultimate moment: New Year’s Day. We make these plans, execute them to the best of our abilities, and usually repeat the process in January of next year.

This December, we asked the Anglers in our Fishing Clash Discord community what their New Year’s resolutions are, with a chance to win 2,026 Pearls for the three most creative and relatable answers. In today’s read, we will reveal the winning entries – plus one extra! – while also taking a moment to consider why New Year’s resolutions follow such a predictable pattern. Welcome to 2026, Anglers! Let’s cast our rods into the future to see what bites and what may change!

A setback, on repeat

January is quite the lucrative month for gym owners, as membership numbers skyrocket, only to never reach the same heights again that year. This increase in fitness enthusiasts, observed by regular gym-goers who at the time need to carefully manage their workout routines amidst the crowds, lasts just a few weeks after the New Year’s countdown reaches zero. It’s a curious and repeatable happening that doesn’t just connect to physical activity, but to most of the promises we make to ourselves around that time of year.

One of the reasons for our recurring annual defeats is an all-or-nothing mentality, observed in psychology as the what-the-hell effect. Our setback spiral usually follows an all-too-familiar pattern: we skip a day of exercise because of, well, life, then we feel guilty or ashamed, but say something to the extent of, “Oh, what the hell, I might as well let loose this week!” and plan to get back on track on Monday. If life gets in the way once again, we feel even more shame, so to ease our minds we promise ourselves to revisit the resolution when there’s a better time. Maybe next month or, yes, even next year. This relapse effect is quite common – it was initially observed by dietary researchers and applies to cutting back on sweets, quitting smoking, exercising, or anything that relies on sheer willpower as our resolutions often do.

A way to remedy such an all-or-nothing approach is to remember that a small lapse isn’t a complete failure and it’s nothing to be ashamed of in the grand scheme of our desired change. After all, we’re usually starting something big and trying things that are out of our typical domain, so minor setbacks are not only expected, but welcomed – as long as we learn from them and don’t succumb to a kind of fatalism and catastrophizing. It helps to remember that nobody has ever learned a new skill or changed their behavior overnight! What matters most is taking small steps when we begin and calmly getting back on track when we fall off the horse. We shouldn’t expect perfection, but progress. And progress can always be achieved in small, steady steps.

If we ever need a visual aid to guide our progress, it’s useful to picture children learning how to walk. Their falling down on the floor never breaks their spirit, and there’s a soft (and often adorable!) relentlessness and determination in them. A child’s desire to walk far outweighs puny obstacles like a lack of coordination or the forces of gravity. A child doesn’t think that maybe Monday would be a better time to try again after taking a tumble on the carpet! A gentle, kind stubbornness goes a long way. Quite literally!

The language of our resolve

It is known that the language we speak affects how we perceive the world, how we think about it and, in consequence, how we act. But language and its transformative powers begin with ourselves. Resolution, as a noun, has a few meanings, but two stand in slight opposition, which is interesting in itself. One has to do with resolving something, often a problem – this meaning makes sense when considering the word’s Latin origin, the word resolutio, which literally meant “to take apart” or “to dissolve.” Then we have the other meaning of resolution, our New Year’s promise, and this one is nowadays associated with exercising willpower and determination. This resolution is connected to various acts of control and the strengthening of our resolve – definitely not dissolving anything, but rather the opposite.

This semantic change of resolution, the shift in meaning and the word’s duality, twofoldness, is one of the possible reasons why our New Year’s resolutions have a knack for continuous returns year after year. Maybe what we need in times of change is not a hardening of our resolve, but a softening of what we think of ourselves? If we truly wish to change something in our life, there’s probably already an element of embarrassment connected to it. Being hard on ourselves doesn’t do us any good, as it uses the very same fuel of shame, something that already burns us out. What we might find useful is to kindly dissolve what we think of ourselves – who we really are. Rather than thinking, “I need to do this,” go with, “I’m a person who does this.” The shift seems subtle and insignificant, but may bring unexpected results when we consider the depths of what we’re doing.

Introducing a new habit (or breaking a vice) doesn’t just come from thin air – we usually have ample reasons for making a change. The sentence “I need to exercise” is just an action in a vacuum, but if we say, “I’m a person who exercises,” it touches our identity, especially when we dig a little deeper and consider the underlying reasons for change. The New Year’s resolution of exercise most likely comes from understanding that staying healthy benefits not only us, but also the people we love. If the desire to exercise stems from wanting to be in good shape for our friends and family, it is a form of love, demonstrated through action. That action is going to the gym, taking a long walk, or trying pickleball. The sentence “I’m a person who exercises” transforms when we dive deeper: “I’m a person who loves those dear to me, so I’m trying a new physical activity to stay healthy and live a good life alongside them!” It’s a reframing of things, yes, but one more aligned with the truth and touching our identity.

A final thought on language: nobody likes to be told what to do. This applies to ourselves as well, even when the instruction comes from within. So, we might want to consider changing our language from “should” – as in “I should exercise” – to “I want to exercise,” as long as that is a true statement for us. If we find our want, our desire, and reach beneath the “should,” we won’t be bossed around by our resolve, but come closer to what matters and act upon that desire.

A Fishing Clash resolution

We hope these musings might help not only our readers, but also every Angler who took part in the monthly contest on our Fishing Clash Discord! The three awarded entries below stole our hearts, but all of them are worthy of praise, since to be alive is to change, and the desire to change is the desire to grow, regardless of how it’s expressed. So, what are our Anglers’ plans for 2026? Selecting ones which were both creative and relatable was no easy task, but we’ll let the resolutions speak for themselves…

James McCloskey from the “Water Eagles” Clan wrote:

1. Stay in the moment. Don’t worry about yesterday & deal with tomorrow when it gets here…
2. Cut down on smoking & be healthier.
3. Travel more & live life to the fullest!

Momfish has the following resolutions:

1. Stop Buying “Future Me” Stuff. No more planners for a fantasy lifestyle, workout sets for imaginary workouts, or kitchen tools for meals I’ll never make. 2026 is about supporting current me.
2. Quit Confusing “Busy” with “Important”. If it doesn’t move my life forward, make me money, or genuinely make me happy, it doesn’t get unlimited access to my time.
3. Celebrate the Boring wins. Drink the coffee hot. Fold the laundry the same day. Light the candle on a random Tuesday. Life is happening now, not after things calm down.

SamBam has charmed us with the three resolutions below – especially the second one, which we should introduce at Fishing Clash headquarters:

1. I’m going to take my toddler fishing, probably will be chaotic and not a lot of fishing but it will be fun!
2. Institute Taco Tuesday as a legally binding household ordinance.
3. Read more books.

Finally, we have an honorary award for Kora (Zsanett Nagy from the “Play after Life” Clan)! We’ll end with her wonderful entry, translated from Hungarian, welcoming everyone into the year 2026. Let’s make it one to remember!

This year, curiosity will be my compass. Every month, I’ll allow myself to marvel at something that I hadn’t even noticed before. I’ll learn to love semi-finished things, to celebrate any small steps forward, and I’ll also give myself permission to make mistakes. I’ll make at least one decision that makes me feel a bit scared but very much alive. I’ll look for new spaces – not necessarily big ones, just some place where a different kind of light will shine on me. I don’t expect myself to become perfect by the end of the year but to be myself more bravely, freely and joyfully. This year, I’ll not only discover the world but my own boundaries, too. Every month, I’ll try something that will make me look at myself in a new light. If I get stuck, I’ll change directions – I won’t give up, just turn the compass. By the end of the year, I’ll have more curiosity than doubt. This year, I’ll be collecting days, not achievements. Moments that I can be proud of – no matter how small they are. If I see something beautiful, I’ll pause, recognize it, and take it with me. By the end of the year, I’ll have a hundred days I’d want to relive.