This article is part of our new Campus and Student Life series, featuring campus culture, student stories and everything in-between that shapes the Excelsia community.
In just two months, we’ll be staring down the middle of 2026, and if the year feels like it’s moving faster than planned, you’re not alone.
The big ‘new year, new me’ energy and personality overhaul resolutions may have quietly disappeared somewhere between Orientation and your first assessment deadline.
So, instead of dramatic decisions we’ll forget by week three, this is your reminder that resets don’t have an expiry date.
Whether you never made resolutions to begin with, or yours didn’t quite survive the first few weeks of semester, here are four anti‑resolutions we’re recommending for a more forgiving and discover‑as‑you‑go 2026.
Don’t worry, there’s no guilt-trip involved. In fact, there’s enough space here for you to reflect, reform, and rebuild with small changes that make life feel … lighter.
X I won’t be a 365-day ‘yes’ person
College has this unspoken rule: say yes to everything or risk disappearing socially.
Yes to every event.
Yes to every group outing.
Yes to every ‘quick favour’ that takes three hours.
Ever wondered what’s on the other side of ‘no’? Just peace and sanity. If a simple ‘no’ gives you back precious ‘me time’ and recharges your social battery, it’s about time you built those boundaries without the need to explain over a long paragraph.
The right people will understand.
✖ I won’t compete with someone else’s milestones
You’ve made it through so far, but we know how intense social media at the start of the year can be. New jobs. New routines. New bodies. New businesses. New everything. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to figure out how to open last semester’s feedback without emotional damage.
The algorithm is carefully crafted. The lives you’re scrolling through are designed to make you feel the way you feel. Even the ‘messy’ posts are curated. It’s okay to mute, unfollow, or do whatever it takes to protect your peace.
Removing comparison creates space to focus on your own pace, even if it doesn’t pass the vibe check for aesthetics.
✖ I won’t expect clarity in Week 1 (or Week 11)
Relax, you are not supposed to have your entire life mapped out by the end of O-Week. Or by graduation. Or by 30. Or honestly … ever.
There’s this pressure at the start of every semester to reinvent yourself. New term = new personality. Nobody is thinking about the old you who survived 100% of your worst days. That version deserves some credit, too.
Instead of ‘go big or go home’, try to ‘go steady or go snack’:
- Write notes after each class.
- Start one small task early.
- Improve just 5% at the beginning instead of 50%.
Consistency beats intensity. Always. And if you fall off track? You’re one small step away from getting back on it. Not back to zero.
✖️I won’t feel guilty for resting
Somewhere along the way, we decided that rest had to be earned.
‘If I’m not studying, I should be working.’
‘If I’m not working, I should be networking.’
‘If I’m not networking, I should at least be doing Pilates.’
Exhausting. Rest isn’t a reward for burnout. It’s a requirement for being a functional human. You’re allowed to have a day off. Or a week off without turning it into a personality crisis or feeling unreasonable.
Remember, slowing down doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. It just means you’re not sprinting a marathon.
In totally unrelated news, the author of this article has been to the gym consistently for a whole month. No further questions at this time. Maybe the real anti-resolution was simply: stop excusing excuses.
Your turn – what’s one anti-resolution you’re carrying into the rest of 2026?
