Most of us start the new year with personal goals — the good old “New Year’s resolutions.” Every January, we’re eager to take on the challenge of the year with big, lofty promises: I’m going to lose weight, I’m going to save money, I’m going to make more money, I’m going to be a better person, and so on. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the truth is that by mid-February, many of those goals fade away. And if we’re honest, those resolutions tend to be pretty self-centered.

This year, I want to propose something different. Maybe — especially judging by these first couple of weeks, which already feel intense — this is the year we focus on communal goals. Yes, resolutions too, but with a twist: How can we make things better for all of us?

It seems that one of the reasons we’re in the place we are today is because we’ve spent too much time focused on the individual. The “me” or “I” resolutions are everywhere on social media, pushing us toward self-improvement mainly so we can feel better about ourselves. Again, nothing wrong with that — but maybe this year (and maybe for the next few years, honestly) we shift toward the “us”: our communities, our families, our neighborhoods, our loved ones.

Last year, in Simon Sinek’s newsletter for The Optimism Company, he suggested that one way to change the world is to “commit to making resolutions that advance the greater good in serving each other. And ultimately, it’s good for ourselves and our families too.” I loved that — it just feels true.

We are living in tumultuous times, ones many of us weren’t prepared for. So, what if this year we set goals that lift our communities, our families, our friends, or even a coworker? Maybe even the company or the organization we belong to.

And if you’re struggling to think of examples, here are a few simple ones:

— Call your family more often instead of just texting. Reach out to that aunt, brother, sister, mom, or dad you haven’t spoken to in a while.
— Be a little kinder at work. Sometimes a single conversation shifts someone’s entire day.
— Make an effort to spend time with relatives or friends you don’t see often — even if it’s just a quick coffee.
— Slow down your social media consumption. Stop feeding the algorithms that bombard you with unrealistic standards or divisive content.
— And yes… maybe be less social media and more social — in real life, with your community, with your family, face-to-face.

I want to end with a quote from renowned Puerto Rican author Abelardo Díaz Alfaro, who emphasized solidarity as a path to personal and social harmony. Throughout his work, he explored human dignity and the struggles of the rural jíbaro to maintain identity amidst change. He wrote, “Serving and thinking of others is one of the means of achieving balance.”

And maybe balance is exactly what we need most in 2026.

*Uriel Rendón — Columnist and Social Motivator, focused on community, solidarity, and collective growth.