If you despise resolving to overhaul your life on Jan. 1, try this instead:

• Choose a theme word to guide your year, author and happiness expert Gretchen Rubin tells Axios' Carly Mallenbaum.

Why it matters: Resolutions seldom stick — often because they're too vague, too big or too extreme. Still, "there's something auspicious about a new year," Rubin says.

• So the start of 2026 is as good a time as any to move toward a happier, healthier or more creative next phase of life — and picking a theme instead of setting a lofty goal is one way to trick your brain into actually making some changes.

🛠️ How it works: Think about what you want out of the upcoming year, and select a theme that feels significant and motivating to you.

• Once you land on one that resonates, you can even distill it into a visual symbol that can be put on a bulletin board or a mug to remind yourself of your goals.

Case in point: Last year Rubin's sister used the word "bounce," as in bounce back.

• "That's an active, energetic, almost-goofy word, but it captured the idea of resilience in a much more energetic and fun way," Rubin says. Her sister's symbol: kangaroo.

💛 This year, Rubin's own theme is "neighbor."

• She realizes there are many opportunities for connection in New York City — a place she's lived for 20 years — while walking dogs or going to local stores. "We all share so much, and we need to clasp hands across differences," she says.
• Symbols she's considering: clasped hands, a cardigan or a cup of sugar.

Reality check: If you want to go for a more traditional resolution, Rubin has a pro tip for that, too.

• Make one that's "concrete and actionable. ... It has to be something where you know if you did it or not."

🧘 Want to be more physically active? Don't go into the new year saying, "I'm going to start exercising."

• Instead, say you're going to walk 20 minutes a day, do yoga classes three times a week or hike 50 new trails, she says.

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The sun rises over the Grand Canyon after a snowstorm in this photo captured by reader Mike Walker of Cornville, Maine, in January 2023.

• This trip was part of Mike's quest with his wife, Jean, to visit every national park in the continental U.S.