Can you believe it’s 2026 already? With a new year comes new hope and possibilities—and now is the time to start manifesting them into life. 

Planning for a new year can get overwhelming. But part of this feeling can be due to not organizing things thoroughly with an achievable end goal. Sometimes our New Year’s resolutions are too broad and can get lost throughout the year. That’s why we’re doing things differently this year. 

This year, we are making sure we plan out realistic goals and ways to achieve them in 2026. Care to join us? Here’s how.

Make a Physical Vision Board

As cliché or outdated as they may sound, vision boards are that girl. One of the ways to get your ideas from your mind to paper is by making a physical vision board. While digital vision boards work the same, sometimes it’s helpful to have a physical component on your desk to revisit whenever you need that extra inspiration. 

Tips to make a physical vision board:

• Make a list of things you want to accomplish, places you want to visit, things you want to buy, words you want to live by, how you want to feel, etc.
• Google or Pinterest the aforementioned ideas for a photo that represents them.
• Print out the images. Tip: You can print these images out at your local library! You don’t need to go extra fancy if you don’t want to! 
• Use a corkboard to pin your ideas. 
• Keep the vision board in a place where you can see it daily.
  

Have an Accountability Partner

Whether you’re manifesting to get healthier, learn a new hobby, or balance work and life, having an accountability partner can make the difference in making these goals happen.

This allows you to speak your resolutions to existence, and have someone to give you feedback—and of course, encourage you throughout the year. But be careful: the root to make this work is by being honest with your accountability partner. There’s no point in lying to them about any progress in your goals.

Check In With Yourself Every Month

As mentioned before, New Year’s resolutions might sound overwhelming, but separating each resolution into twelve segments can help ease that feeling. Instead of thinking of goals for the whole year, why not think of it as twelve check-in points?

This way, it doesn’t have to feel like a year milestone to reach, but rather reasonable goals to keep up with each month—especially as life gets hectic throughout the year.

With all of this in mind, how are you keeping up with your resolutions this year? 

Though it’s not a diagnosis, eldest daughter syndrome is a real thing. It’s for those women who experience being the family’s translator, second mom, family coordinator, or peacekeeper. Who even asked to be these things? Not me.

Eldest daughter syndrome is a role that nobody asked for. “Eldest daughter syndrome refers to the attributes and experiences of firstborn children, and in particular, daughters,” psychologist Kate Eshleman, PsyD, said in an article. “There are some positive attributes, but also some negative experiences that these individuals may face.” For a Latina, this may be amplified, especially when your mother or tía hits you with the classic “la mayor tiene que dar el ejemplo.” 

How “Eldest Daughter Syndrome” Shows Up During the Holidays

“Eldest Daughter Syndrome” can show up in various ways. For example, it’s the assumption that you’re automatically the holiday coordinator. All of a sudden, everyone’s asking you what to bring, what time dinner will start, etc. And what’s possibly the most frustrating part is that you still have work, take care of your children, and your ongoing responsibilities on top of everything. 

It’s also when you end up managing family drama—is this family member coming? If so, this other one can’t come. Or when you have to cook everything while other family members relax and watch sports all day. And let’s hope nothing goes wrong, because then you’re blamed for it. 

A quote that Latino families like to bounce around is “La hija mayor cuida,” which should honestly be retired at this point. 

You shouldn’t have to take care of everything. We should all take responsibility for ourselves. 

Breaking the Pattern

You can love your family and loved ones and still set boundaries. Here are some tips to get you empowered for the holiday break:

1. Instead of carrying the family’s holiday load, assign tasks instead of doing everything.
2. Say “I’m not available” without explanation.
3. Let something go undone on purpose.

We know that these actions could be daunting. If you don’t think you’re up to trying any of these tips yet, we advise you to check options like therapy to help you work through it.

Bottom line is that you’re not abandoning your family or culture by choosing yourself. Your worth doesn’t equal how much stress you carry. 

To start easing your “Eldest Daughter Syndrome” let’s start with a journaling exercise: “What burden are you carrying that was never yours?”