Pick up the weights. Floss every day. Finish reading that great American novel. Finish writing the great American novel. Whether or not you make one and stick to it or roll your eyes at the thought, New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition for a reason: They’re a way to turn the page, and a shot at a slightly better version of yourself. So as 2025 turns to 2026, we asked the Free Press newsroom what they planned to do differently starting January 1. Here’s what they said. From all the people who make The Free Press run, Happy New Year. And what are your resolutions for 2026? Let us know in the comments. —The Editors
Olivia Reingold, staff writer: Write my heart out
Well folks, after two years of trying—and failing—to stop biting my nails, I’ve promoted that goal to my lifetime project. For 2026, I have my eyes on a new target: to write my heart out.
That may seem like a strange goal for a writer. But what they say is true: Whatever you do for a living, you usually avoid in your spare time. In the span of a decade, I’ve gone from fastidious—a girl never seen without a notebook—to someone who avoids the pen after hours. Eventually I shoved the habit to the end of the day, at which point it started to feel like a chore.
So in 2026 I aspire to get funky with it. We’re talking poems, diary entries, and even a movie script. And not a word of it will be about the news.
Joe Nocera, writer and editor: Stop buying books; read them instead
Remember back before Amazon began selling digital books, when people would have rows and rows of hardcover books beautifully arrayed on built-in bookshelves? Those bookshelves made quite a statement, didn’t they? About the importance of good books in the life of their owner, of course, but also—let’s be honest here—as a way of displaying one’s taste. But quite often if you asked said owner if he had read this or that book on the shelf, the answer was an abashed: “I haven’t gotten to it yet.” When the owner (i.e., me) bought the book, he had every intention of reading it, but for one reason or another, never quite got around to it.
