Are you keeping up with your goals for 2026?

I’ve discovered something about myself this year: if I want to stay accountable, I have to write things down. That realization led me to create a simple idea that has made a big difference for me—a goal calendar.

My Sticker Calendar

I started my fitness and nutrition journey on January 5th. To help keep myself motivated, I made a calendar for January and tracked my progress. Every time I did the right things, I rewarded myself with stickers.

Yes, stickers.

And I’m not ashamed to admit it—stickers make me happy.

The funny thing is, it worked. I stayed consistent throughout January, and seeing those stickers pile up felt like a little celebration every day.

Because I liked the idea so much, I expanded it in February and turned it into a goal calendar for all my goals, not just fitness.

February Goals

My main focus for February was simple:

Take time to relax and enjoy life.

I feel like I did a pretty good job with that.

I exercised 20 days, going to the weight room and doing yoga. I walk every day anyway, so I decided not to track walking anymore. Instead, I only tracked my non-walking workouts, and I hit my goal of 20 days.

That felt really good.

Learning Something Completely New

On January 5th, I also decided to try something brand new: making videos and starting a YouTube channel.

Let me tell you something—I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

I’ve learned some very basic things the hard way, like:

• Shorts need to be vertical
• Longer videos need to be horizontal

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve messed that up. Countless times.

I’ve also learned things I never even knew existed before, like:

• Creating thumbnails
• Writing descriptions
• Using keywords
• Editing videos

All of this has been completely new to me.

The Tools I’ve Been Learning

Along the way, I’ve experimented with several tools and apps that have helped me create videos:

• Adobe Express
• Canva
• A video maker app on my phone
• Pic Collage

They’ve all been really useful as I learn how to create content.

I’ve also started exploring AI tools a little bit. I’ve experimented with things like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Canva’s AI features to create small inspirational posts in the mornings or on weekends.

Giving Myself Time to Learn

When I started this journey, I made a promise to myself:

Give it three months to experiment.

Right now, I’m two months and one week in, and honestly, I’m still all over the place. But that’s okay, because the goal is simply to learn and try things.

In February alone I created:

• 9 videos
• 9 blog posts (I write them first on peppermintpaper.com)
• 59 shorts

That may sound a little chaotic, and it probably is—but I’m learning, experimenting, and making lots of mistakes.

And I’m actually very proud of that.

Also, my calendar? Still covered in stickers. Glorious stickers.

My No-Buy Year

Another goal I started on December 1st was a no-buy year.

I keep a ledger where I record every purchase that isn’t on my allowed list.

So far:

• By the end of February, I had spent $182
• I had six entries in my ledger

Keeping track of purchases like this really helps me stay accountable. If I buy something, I have to write it down.

This week I had to add another entry because I needed new t-shirts. That was $32, which brings my total to $214 from December 1st to March 10th.

Honestly, I feel pretty good about that.

My March Focus

My goal for this month is simple:

“A simple life is all I need.”

And I truly believe that.

I enjoy simple things:

• Exercising
• Going to work
• Spending time with family and friends
• Cooking

Those things genuinely make me happy.

Trying Cooking Videos

Recently I’ve also been experimenting with cooking videos.

Now, my kitchen is wonderful for cooking—but it’s definitely not designed for filming videos. So it’s been a lot of trial and error figuring out:

• Camera angles
• Lighting
• Where to place the camera

Sometimes I think I filmed something perfectly, and then when I look at the video later… it didn’t turn out the way I expected at all.

But that’s part of the learning process.

Yesterday I filmed a video making tomato and chicken soup, and later I might try something even simpler—making popcorn from scratch.

Instead of buying packaged popcorn, you can easily make it yourself.

That’s really what I want to show people: simple cooking using whole foods instead of processed foods.

Small Joys

This month I also planted flowers in pots on my front porch.

That simple little thing brings me so much joy.

As of now in March I’ve already:

• Made 4 videos
• Written 4 blog posts
• Posted 15 shorts

And I have 90 subscribers on YouTube.

That may not sound like a lot, but when you go from 0 to 90, you appreciate every single person who subscribed.

Trying New Challenges

Earlier this week I tried a push-up challenge I saw online.

Most of the people doing it were much younger than me, but I’m not making excuses. I’m 61, and that doesn’t mean I can’t try new things.

I think I attempted it about 10 times. I never quite got the timing right or finished the last part, but it was fun trying.

The Time Change Motivation

I was also very excited about the time change this past weekend. The extra daylight means I have more time in the evenings to exercise and do things I enjoy.

So far this month, I’ve exercised every day, which feels great.

What’s Helping Me Stay on Track

Two simple things have really helped me stay consistent:

• My goal calendar
• My spending ledger

There’s something powerful about writing things down. It makes you more aware and a little more accountable.

And of course… stickers help too.

Final Thoughts

That’s where I am right now with my goals.

I’m learning, experimenting, making mistakes, and enjoying the process.

And if you’re working on goals this year too, I encourage you to find a system that works for you. It could be:

• A calendar
• A notebook
• A ledger
• Or anything that helps you track your progress

Sometimes the simplest tools are the most effective.

And if stickers make you happy… I highly recommend using them.

I hope you’re keeping up with your goals too.