Another year wraps up, and with it comes the annual ritual of taking stock. What were the movies, TV shows and books from this year that stood out to you? Not necessarily the ones that dominated conversation or topped charts, but the ones you found yourself recommending to friends, or returning to for a second watch or read.

Share your picks and, if you’re inclined, a line or two on what made them stick.

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Skinny is officially back in—not that it ever really left, if you ask me. Between “what I eat in a day” videos and before-and-after transformations, there’s always been this undercurrent of weight loss anxiety masquerading as wellness. “Weight loss” is assumed to be synonymous with “healthy,” but that’s never been the whole story. And during this time for reflection and goal-setting, I urge you to think bigger than simply making yourself smaller.

If you’ve struggled to identify health goals beyond weight loss, you’re not alone. We’ve been conditioned to believe that smaller bodies are the ultimate achievement, when in reality, health is so much more expansive, personal, and interesting than that. Here are the resolutions I’m making for 2026—and how to reframe your own goals around what truly matters.

Move in ways that feel good

The weight-loss version: I need to burn calories. Exercise is punishment for eating. Even if I hate working out, I have to do it anyway because discipline.

The reframe: What if movement was about feeling capable in your body? About the rush of endorphins after a dance class, the meditative quality of a morning walk, or the satisfaction of getting stronger over time?

My resolution: Find three types of movement I genuinely enjoy and do them regularly—not because I “should,” but because they make me feel alive. Maybe that’s swimming, hiking with friends, or finally trying that aerial yoga class. The goal isn’t to torch calories; it’s to build a relationship with movement that’s based on joy rather than obligation.

How to measure success: Can I do things I couldn’t do before? Do I feel energized rather than depleted? Am I actually looking forward to moving my body? These are the metrics that matter.

Eat foods that make me feel energized

The weight-loss version: Good foods versus bad foods. Restriction as virtue. Guilt when you inevitably “fall off the wagon.”

The reframe: Food is information for your body. Am I making choices based on the moral value of different foods, or am I actually listening to what my body wants and needs?

My resolution: Notice how different foods actually make me feel, without judgment. Keep a simple log—not of calories, but maybe of energy levels, mood, digestion, and satisfaction. Do I feel better when I include more vegetables, not because they’re “virtuous,” but because they genuinely help me feel my best?

How to measure success: Am I making food choices based on how I want to feel rather than what the scale might say? Do I have stable energy throughout the day? Can I eat without guilt?

Stay hydrated

The weight-loss version: Water fills you up so you eat less; it’s a diet hack.

The reframe: Proper hydration affects everything from your cognitive function and mood to your digestion, skin health, and energy levels. You deserve to drink water because your body literally needs it to survive and thrive.

My resolution: Drink enough water that I’m not constantly tired, headache-prone, or confusing thirst for hunger. Keep a bottle with me and actually notice the difference in how I feel when I’m properly hydrated versus when I’m running on empty.

How to measure success: Are my headaches less frequent? Is my brain fog lifting by mid-afternoon? Do I have more energy?

Build confidence through competence

The weight-loss version: I’ll like myself when I’m smaller. Confidence is contingent on appearance.

The reframe: Confidence comes from doing hard things, from developing skills, from taking pride in how I’m moving my body.

My resolution: Set a goal that has nothing to do with how I look and everything to do with what I can do. Maybe it’s learning to cook five new recipes, or finally achieving my lifelong dream of doing the splits.

How to measure success: Do I feel proud of myself? Am I challenging myself in ways that feel meaningful? Is my self-worth becoming less tied to my appearance?

Develop a nighttime routine that actually works for me

The weight-loss version: Eating at night makes you gain weight. It’s all about willpower, baby.

The reframe: Maybe you’re eating at night because you’re bored, stressed, or genuinely didn’t eat enough during the day. Or maybe you’re staying up too late scrolling, and food is just something to do.

My resolution: Create an evening routine that actually addresses what I need—whether that’s genuine hunger (in which case, I’ll eat something nourishing without guilt), stress relief (maybe a bath, stretching, or reading), or better sleep hygiene (setting boundaries with screens).

How to measure success: Am I sleeping better? Do I feel more rested? Am I addressing the root cause of nighttime habits rather than just restricting them?

Feel strong and capable in my body

The weight-loss version: I need to earn the right to wear certain clothes. My body is a before photo.

The reframe: Your body is the vehicle through which you experience your entire life. What if the goal was to feel powerful, mobile, and pain-free rather than small?

My resolution: Focus on functional fitness. Can I lift my suitcase into the overhead bin? Hike without getting winded? Play with kids or pets without my back hurting? These are the markers of a body that serves me well.

How to measure success: Am I stronger than I was last month? Can I do daily activities with greater ease? Do I feel capable and comfortable in my body?

The bottom line

Perhaps the most important resolution of all is this: Stop putting your life on hold until you reach a certain size. Don’t wait to buy clothes you love, try new activities, take photos, or simply exist without constant self-criticism.

What would your health goals look like if weight loss wasn’t part of the equation? I’m willing to bet they’d be more interesting, more sustainable, and far more meaningful than anything a number could tell you. This year, I’m measuring success by how I feel, not how I look.

Colossal Biosciences, the Texas-based startup now valued at more than $10 billion that has attracted investments from Paris Hilton, Peter Jackson and Tom Brady, claimed earlier this year to have resurrected the dire wolf — an animal that disappeared at the end of the last ice age — but a group of leading canid experts concluded the company had done no such thing.

The scientists found that Colossal had made 20 edits to the DNA of grey wolves and the resulting animals did not substantially differ from wolves currently roaming North America. Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s own chief scientist, acknowledged to New Scientist: “It’s not possible to bring something back that is identical to a species that used to be alive. Our animals are grey wolves with 20 edits that are cloned.”

Nic Rawlence, director of the palaeogenetics laboratory at the University of Otago in New Zealand, added: “Rather than true de-extinction, Colossal’s attempts are genetically engineered poor copies at best, passed off as the real deal.”

The company has nevertheless pressed forward. It has launched projects to revive the Tasmanian tiger, the dodo, and the moa and plans to unveil its interpretation of the woolly mammoth — a genetically modified Asian elephant adapted to survive at -40C — in the coming years. The Trump administration cited the dire wolf announcement while making efforts to cut the US endangered species list, calling de-extinction technology a potential “bedrock for modern species conservation.”

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On Tuesday, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued a now familiar order: because of a supposed energy emergency, a coal plant scheduled for closure would be forced to remain open. This time, the order targeted one of the three units present at Craig Station in Colorado, which was scheduled to close at the end of this year. The remaining two units were expected to shut in 2028.

The supposed reason for this order is an emergency caused by a shortage of generating capacity. “The reliable supply of power from the coal plant is essential for keeping the region’s electric grid stable,” according to a statement issued by the Department of Energy. Yet the Colorado Sun notes that Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission had already analyzed the impact of its potential closure, and determined, “Craig Unit 1 is not required for reliability or resource adequacy purposes.”

The order does not require the plant to actually produce electricity; instead, it is ordered to be available in case a shortfall in production occurs. As noted in the Colorado Sun article, actual operation of the plant would potentially violate Colorado laws, which regulate airborne pollution and set limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of maintaining the plant is likely to fall on the local ratepayers, who had already adjusted to the closure plans.

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Starting in July 2026, every public school district in California will be required to have policies on the books that restrict or prohibit students from using smartphones during the school day, thanks to Assembly Bill 3216 that Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law back in 2024.

The legislation also mandates that districts update these policies every five years. Newsom had previously signed related legislation in 2019, though that earlier law merely affirmed that school districts have the authority to regulate smartphone use rather than requiring them to do so.

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Finnish authorities on Wednesday seized a vessel suspected of severing an undersea telecommunications cable that connects Helsinki to Tallinn by dragging its anchor across the Gulf of Finland, the latest in a string of infrastructure incidents that have put Baltic Sea nations on edge since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Police are investigating the case as aggravated criminal damage and have not disclosed the ship’s name, nationality or details about its crew. The cable belongs to Finnish telecoms group Elisa. Estonia’s justice ministry reported that a second telecoms cable connecting the two countries — owned by Sweden’s Arelion — also went down on Wednesday. This follows Finland’s December 2024 boarding of the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S, which investigators said damaged a power cable and multiple telecoms links using the same anchor-dragging method. A Finnish court in October dismissed criminal charges against the Eagle S crew after prosecutors failed to prove intent.

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China’s Commerce Ministry on Wednesday demanded that the Netherlands “immediately correct its mistakes” over chipmaker Nexperia, escalating a standoff that has disrupted global semiconductor supply chains and triggered warnings from automakers about component shortages. The Dutch government in September invoked a Cold War-era law to effectively seize control of the Chinese-owned chipmaker, reportedly after the United States raised security concerns. China responded by blocking Nexperia products from leaving the country.

Nexperia manufactures billions of foundation chips — transistors, diodes and power management components — that are produced in Europe, assembled and tested in China, and then re-exported to customers worldwide. These low-tech, inexpensive chips are essential in almost every device that uses electricity, from car braking systems and airbag controllers to electric windows and entertainment systems.

The Commerce Ministry spokesperson said the Netherlands “remains indifferent and stubbornly insists on its own way, showing absolutely no responsible attitude towards the security of the global semiconductor supply chain.” Dutch Economy Minister Vincent Karremans has repeatedly defended the intervention. Auto industry groups have warned that disruptions have not been fundamentally resolved. Japan’s Nissan and German supplier Bosch have flagged looming shortages, and the German Association of the Automotive Industry warned of elevated supply risks “particularly for the first quarter” of 2026.

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