‘Tis the season for end-of-year scaries (like Sunday scaries, but with holiday cheer!), when 2026 looms large and the need for resolutions hits you right in your face just as you’re taking a bite into that third slice of holiday apple pie (OK, maybe that’s just me).

We’ve just gotten through a devilish year of unexpected chaos, and we’re expected to hit the ground running with an entire new set of goals and ambitions while we’re still picking ourselves up from the ground after being beat up by 2025?

It all feels so … serious. Influencers are shouting at me from a tiny screen that I only have 365 days to accomplish my goals, and I have to be 1 percent better each day. I have to make 2026 THE year.

But what if we stopped taking ourselves so seriously and introduced a little fun into the mix in 2026? On a recent Women in Retail Leadership Circle peer group call, members were asked what was one thing they wanted to stop doing as well as one thing they wanted to start doing in 2026. One response made us all pause reflexively and think about how we’re choosing to spend our days: The member said she wanted to start playing more.

Just having fun for the sake of having fun. No ulterior motives, no results-based outcomes, just playing like she used to as a kid.

How many of us can say we’ve done something like that recently? Someone I spoke with recently joked that watching Netflix and sending TikToks to her husband was her hobby.

So, let us know if and how you’re going to incorporate more child-like fun into next year. Again, no pressure — maybe the last thing you need is more people telling you you need to have more fun, and that’s OK too.

If you’re looking for other low-pressure ways to get a jump-start on “New Year, New You,” Women in Retail Leadership Circle can help: