Instead of entering the new year with a bunch of haphazard resolutions, consider the powerful
commitment of an intentional, annual growth plan instead. This annual growth plan will be a roadmap to
help guide you through 2026; one that aligns your values, goals, habits and visions with the most
authentic part of you—your Big Voice.
Your Big Voice is the part of you that is wise, and intuitive grounded and uplifted, courageous and
perseverant, spiritually connected and unafraid to rise to the occasion. It’s the voice that knows who you
truly are beyond the performative masks you might have to wear throughout the day, beyond the hustle
and bustle of work and play, and beyond the different roles you take on for the various dynamics in your
life.
Where a new year’s resolution is often associated with starting the year off as productive as possible, an
annual growth plan is about creating a joyful, aligned lifestyle that feels fulfilling and brings you peace of
mind.

Here’s how you can begin to design your 2026 growth plan with your Big Voice in mind:

Clarify Your Core Values: What Truly Matters to You?
Before you create an intentional pathway to better goals and habits, you’ll need to clarify the values and
ideals that guide your decision-making. Ask yourself questions such as:
● What matters most to me right now and what do I want to prioritize at this time in my life?
● When, where and with whom do I feel most like my true self?
● What do I want to stand for this upcoming year?

Think of your values like a lighthouse guiding you home to yourself. “Values” are the set of beliefs, ideals
or principles that build the foundation for your moral compass, helping to guide your behavior, actions
and inform your decision-making processes.

Some examples of core values include integrity, peace of mind, faith, connection or optimism. Think of
your values like a lighthouse guiding you home to yourself.Knowing your values will help you determine
areas of growth for yourself, too!

Listen to Your Big Voice, Not Your Little Voice
Your Big Voice is the one that helps guide you toward your purpose, truth and helps you create
alignment in your life, while your little voice limits you with doubt, fear and worry.

For each goal, value or intention you’d like to set to help you grow, consider:
● Where is this coming from—is it from fear, from love, or from something else?
● Is this something my soul wants, or something I feel obligated to pursue?
● Will this choice help me expand or will I end up feeling constricted?

Your Big Voice is the voice that speaks calmly, helps you find clarity and feel grounded as it guides you
out of your comfort zone and through challenges. It helps give you the confidence in knowing that you’re
capable.

Following your Big Voice will help you listen to your heart, whereas your little voice will cause you to
listen to your fear instead, leading to self-judgement, feeling pressured or overwhelmed.

Big Voice goal-setting feels different, because it asks you to challenge yourself to be true to who you are,
and to align your goals with who you are becoming. Every intention you set that helps you feel more joy
in your life and more peace of mind will bring you closer to fulfilling your annual growth plan.

When thinking about areas you’d like to grow in and goals, the Big Voices Annual Growth Plan in the
Essential Toolkit suggests choosing only four areas to focus on. It’s important that you don’t set too many
goals for growth so as not to stretch yourself thin!

Some categories to help you choose areas you’d like to focus your goals and growth in may be: Faith and
Spirituality, Health and Wellness, Community and Relationships, Career and Creativity, or Adventure &
Fun.

Some examples of goals may be: Be Present, Think Less, Be More Detached, Be Patient, Be
Non-Judgmental, Forgive Myself, Release Shame.

Whatever goals you choose, make sure they support what you feel is your purpose, who you want to be
next year, and the way you imagine feeling as a person.

Uplift Your Big Voice By Building Supportive Habits
Once you have a better foothold on your values and the goals you’d like to develop, think about the
habits you should develop and practice routinely. These habits might be challenging to uphold, but will
set the foundation for you to stick to your annual growth plan! Think about things such as:
● Daily reflection or prayer practice to help you feel spiritually balanced or connected to your faith
● Weekly moments of silence, solitude or meditation to calm your mind and focus on listening to
your Big Voice
● Movement that feels nurturing rather than punishing—think about somatic, slower movements
that will help you move your body with care
● Boundaries around work (don’t bring work home with you), social media (limit your screen time
and scrolling), or guarding your emotional energy
● Schedule a monthly check-in with yourself to track your growth progress

Habits should support your joy, sense of fulfillment and peace of mind, not deplete it. It might be hard to
stay consistent at first, but consistency really is the key to building a routine that will support your goals.

Map Out Your Annual Growth Plan
After deciding the areas you want to grow in, the Big Voices Essential Toolkit recommends beginning
your growth plan with the areas you want to grow in, and then compiling resources to support your
growth goals. This is where it all comes together—you’ll create a good map to get ready for the year and
have reference points to guide you.
● What weekly commitments, big or small, can you make to help you reach your growth goal
throughout 2026?
● Are there any books you could read to better understand and support your goals?
● What events could you attend or create that might relate to your goals?
● What research needs to be done to help you reach your goals?
● How can you incorporate daily practices that support your annual growth plan into each day of
2026?
● Who can you use as an accountability partner to make sure you follow through with your goals?

More on Accountability and Accepting Constructive Support
When thinking about who you can rely on to help support your growth, consider that accountability
doesn’t come from being put down and feeling shame or criticism, but instead it should come from truth
with encouragement and people who challenge you to be better because they care about your personal
growth, happiness and wellbeing.

A couple ways to find a good accountability partner to help keep you moving forward with constructive
criticism are to pick a trusted friend to share your intentions with, or a mentor who knows your work
ethics and has helped you in the past. The other way could be to join a women’s group to help you
reflect—this could be at church, or finding a networking and women in business group.
● Do monthly or quarterly “heart checks”
● Celebrate progress without obsessing about perfection

Have Monthly Check-Ins With Reflection and Realignment
Accountability can be practiced more on your own terms, too—set aside time for a monthly check-in
with yourself to make sure you’re staying on track. Reflect on the progress you’ve made, and realign
yourself for the next month to stay on track.

Ask yourself questions that allow space for both reflection and realignment, such as:

● What did I learn about myself this past month, and what would I like to learn next month?
● Did I honor my Big Voice? If so, when and where?
● Where did my little voice show up, and what triggered it? How can I work to quiet it?
● What do I want to leave in this month, and what do I want to carry forward into next month?
● How do I feel overall about this month’s progress? What should I do differently next month?

Reflection will keep you aligned throughout this process, while realignment will help keep you growing!
Just remember that like healing, growth isn’t linear and you’re only human, so give yourself grace!
Wishing you the best in 2026—may your Big Voice guide you through the new year!