This time of the year is rife with traditions. Traditional religious and family rites to go with the various holidays and some societal traditions, too, such as making New Year’s resolutions.
I don’t know how many people actually make New Year’s resolutions, and of those how many people are serious about them, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are sincere in resolving to do something better, or to achieve a goal in their personal or professional lives.
While some resolutions may be rather lofty – if you’re going to try to do something, why not aim high – others are fairly simple and easier to achieve. Resolving to, say, losing 10 pounds over the next month may be a little more difficult than resolving to lose half that in the same time frame, but both might be achievable. You make your resolutions and you run with them.
I’m on the fence when it comes to making New Year’s resolutions. Striving to improve ourselves, or to achieve a goal, is of course a good thing, but I try to make it a year-round effort. After all, not all goals take a full year to meet, and others carry over from year to year, so for me, I don’t see much sense in waiting until the start of another year to resolve to do something. But that’s just me. If the advent of a new year is the best time for you to make some new resolutions, then by all means, do it.
So, other than vowing to lose weight, exercise more, argue less with our partners and call our mothers more often, what should the dedicated outdoors person strive to do in the coming year? We could make it a goal to hike more often, or to hike farther, or faster, or higher on the mountains, or in new places. We could strive to give more, either of our time, support, or money, to those groups who make our outdoor experiences so enriching.
If those are in your plans for 2026, then congratulations! You’re already on the path to being a good human being in our community.
But, if you’re not sure what to resolve to do in 2026, especially in the realm of outdoor recreation, I have a suggestion for you: Be better.
Now before you all get mad at me, let me explain. This doesn’t mean you’re not already a great person (and if you’re not, you are probably not reading this anyway). If you are already the kind of person who keeps their dog on a leash, picks up after Fido (and doesn’t leave the bag on the trail), stays on the trail, throws trash in a dumpster, who yields to horses, who announces yourself when you approach hikers on your bike, who volunteers your time or cash, who says “hi” or at least smiles to others on the trail, who listens to your music on headphones and not blaring from speakers (boom boxes are so 1980s), and who is generally already a pleasant person to encounter on the trail, then my hat is off to you. You’re my kind of outdoorsy person.
My suggestion then is to not only keep on doing what you’re already doing, but to bring it up a notch.
Say “hi” to more people, volunteer more time, donate more money, be more cognizant of your actions on the trails. Don’t just learning the 7 Leave No Trace Principles, but actually live and breathe them. And maybe most importantly, be a good example to others.
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Happy New Year. See you on the trails.
