Building 2026 Around What You Actually Love

Goal-setting, book-tok, and overcoming self-doubt with Meagan Carioti

By: Jordan Ross

Social media during January can feel like a whirlwind of overused motivational quotes, everyone suddenly having a gym membership, and lists of a million things you must be doing, or you’re obviously already behind schedule. 

But what do you enjoy doing? What is a skill you want to improve on? These are the ideas that will prompt you to lead a year focused on you, and not what you absorb from the biggest Instagram trend at the time. It is imperative to be selective with your social media consumption. Find people who inspire you, who you relate to, and who may be facing the same struggles or setting the same goals as you.

For lifestyle content creator Meagan Carioti, shaping the year involves stepping out of her comfort zone, making new connections, and expanding on her existing passions: reading, creating makeup looks, and content creation. 

Cozy & Relatable

Meagan creates videos to create a community that feels “cozy, comforting, relatable, and inspiring.” Many of these videos focus on sharing book reviews and recommendations. Reading is a very personal hobby, Meagan points out, “if you don’t have friends who read or if you aren’t a part of a book club, you wouldn’t have anyone to react or talk about your favorite books with, so I love that TikTok provides such a fun space for that.”

The online community for reading lovers, often dubbed “book-tok”, is bursting with a million recommendations and how-many-pages-can-you-read in a year competitions. 

But seriously… it is not that deep. Reading is an accessible hobby that promotes education, relaxation, and fun, and everyone can integrate it into their year. 

“A goal I have for myself is making time for hobbies that stop me from falling into the dreaded doom scroll. Reading has been really great for this to help calm my brain and escape into fictional worlds, especially before bed.” Meagan said. 

If you’re thinking, wait- I actually haven’t picked up a book since my last required school reading: don’t worry. We’ve got you.

Here are Meagan’s Top 5, “I would shout from the rooftops for everyone to read” book suggestions:

1. One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune

2. The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

3. A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan

4. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

5. Beg Borrow or Steal by Sarah Adams 

Realistic Goal Setting Beyond the Pages 

In addition to working through her “TBR” (to be read) list, Meagan is setting a goal of expanding her community and emerging from her comfort zone. “Making new friends in your 20s can be hard, and I genuinely love meeting new people and making new connections, so that is one area I want to put more effort and intention into this year,” Meagan shares.

Rather than treating connection as a lofty resolution, Meagan frames it as a series of small, manageable choices. It can be as simple as reconnecting with someone you’ve lost touch with, or planning weekly coffee chats. From book clubs and walking groups to volunteer orgs and creative meetups, more spaces are emerging for people who want community without the pressure. 

“It is that simple.”

In addition to stepping out of your comfort zone with new connections, it’s essential to enjoy your own company first. 

“Being able to have fun by yourself and find a personal hobby that brings you joy is such an empowering sense of self-love and confidence that is so special.” Meagan shared about the role reading plays in her personal hobbies. 

Trying a new book or a new social adventure are just two ways you can set up your year to be filled with new passions. Whatever you have been putting off or feel like you cannot do, this is the time.

“Don’t worry about what other people might think - ask yourself, 'Do I enjoy doing this?' and if the answer is yes, JUST GO FOR IT! Be your own bestie, hype yourself up, and follow what makes you feel good. You only have this one life, and you deserve to live it doing whatever it is that lights you up inside.”