#NotAResolution: ‘In 2026, I Plan To Adopt a Nest & Get a Dozen People To Do the Same' |
The start of a new year often comes with big resolutions, many of which quietly fade by February. Through Better India Goals 2026, we’re doing things differently. This series brings together personal, practical goals set by our team— rooted in lived experiences, not perfection. These are intentions shaped by real lives, evolving challenges, and the hope that small, consistent changes can lead to a better year for ourselves and those around us
What object most resembles you?
I recently came across one of those typical psych evaluation questions, the kind that, when you answer them, people believe can crack the code to your personality.
It got me thinking.
And my answer is: most days I feel like a jigsaw, a puzzle made up of all the people whose lives I’ve written about, whose journeys I’ve silently celebrated, and whose wins I’ve translated into words.
It’s been four years of writing about changemakers. Weeks and months of archiving great minds, people with humble beginnings, from those who’ve clocked greatness on foreign shores to those who’ve brought innovation to remote Indian farms. However, as I scrolled through my mental archive, what stood out was how, while each of these stories mirrors a successful ending, their beginnings look remarkably different from one another.
I’ve listened to how booming startup businesses took shape in doubt, how legacies were created out of serendipity, and how, sometimes, ideas were sparked by loss and grief.
And as I step into 2026, I have decided to channel the learnings from my protagonists into the new year.
I am resolving to learn from them. You could too.
The interview with Col Dr Rajinder Singh is etched in my mind. The Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre in Punjab, led by the army veteran and psychiatrist, is a lifeline for youth who struggle with addiction and substance abuse. Instead of punishment and moralising, Dr Rajinder believes, care, counselling, and empathy have a long way to go in ensuring........