If April Fools’ Day gets a moment, why not January Fools’ Day? That’s the spirit behind this year’s Positively Altered blooper reel—a not-so-serious, wonderfully unhinged kickoff to the new year.
Most people start January with resolutions, big declarations, color-coded calendars, and a level of optimism that—let’s be honest—often collapses before the month ends.
Studies show that up to 91 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail, and yet we keep setting them like they’re some sort of moral requirement. But what if we started the year with something better than pressure?
What if we started with perspective?
As I pulled together the bloopers—the missed cues, the wrong camera angles; the unintentional snorts; the outtakes where a guest made me cry-laugh, someone jumped in too early, or I completely lost my train of thought—I realized something:
These are the moments that tell the truth. It happens because we stay in the game long enough to get better.
And laughter helps us stay in the game.
Humor lowers stress hormones, lifts mood, boosts resilience, and connects us to each other in a way no perfect performance ever could.
When we laugh at ourselves, we loosen the grip of perfectionism. We soften. We breathe. We remember we’re human—and that’s the whole point.
So, here’s my invitation as you step into 2026: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Your goals will wobble. Your plans will shift. Your perfectly plotted intentions may get knocked around before January even ends.
Laugh anyway.
Enjoy the hitches. Let the missteps teach you something. And when you stumble (because you will), call it what it is: progress in disguise.
Welcome to January Fools Day—the only tradition I think we all need right now.
Be positively altered,
Dr. Cindy M. Howard
P.S. If you need permission to start the year imperfectly, this is it. Watch the bloopers. Laugh at the misfires. Let the joy loosen the pressure you’re carrying. And remember: A year that starts with laughter has already begun with strength.