BAD ON PAPER PODCAST
Episode: 2026 Goals
Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Release Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

The “2026 Goals” episode of Bad On Paper is a vibrant, candid conversation between hosts Becca Freeman and Olivia Muenter, as they recap their personal and professional progress over 2025, set intentions for the new year, and discuss the ever-shifting pursuit of fulfillment, restoration, and growth. The conversation is full of reflective humor, encouragement, and practical insights, with both hosts sharing highs and lows, wins and failures, and their goals for 2026—thematically focusing on self-compassion, clarity, and joy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Year Reflections: Highs & Lows (00:39 – 11:41)

• Restorative Breaks and Celebrations:

  • Olivia shares her relaxing holidays in Charleston—highlighted by “dolphin days” and a New Year's Eve party enjoyed with friends. She feels truly “restored,” a word delightfully echoed by Becca (01:47).
  • Becca spent her break “straight chilling” in New York, describing herself as having “filled up with New Year's energy” after time offline and mood boarding for the year (03:38, 04:12).

• Notable Quote:

  • “I feel like most times in January I come in and I'm like, I'm so tired. I’m drained, you know? And this year, I feel great. I feel really restored.” – Becca (02:55)

• Real-Life Stressors:

  • Becca grapples with the looming stress of her forced apartment move, processing the end of an era, but feeling a “fresh start” momentum for 2026 (04:23).
  • Olivia’s lows are minor and humorous—a persistent pimple and hating the film “Marty Supreme” (07:37–09:40).

2. 2025 Goals Recap (11:41 – 40:32)

Olivia’s Personal Goals:

• Successes: Writing a letter to her future self, developing consistent exercise and walk routines, ditching jarred garlic for fresh (thanks to a garlic press), building library bookshelves (minus the ladder), and taking a break from major house projects to “thoughtfully furnish rooms.”
• Misses: Planning a Japan trip (“looking at my next year, I do not foresee it being a thing that is feasible”), saving “aggressively” for a kitchen reno, and getting ankle weights (resolved with strength training instead) (15:22).

Becca’s Personal Goals:

• Notable wins: Continued journaling (both five-year and long-form), skincare transformation, and a living room refresh with new pillows.
• Mixed: Maintaining under 4 hours’ screen time—less a strict win, but “I do not feel like my phone was an impediment to writing and work this year the same way that it was in 2024” (21:47).
• Misses: Roasting a whole chicken (“I’m afraid of the inside of chicken. Like, the outside of chicken sometimes grosses me out.” – Becca, 20:31), and keeping up with French on Duolingo.

Professional Goals:

• Olivia:

  • Major promo for “Little One” (“fanatical” about it) and teaching a writing workshop at a high school (“so rewarding and interesting”) (26:07).
  • Sold Book 3 but not completed drafts; upstate reading & writing retreat success; avoided website redesign but learned to DIY.

• Becca:

  • Newsletter strategy: “I had at least one and mostly two paid newsletters every month. And I feel really good about them. I feel good about the quality.” (33:02–34:07)
  • Big increase in Substack subscribers (grew by 550), stabilizing her income with affiliates and sponsored content (“the biggest game changer…” was affiliate links on sale items, 38:02).
  • Triumph in pushing through a tough book two revision (“I have finished this book. I’m so proud of it.” – 39:36); didn’t work on a new draft but “don’t feel bad about not finishing”.

• Overall Reflection:

  • Both proud, both have “things that became habits” and are more forgiving of what didn’t materialize:
    • “Silly goal and not accomplishing it is fine.” – Becca (40:46)

3. 2026: Fresh Starts and Mindset Shifts (42:37 – 46:30)

• Restoration & Simplicity:

  • Olivia embraces fewer, clearer goals, noting that habits like screen time management and self-care are now second nature (42:50).
  • Becca feels “this triple fresh start with the new year, new apartment, new book” (43:59).
  • Reflections on not over-tracking or over-optimizing—“Are you tired? Go to sleep early. Like, you don’t need an app to tell you how you are sleeping.” (44:36)

• Notable Quote:

  • “The act of giving yourself grace has unlocked so many things for me and made them habits that…everything was like punishment and discipline.” – Olivia (46:08)

4. 2026 Goal Setting

Olivia’s Personal Goals (46:34):

• Consistency in strength training, scaling up to heavier weights.
• Volunteering or creating a young writers program: “I just think that I know how impactful it has been to me when I was younger just to have someone see me in my writing.” (47:57)
• Ambitious house goals: kitchen renovation (“it is the dream…” 48:01), floor refinishing, stair runner installation.
• Tracking and improving spending habits—manual expense notes, “when I go to Goodwill to look, I have to bring something to donate” (54:07).

Becca’s Personal Goals (55:14):

• “Kick my phone out of my bedroom” and commit to a non-phone alarm clock to curb late night scrolling (55:14).
• Take an in-person multi-session art class, preferably watercolor portraiture.
• Plan & celebrate her 40th birthday (“I want to make sure that I feel good about celebrating this milestone.” – 58:37).
• Decorate her “dream office” in her new place (59:11).
• Continue gifting hand-painted cards.
• Begin home weights again, aiming for three sessions/week.

Olivia’s Professional Goals (61:36):

• Finish “Little One” promo “with gratitude and confidence.”
• Release “Little Pod,” a personal audio project about the emotional life of writing a book and conversations redirecting attention “from what isn’t important and back towards what is” (62:51).
• Complete a book tour in cities across the US.
• Dedicate herself to Book 3 writing after the tour and develop a Book 4 concept.
• Efficiently screen books for podcast picks and plan a possible reading & writing retreat in the Cotswolds.

Becca’s Professional Goals (66:49):

• Write two drafts of Book 3: “That’s faster than I’ve ever written a first draft, if we assume six months and six months, which, you know, who knows how it shakes out?” (67:33)
• “Curate more lightness around writing…be consistent.” Avoid old pitfalls like endless rereading. (68:25)
• Approach Book 2’s launch with celebration, detachment from outcomes.
• Promote podcast book club better on social and in her newsletter (72:48).
• “Don’t read mean things about myself on the internet.”
• Find or build a “water cooler” style, informal writing community of peer authors.
• Increase Substack audience and focus on sponsorships.
• “Show up joyfully and unapologetically on social media,” especially with book promo (75:41).
  • “Well, babes, that’s the name of the game…If you don’t like it, feel free to leave. But I am really…God damn it, I’m gonna talk about it.” (75:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Letting Go of Perfection:
  • “I feel like I have more clarity coming into this year versus past years about what matters. The roast chicken doesn’t fuck matter.” – Becca (43:59)
• On Joyfully Promoting Your Book:
  • “We culturally mock women who try and then we applaud them when they’re successful… Like it or don’t, I’m going to promote my book. That’s how it works.” – Becca (77:04)

Book & Media Recommendations

Both hosts read voraciously over the break. Some highlights:

Olivia’s Picks (86:46):

• Mothers and Strangers by Corey Ann Haydu (Mar 31, 2026): Emotional suspense about friendship and motherhood with “big twists.”
• Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor: “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow meets the Elizabeth Holmes story”—science, startups, and emotional resonance.
• Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins: “A fun candy thriller…soapy, juicy, with an unsatisfying ending but perfect as a beach read.”

Becca’s Picks (81:52; 86:16):

• Into the Blue by Emma Brody (July 14, 2026): “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow meets My Oxford Year meets Audition”—unique, unpredictable, “the ending was exhilarating.”
• In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams: Comfort romance, “Netflix version of putting your brain in a bath.”
• Colored Television by Danzy Senna: Literary, a biting, uncomfortable but rewarding read about a writer flailing with a second novel.

Obsessions:

• Becca: Over the break, obsessed with Heated Rivalry (“I got really into Threads because that was where the heated rivalry conversation was happening.” 78:05); a new puzzle brand Le Puz (“irregular shaped pieces and it was also a jumbo sized puzzle so the pieces were quite large so it was easier to see everything.” 79:15).
• Olivia: Documentary Come See Me in the Good Light about poet Andrea Gibson—“one of the most beautiful portraits of life I have ever watched… I was overcome with just complete and total gratitude for being alive.” (79:19–81:32)

Key Timestamps

• 00:18 – Intros and New Year Highs/Lows
• 11:41 – 2025 Goals Recap and Reflections
• 42:37 – 2026: Setting the Tone, Mindset Shifts
• 46:34 – 2026 Personal Goals (Olivia)
• 55:14 – 2026 Personal Goals (Becca)
• 61:36 – 2026 Professional Goals (Olivia)
• 66:49 – 2026 Professional Goals (Becca)
• 77:04 – Discussing the “Cringe Mountain” of self-promotion as an author
• 81:52 – Book & media recommendations

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode brims with humor, candor, and an emphasis on self-compassion over toxic productivity. Both Becca and Olivia share their growth, failures, and hopes for 2026 with honesty and a sense of community, making this a motivational and relatable listen for anyone planning their own “fresh start.”

Memorable End Note:

• “Go us.” – Becca & Olivia, celebrating self-acceptance and forward momentum. (40:38)