Planning Your Health Goals Before 2026
Dr. Maria Clarinda Buencamino-Francisco shares how a year-end wellness review can help you update screenings, evaluate labs, and create a personalized health plan before 2026 begins.
Last updated December 2025
As the year winds down on the South Shore, many people start thinking about how they want to feel in the months ahead. Some want more energy. Others hope for better sleep, improved focus, or steadier routines. But while motivation is high in December, clarity is often much harder to find. Most patients know they want to enter January feeling stronger and more in control, yet they are unsure where to begin or which parts of their health deserve priority.
At Concierge Medicine of South Shore, Dr. Maria Clarinda Buencamino-Francisco helps patients organize the pieces of their wellbeing into a meaningful, personalized plan. A thoughtful year-end wellness review ensures that the goals you set for 2026 are grounded in data, aligned with your lifestyle, and supported by preventive care. Instead of generic resolutions, you have a roadmap tailored to your body and your needs.
Why Planning Now Matters
January tends to arrive fast. Once the holidays pass, routines shift, work picks up, and the momentum to set goals can fade quickly. Planning before the new year allows you to pause, reflect, and prepare while you still have the mental space to do it well.
A year-end health review gives you the opportunity to ask important questions:
What did my energy look like throughout the year?
Were there recurring symptoms I ignored or minimized?
Did I stay up to date on labs and screenings?
What lifestyle habits supported me, and which ones drained me?
What do I want to improve going into the new year?
Many patients discover that their concerns were more connected than they realized. Fatigue may be linked to nutrient deficiencies. Mood changes may be tied to sleep disruption. Stress may have contributed to the patient's blood pressure, which the patient hadn't noticed climbing. Planning ahead makes these patterns visible and actionable.
Get a Clear Picture of Your Baseline
Before setting new goals, it is important to understand where your health stands today. A baseline assessment may include annual labs, identifying overdue screenings, reviewing past results, and evaluating symptoms that have been building slowly over time.
This step is often freeing. Once patients see their actual numbers and patterns, decision-making becomes easier. They no longer guess at what might be wrong. They no longer assume everything is fine simply because they are busy. Data gives direction.
Dr. Francisco uses a whole-person lens when interpreting results, considering physical health, lifestyle factors, mental well-being, and any chronic conditions that influence the bigger picture.
The Labs That Matter Most Heading Into 2026
While every patient's needs vary, several key tests help create a strong foundation for the year ahead.
Metabolic and Cardiovascular Labs
These tests help assess risks related to heart health, inflammation, insulin resistance, and cholesterol balance. Subtle changes in these markers can explain shifts in energy, sleep, and weight.
Thyroid Testing
The thyroid regulates metabolism, mood, temperature, and cognitive function. Even mild thyroid imbalances can create symptoms that patients attribute to stress, aging, or seasonal changes.
Vitamin and Nutrient Levels
Low vitamin D, B12, iron, or magnesium can lead to fatigue, low mood, headaches, and reduced exercise tolerance. Because deficiencies are common in New England winters, testing before January provides insight into what needs correction.
Hormone Evaluation When Appropriate
For patients experiencing menstrual irregularities, hot flashes, irritability, or sleep changes, hormone testing may clarify whether perimenopause or menopause is playing a role.
These labs create a blueprint. They help identify what needs adjustment and guide lifestyle recommendations that will support you through 2026.
Review Your Screenings and Preventive Care
Screenings are one of the most effective tools for early detection and long-term health maintenance, yet they are also the easiest to fall behind on. By reviewing them now, you have time to schedule appointments early in the new year before calendars fill up.
Your year-end review should consider:
Mammogram or breast imaging status
Cervical cancer screening schedule
Colon cancer screening timeline
Bone density assessment, if appropriate
Skin checks for sun damage or mole changes
Vaccination status, including flu, COVID, and shingles when appropriate
Patients often feel relieved after going through this list with support. What once felt overwhelming becomes organized and clear.
Build Lifestyle Habits That Support the Goals You Care About
Preventive medicine is not only about labs and screenings. It is also about building routines that sustain your energy, support your sleep, stabilize your mood, and reduce day-to-day stress. This is where thoughtful planning makes a significant difference.
Instead of approaching the new year with broad resolutions, Dr. Francisco helps patients choose a few meaningful habits that align with their goals. These might include:
Simple meal planning that supports stable energy
Small daily movement routines during sedentary winter months
Improving sleep hygiene to enhance cognitive clarity
Setting technology boundaries in the evening
Stress-management strategies tailored to your lifestyle
This is not about perfection. It is about creating consistency in the areas that impact your health the most.
Connect Your 2026 Goals to Real Actions
The biggest barrier most patients face is not a lack of desire. It is a lack of structure. They know what they want but do not know how to break that desire into clear, manageable steps. This is where a personalized annual wellness plan makes the difference.
During an end-of-year visit, Dr. Francisco helps patients translate their intentions into a timeline that includes:
When and where to schedule screenings
Which lifestyle shifts to focus on first
How often you follow up on chronic conditions
What labs to repeat during the year
How to monitor symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or hormone changes
Patients leave with a customized plan that feels grounded and achievable, not overwhelming.
A Whole-Person Approach to the New Year
Health planning works best when you consider every layer of your wellbeing. Physical health, mental clarity, emotional resilience, and daily routines are connected. When one improves, the others often follow. When one is neglected, the others usually struggle.
Concierge care enables this integrated approach. Patients do not navigate their questions alone. They can reach out with concerns, get timely appointments, and receive guidance rooted in long-term continuity.
Beginning 2026 with Confidence
A thoughtful year-end wellness plan gives you the clarity and structure needed to move into 2026 feeling focused, prepared, and supported. Instead of guessing or searching for motivation, you will have a personalized strategy tailored to your health needs and your life.
To schedule your annual wellness review or learn more about preventive care on the South Shore, contact Concierge Medicine of South Shore at 781-795-9980 or visit www.conciergemedicineofsouthshore.com.
