Hey bestie,
New year, new you, right?
Except this time, you’re not making vague resolutions that die by February. You’re not promising to “be better” without a clear plan. You’re not winging it and hoping something sticks.
This time, you have a checklist.
Not an overwhelming, impossible, do-everything-at-once list that makes you want to give up before you start. But a simple, romantic, actually-achievable glow up checklist that covers every area of your life.
Physical. Emotional. Environmental. Spiritual. Financial. Career. Wellness. Mindset. All of it.
Because a real glow up isn’t just getting hot or organized. It’s becoming the version of you who lives her Pinterest boards daily. Who romanticizes her actual life, not just scrolls through aesthetic content. Who walks into 2026 as THAT girl.
And this checklist? It’s your roadmap.
✨ Want the complete transformation system? Download my free Pinterest to Dream Life Starter Kit — it pairs perfectly with this checklist to turn your glow up into your actual life.
Let’s make 2026 your most beautiful year yet.
How to Use This Glow Up Checklist
Don’t try to do everything at once. That’s how you overwhelm yourself and quit.
Instead:
- Read through the entire checklist
- Pick 1-2 items from each category to start
- Check them off as you complete them
- Add more as habits solidify
This is a year-long glow up checklist, not a one-week sprint. Some items you’ll complete once. Others become daily habits. Some take months to fully embody.
The goal? By December 2026, you’ve checked off most of this list and transformed your entire life in the process.
Let’s go, bestie.
PHYSICAL GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Body & Beauty
☐ Create a skincare routine you actually do daily (cleanser, treatment, moisturizer, SPF)
☐ Find movement you genuinely enjoy (pilates, hot girl walks, yoga, dancing)
☐ Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily
☐ Get 7-9 hours of sleep consistently
☐ Invest in one quality beauty product you’ve been wanting
☐ Book the appointment (hair, nails, facial, whatever makes you feel like her)
☐ Curate a wardrobe that makes you feel confident daily (quality over quantity)
☐ Take daily vitamins (hair, skin, nails, gut health)
☐ Master one aesthetic makeup look you can do in under 10 minutes
☐ Move your body 20+ minutes daily (even just a walk counts)
The romantic take: Your body is the home you live in. Treat it like the Pinterest apartment you’ve been saving.
WELLNESS & HEALTH GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Holistic Health
☐ Balance your hormones naturally (cycle sync, reduce stress, sleep enough)
☐ Heal your gut (probiotics, fermented foods, reduce sugar, stay hydrated)
☐ Find your perfect morning beverage ritual (matcha, coffee, tea ceremony)
☐ Create one healthy meal you genuinely love and make it weekly
☐ Try one wellness trend you’ve been curious about (infrared sauna, acupuncture, etc.)
☐ Establish a supplement routine that supports your goals
☐ Learn to cook 5 nourishing recipes that make you feel good
☐ Replace one processed food with a whole food alternative
☐ Create a self-care Sunday routine you actually look forward to
☐ Listen to your body’s signals (rest when tired, eat when hungry, move when restless)
The romantic take: Wellness isn’t restriction. It’s nurturing yourself like you’re precious (because you are).
DETOX & RESET GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Clear Out What No Longer Serves
☐ Social media detox (unfollow accounts that make you feel bad)
☐ Phone detox (no phone first 30 min after waking, last hour before bed)
☐ Relationship detox (distance from draining people, closer to supportive ones)
☐ Closet detox (donate clothes that don’t fit your aesthetic or make you feel good)
☐ Digital detox (delete old photos, organize files, clean up desktop)
☐ Mind detox (journal out negative thoughts, release what you’re holding onto)
☐ Habit detox (identify one bad habit and replace with good one)
☐ Drama detox (remove yourself from gossip and negativity)
☐ Comparison detox (stop stalking people who make you feel behind)
☐ Obligation detox (say no to things you only do out of guilt)
The romantic take: You can’t romanticize your life while drowning in things that drain you. Clear space for beauty.
ENVIRONMENT GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Create Your Pinterest Space IRL
☐ Deep clean your entire space (one room at a time if needed)
☐ Declutter ruthlessly (if it doesn’t serve you or spark joy, release it)
☐ Create one aesthetic corner that’s Instagram-worthy
☐ Invest in matching hangers (instant closet glow up)
☐ Add fresh flowers weekly (even $5 Trader Joe’s bouquets count)
☐ Light candles daily (make your space smell like a dream)
☐ Create a cozy reading/relaxation nook
☐ Organize your bathroom like a spa
☐ Display items that make you happy (photos, art, meaningful objects)
☐ Make your bed every single morning (non-negotiable That Girl energy)
The romantic take: Your space shapes your energy. Make it so beautiful you never want to leave.
MINDSET & EMOTIONAL GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Internal Transformation
☐ Start daily affirmations (use Glow Up SOS Kit ($7) for instant mindset shift)
☐ Journal 3x per week minimum (process emotions, dream, plan)
☐ Practice gratitude daily (write 3 things you’re grateful for)
☐ Reframe one negative belief about yourself
☐ Set and enforce at least 3 clear boundaries
☐ Forgive yourself for past mistakes (you were doing your best)
☐ Stop negative self-talk (speak to yourself like you’d speak to your bestie)
☐ Build belief that your dream life is possible for YOU
☐ Celebrate small wins instead of only big achievements
☐ Choose excitement over nervousness (reframe your fear daily)
The romantic take: You can’t live a beautiful life with an ugly inner dialogue. Be as kind internally as you are externally.
SPIRITUAL GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Soul Alignment
☐ Create a morning ritual that grounds you (meditation, prayer, journaling, etc.)
☐ Spend time in nature weekly (walks, hikes, beach, parks)
☐ Start a gratitude or manifestation practice
☐ Read or listen to something spiritually nourishing
☐ Practice being present (put phone away, actually experience moments)
☐ Connect with your intuition (trust your gut feelings)
☐ Try one spiritual practice you’ve been curious about
☐ Create an evening wind-down ritual (no screens, just peace)
☐ Find a community or space that feeds your soul
☐ Ask yourself regularly: “Am I living aligned with who I want to be?”
The romantic take: Spirituality is romanticizing the sacred in everyday moments. Find magic in the mundane.
INTELLECTUAL GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Expand Your Mind
☐ Read at least one book per month (fiction, self-development, anything)
☐ Learn a new skill you’ve been curious about
☐ Take an online course in something that interests you
☐ Listen to podcasts that inspire or educate you
☐ Start learning a language (even just Duolingo counts)
☐ Watch documentaries instead of just reality TV sometimes
☐ Write (journal, blog, poetry, anything that expresses your thoughts)
☐ Have deep conversations instead of just small talk
☐ Explore a topic you know nothing about
☐ Challenge one belief or perspective you’ve always held
The romantic take: Intelligent women are sexy. Feed your mind like you feed your body.
CAREER & PURPOSE GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Professional Transformation
☐ Update your resume/LinkedIn/portfolio
☐ Apply for one opportunity that scares you
☐ Ask for the raise, promotion, or opportunity you deserve
☐ Start the side hustle or passion project you’ve been dreaming about
☐ Network with one person in your dream industry
☐ Take a course or certification that advances your goals
☐ Create clear career goals for the year (write them down)
☐ Build a professional online presence
☐ Say no to work that doesn’t align with your values
☐ Define what “success” actually means to YOU (not what others say)
The romantic take: Your career should feel like an extension of your dream life, not an escape from it.
FINANCIAL GLOW UP CHECKLIST
Money Mindset & Management
☐ Track your spending for one month (awareness creates change)
☐ Create a simple budget you can actually stick to
☐ Start saving even if it’s just $20/week
☐ Pay off one debt (start with smallest or highest interest)
☐ Open a high-yield savings account
☐ Invest in yourself (course, coaching, program that builds skills)
☐ Learn about investing basics (even just research counts)
☐ Identify one way to increase income (raise, side hustle, new skill)
☐ Stop one money leak (subscription you don’t use, impulse buying habit)
☐ Shift from “I can’t afford it” to “How can I afford it?”
The romantic take: Financial freedom is the ultimate aesthetic. Money stress kills the vibe.
Your 2026 Glow Up Challenge
Now that you have the complete checklist, here’s how to actually complete it:
Month 1-3: Foundation Pick 2 items from each category. Focus on building these as habits. Don’t add more until these feel natural.
Month 4-6: Expansion Add 2 more items from each category. Now you’re building momentum across all life areas.
Month 7-9: Momentum The compound effect kicks in. Things feel easier. Add remaining items that call to you.
Month 10-12: Embodiment You’re not working on your glow up anymore. You ARE the glow up. Maintain and refine.
By December 31, 2026: You’ll be unrecognizable. Not just physically. Your entire life — mind, body, soul, space, money, career — transformed.
Why This Glow Up Checklist Actually Works
Most glow up content fails because it’s:
- Too vague (“be better!”)
- Too overwhelming (change everything at once!)
- Only surface level (just the physical)
This checklist works because:
✅ It covers ALL areas of life (holistic transformation)
✅ Items are simple and specific (you know exactly what to do)
✅ It’s flexible (pick what resonates, skip what doesn’t)
✅ It helps you romanticize life (not just optimize it)
✅ It’s achievable (you have 12 months, not 12 days)
✅ It builds on itself (small changes compound into massive transformation)
The girls living their Pinterest dream life didn’t do it overnight. They checked off lists like this consistently for months.
Now it’s your turn.
Start Your Glow Up Today
Don’t wait for Monday. Don’t wait for “the right time.” Start right now.
Pick 3 items from this checklist. Do them today. Check them off. Feel the momentum.
That’s how transformations begin. One check mark at a time.
Save this checklist. Print it. Pin it. Reference it weekly. Make 2026 the year you actually became her.
👉 Download your free Pinterest to Dream Life Starter Kit — The complete strategic system for turning this checklist into your actual life.
👉 Get the Glow Up SOS Kit ($7) — Reprogram your mindset for instant glow up energy. Pairs perfectly with this checklist.
Your 2026 glow up starts with one check mark. Make it today.
Xo,
Chelsea Elise