What Are 2026 Punch Cards? The Viral Tool Helping People Keep Their Resolutions (Exclusive)
- - What Are 2026 Punch Cards? The Viral Tool Helping People Keep Their Resolutions (Exclusive)
Jordan GreeneJanuary 8, 2026 at 8:14 AM
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@karesdiary
karesdiary's 2026 Punch Cards -
TikTok’s “2026 Punch Cards” trend helps users stay accountable by tracking daily habits with physical punch cards
Users reward themselves when cards are complete
Creators are embracing creativity, decorating cards with art supplies or digital tools, making goal-setting fun and interactive
If you’ve already started slipping on your New Year’s resolutions, you’re not alone — and the internet thinks it has a solution.
Enter 2026 Punch Cards, a viral habit-tracking trend sweeping TikTok as people look for a more tangible way to stay accountable all year long. The trend is part of a growing movement of creative productivity hacks that make goal-setting fun, visual and interactive.
The concept is simple: instead of vague resolutions like “work out more” or “scroll less,” users create punch cards tied to specific habits they want to keep. Each time they complete the habit — whether that’s hitting the gym, cooking at home, reading instead of scrolling or skipping a late-night doomscrolling session — they punch, stamp or check off a square. Once the card is full, they reward themselves with a treat or small incentive, turning progress into something visible and tangible.
Creators on TikTok say the physical act of marking progress makes goals feel more achievable — and harder to ignore.
“Today’s New Year’s Eve, and I made these little punchcards this morning of goals I have for myself starting this new year...and I want to go through each of them to hold myself accountable,” TikTok user @camiunderthesea said in a video showing off her colorful deck of punch cards.
“Okay, the first one is to read five books,” she continued. “I’ve been trying to get into reading more, and I just can’t do it, so hopefully this will motivate me. The way it works, if I read a book, I punch it out. When I have all five, I get a treat.”
Another TikTok user, @amber.guttilla, shared her punch cards, which she designed to encourage a more off-screen lifestyle. Her first card challenges her to go to the movies 10 times with her husband. Another is for waking up at 5 a.m. ten times, and a third encourages spending 10 days in nature.
“So these are the punchcards I made...I really love them, I think that they’re so cute,” she said. “But I’m curious, if you’ve made punch cards, what are your punch card ideas? I do have a couple left, and I’m thinking I want to make a couple more.”
Content creator @karesdiary, who's based on Japan, also shared her punch cards, making six in total. Each one focused on a different area of self-care, including improving her morning routine, resetting her living space and going on solo dates.
Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively she says she got the idea to create her own after seeing other videos all over her FYP.
"I’ve tried the long New Year’s resolution lists before, and I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I maybe checked off three things last year… " she says. "Punch cards take some of the pressure off because every time you punch a hole, you can physically see how much progress you’ve made!"
"I wrote little rewards at the bottom of each card for completing them, which makes it super motivating," she continues. "2026 definitely feels like the year to add more whimsy to life and romanticize the little things everyday, so I wanted to share my take on the idea so more people could hop on the trend!"
@karesdiary
karesdiary's 2026 Punch Cards
For many users, the trend is as much about creativity as accountability. People are going all out to make their cards visually appealing and fun to use, turning goal-tracking into a hands-on activity that’s both satisfying and motivating.
TikTok user @lorelaii1010 posted a video showing her process: measuring uniform cards on paper, painting them with watercolors, and decorating them with felt markers. Another creator, @heyitsdaishaxo, demonstrated how she designed her cards digitally using Canva, then printed and customized them at home.
“Super cute and easy to do!” she captioned her post.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
