Some thoughts on things I’m leaving behind, moving toward, and some helpful tools for 2026
Welcome to 2026 | January Newsletter
Welcome to 2026. It’s a new year: fresh and blank, ready to be written all over by you. That always seems like a sort of miracle to me.
Here’s what I’ve got for you this month:
🤔 A thought I’m processing [on what I’m leaving behind]
💕 A thought I’m loving [on goal setting]
🗳️ A poll [on workshop-ish thing]
🔗 Some links to [some good resources for a new year!]
📆 A full recap & links to this past month’s posts
🤔 A thought I’m processing [on what I’m leaving behind]
I love all those posts about ‘letting go’ or ‘what you’re leaving behind in 2025.’ Love this concept, but when I sat down to do it for myself, I drew a blank. I realized I needed some prompts to get my mind going that were a little more specific, so I came up with some new prompts that I’m processing through:
If I trusted that nothing meant for me would be lost, what would I loosen my grip on?
What do I want to stop resisting?
What am I no longer responsible for?
What am I tolerating that my body has been quietly objecting to? Where is my body begging me to set boundaries?
If I let go of all the shoulds, what parts of my life or behavior would I shed?
What do I want to stop giving so much energy to (either internally or externally)?
If I let go of my expectations of how life was supposed to go, what would fall away?
If I stopped shaping myself to be easier to love, understand, or accept, what relational pattern might I release?
If I let go of things I can’t control, what would be released from my hands?
What ways of thinking or responding have been trying to keep me safe, but no longer serve me?
❤️ A thought I’m loving [on goal setting]
Three things research shows that I want to tell you about that are influencing my goal-setting right now:
Goals need to be specific. You’ve heard this before. We’ve all heard about SMART goals, and that’s because the research on this is clear: specific goals work better for our brains than vague ‘be better’ goals. BUT —>
Specific goals don’t always work. Here’s the twist: other research demonstrates that a goal can be specific and measurable and still won’t happen if it doesn’t align with deeper values. AND —>
Identity-based goals activate motivation. We are most likely to do something when we think we associate a behavior with identity. (E.g., people given tasks in studies who are told ‘don’t cheat’ will cheat more than people who are told ‘don’t be a cheater.’) How we frame our goals matters.
Goals work best when they are specific, value-aligned, and identity-supportive.
Come make some goals with me in January, and/or download the workbook to make your own!
🗳️ A poll on [on workshop-ish thing]
I’m offering a workshop in January for goal-setting, but I’m curious if that’s the right format/timing/content for people?
The guided workshop is designed to help you set goals that actually fit your values, your vision, and your real life. It’s got some psychology stuff, practical tools, and intel on what actually helps us make real change in our lives. (It’s virtual and live, but a recording will be available for those who can’t make it live.)
When you read that, what’s your impression of the workshop? (And feel free to email me your thoughts too! Learning mode over here!!)
🔗 Some link love
For New Year’s reflection & dreaming!
Link to the workshop if you are interested (you don’t have to attend live)!
A workbook I made on setting goals aligned with values
Inspo for a ‘More and Less’ list for the coming year
📆 What you missed in December
Below are some links to thoughts I’ve shared this past month! (Please note that some of my messier thoughts and musings are behind a paywall. You can read more about why I do that here, and feel free to upgrade your subscription to access them and support my research!)
Year-End Reflection & Planning Resources - Downloadable resources (plus free workbook for paid subscribers)
Happy Advent to those who feel like they’re in a holding pattern
Some thoughts on hope, some Advent resources, and links to my favorite products from 2025