I had a different topic planned for this week’s blog, but I think it’s important to be flexible and go with what feels right.
When “New Year, New You” Doesn’t Feel Right
You’re probably seeing lots of ‘new year, new you’ posts, they seem to be everywhere. But the thing is, there’s nothing wrong with the way that you are now. If you want to make some changes, set goals, have a new purpose, that’s great, but also, if at the moment, just after Christmas, getting back into a routine, back to work, you’re probably counting the days until payday, it’s cold, the pretty lights and decorations are down and it feels miserable and you might not want to, that’s OK too.
There’s Plenty of Time to Achieve What Matters
I’ve done a fair amount of work over the last few weeks on goal setting and what I want 2026 to look like. I turn 50 in June and there are definitely things that I want to accomplish. I have a business goal and I have a health goal and I also want to be more creative and have fun this year. There are still another 360-ish days in the year, and you can accomplish a lot in that time, if that’s what you want.
Listening to Your Body Changes Everything
I’ve just got back from a few days in Berlin, seeing the new year in and whilst I had a great time, I’ve come back with a strained ankle and I realised whilst I was away that menopause symptoms have started, as I’ve woken up, nightly for a week, almost every 2 hours with hot flushes. Apologies if I’m oversharing, but I want to normalise menopause. Also, having come to this realisation and it wasn’t just an inability to sleep because I was away, it’s made me stop in my tracks about my goals and what I’m going to be capable of this year.
Why Health Has Become the Priority
I have a tendency to faff before bedtime, staying up a bit too late, reading one more chapter, or just watching something on the TV that I’m not even that bothered about. And I probably don’t get enough sleep as it is. Knowing that I’m waking up at the moment, feeling like a zombie, means that I do need to make some changes to my life, pretty much immediately – I need to drink more water (as I’m also crazy thirsty when I wake up) and go to bed earlier so I can hopefully get a bit more sleep each night.
I sometimes have great habits and sometimes I don’t and I certainly don’t get it right all the time. What I do know is that I want to have a long and healthy life ahead of me. I’ve joked to myself that this year will be brought to me by ‘Parkun and Pilates’ and whilst I can go to classes, run around a park a few times, more me to be healthy for years to come, there’s more to it than that – I have to be conscious about what I put into my body and also how much sleep, and good quality sleep at that, I get.
It’s OK to Shift Your Goals and Pace
And the reason why I’m sharing this, is that already my goals and intentions for 2026 have shifted slightly. I’m going to be kinder to myself. It’s OK if you change directions. If you had something in mind, then life popped up and now you need to go in a different direction, or at least a different pace. I know that I can’t do everything and so I’m prioritising my health so that I can still achieve the goals I set out for this year. I’m deliberating creating down time for me, time to have fun and just enjoy the moment. If I’m lucky, I have another 20, 30 or even 40 years ahead of me and I want them to be be good quality years, and that starts with taking care of me.
A Kinder Way to Think About the Year Ahead
So if you haven’t made any goals or plans for the year yet, that’s OK, there’s still time (another 361 days!). If you have and you already need to change them, that’s OK too. That’s the beauty of life – there are choices that you can make. And if you’d like some help with those choices, please get in touch as I’d love to help you.