Welcome to 2026 - Expect much of the same.
I'm not big on new year's resolutions. I've never known of real change to come as a sudden upheaval and certainly not at a predetermined point in time. Change happens slowly and more-than-not due to pain. Nothing makes the human more capable of change than painful experience, often that which leads to an abrupt halt in some area of life.
Side Note: Why do so many people think they are suddenly going to change their habits because the calendar shifted rather than the calendar page?
I don't think change is impossible without pain. It's less likely to be a lasting change, but it can be done. It's just more of a deliberate process. That's the primary reason that I've never much cared for promising I'll be different next year. Some days I'm just a real shit. I see no future that doesn't include some of those days.
The trick is trying to be a little better today than I was yesterday. Do a little differently than I did in this same situation a year ago.
Should I go to the gym more? Yes!
Should I eat better? Yes!
I can resolve to make changes, work on them each day, and be okay with the progress I make - and that's better than a resolution to make a drastic change in a single leap. It's achievable. Something that can be planned for is generally going to work out much better than a sudden shift.
What has changed coming into this year, by happenstance, is that I started a new job last week! It took a few months and the resume responses certainly drippled in much slower than in the past (economy issues or crappy resume?) but I finally found the alignment I've been looking for.
Although I didn't plan the timing, it was a novel experience to start a job at the beginning of a three-day workweek. I'll spend the next few months getting acclimated and then we start some big changes. I'm excited to be coming on while the shifts are being planned. It's like dipping out a bit of the cookie batter or tasting the sauce while it's cooking. The pleasure is in the participation which fuels the anticipation.
It feels good to be okay and I'm going to ride that out today.