intentionally going into 2026

I once heard that even the seasons foster a slow start to a new year, and that has stuck with me. If you think about it, come January, we are still in the thick of winter, nature is recharging to resurface come spring, and there is a lasting crisp, cold air that keeps the search for warmth, coziness, and slowness at the front of mind, body, and spirit.

However, seeing those year numbers change on January 1st, does evoke a sense of 'clean slate' - a time to reinvent, reprioritize, and restart. Which is a good thing, but that can also bring a lot of noise.

The new years noise used to be such a big thing for me! I used to get deep in the social media trenches seeing what everyones "ins and outs" were, their goals, how they were getting it together, and more well-meaning social media jargon that tended to leave me feeling behind before I had even started.

Even with the separation from socials, I still tend to feel the pressure to get it allllll together the first week of the new year. BUT I don't think spiking our cortisol levels when that calendar says 1/1, starting with a massive to do list to "get it together" for a total life makeover, or looking around and comparing ourselves to others is the best stewardship (my word of 2026 ;)) of the start of a new year.

Side note before I jump in: If you are a go get 'em, change it all immediately, productive to perfection, and full send discipline gal, that is okay too!! Just make sure that is really aligned with you and not just because you feel like you have to to keep up. We don't need to start 2026 with burn marks from our foe, Burnout.

So how do we find the middle between jumping to the cortisol races and sitting on our hands doing nothing because we feel paralyzed by all the things? We go into the new year with peaceful, intentional, and sustainable action (tweak any and all of these in a way that aligns with YOU):

1. Sit with yourself - quiet space, quiet mind, and quiet others.

   1. The idea, is to look at what truly aligns with you, before seeing or hearing what others are doing. Come to your own conclusions that feel good to you before being shaped by others.

   2. A couple ways I like to do this: journaling and little jots/brain dumps, prayer, and reflecting on the year prior.

   3. Honestly, this step shapes how I decide to even plan for the year. I honestly have had years where this has lead to lots of planning, vision boards, goals, trying new softwares, and total action. Other years, this initial step of just sitting with me lead me to intentionally not planning past that point - it felt more aligned for me to not plan, not set goals, or not invest in a new big vision. Both are okay - just being intentional.

      
      

2. Go in to socials with a purpose

   1. Don't just mindlessly take on the WORLD of information of "how best to take on the new year", "my goals heading into the new year", "my ins and outs" etc. Take the things that you discovered while you sat with you and seek the inspiration that aligns with that.

   2. Let the resources, creativity, and expertise of others inspire you, not define you (including this blog post :)).

   3. Have a plan that helps to prevent overwhelm, and hop off if that overwhelm begins to creep in. You can revisit when you are feeling more clear headed and ready to not doom-scroll.

      
      

3. Plan how YOU like to plan - vision boards, writing down your goals, notes on your phone, simply the lack of all of those things, or whatever it may be.

   1. What my planning process tends to look like:

      1. Jots of my new year goals, priorities, and vision

      2. Head to Pinterest and use those jots as searches and key words to find images that inspire me and curate a vision board with those images

      3. With my vision board as inspiration, I head into a season of journaling.

         1. This really is a season. I like to pace myself, journal when I feel inspired, and not rush that creative process. When I start to rush or feel behind, that shakes me out of that intentional ease that I want.

         2. Some of my favorite journal prompts to start a new year are (use them, shift them, pick a couple, or use none - make it yours!):

            1. priorities for the year (I like the Big Rocks Theory)

            2. goals for the year

            3. my word for the year (sometimes I don't have one because setting meaning to a whole year with one word can feel daunting)

            4. hobbies I would like to continue and add

            5. overarching big to do tasks to check off that year

            6. what I am praying at the start of the year and the verses to carry me through the year

            7. lessons learned in the year before

            8. journal about the year before - highs and lows

      4. Put my vision board and journal entries in places that set the tone - easy to access and reference often.

         1. I like to put my vision board as my laptop background and as a widget on my phone. I try to avoid putting it in places that overstimulate me or have my mind running. I don't want it to feel like a race to achieve, but a vision to curate.

         2. I also put the journal entries above as the first pages of my new journal for the year. It sets the tone for the year and gives me very easy access to reference them regularly.

   
   

4. Clean out some spaces - clean space, clean mind.

   1. I truly feel more focused and productive, at peace, and creative when my home is organized, clean, and decluttered. It is amazing how much easier it feels to accomplish all of my other goals and to dos when my space fosters an environment of ease and functionality

   2. My key places of action are: closet, kitchen, any junk drawers, office, important document folder, any regularly visited areas that collect clutter throughout the year

      
      

5. Pray - begin with abundant gratitude and ask for guidance and grace for the new year.

   1. Ask God to steward the new year that He has given you, ask Him to walk with you daily, and ask that He help to shift and align your will for your life with His will. All the things that will be in the new year have passed through His hands first, the plan has already been written. Trust that whatever the new year holds is being molded for the good of those who love Him, even if it is, or isn't what you planned.

Honestly, I like to complete these things by the start of spring. I lean into that purposeful timeline of the seasons, and use them to give myself space. This doesn't mean to have the "I'll start next week" mentality, but intentionally choosing to recharge for new life. One day at a time so that come spring, sustainable habits have been formed leading to longevity. This also helps the winter blues because you are looking at winter to serve a purpose, not just as a holding place for spring.

Heading into 2026, what is feeling right to you? Lean into it with intention.

HNY!

xx, AJ