What I’m Not Carrying Into the New Year

It’s 2026. The calendar flipped, the holidays wrapped up, and now we’re in that weird, quiet space that always follows. Not a full beginning. Not really an ending. Just… room to breathe.

I didn’t come into this year with a vision board, a 12-step plan, or a “new year, new me” speech prepared. I didn’t reinvent myself. I didn’t overhaul my life. Instead, I set things down. Because before we rush into what we want to build, chase, or become… I think it’s worth asking what we’re done carrying. This year isn’t about adding more. It’s about traveling lighter. So here’s what I’m leaving behind and maybe what you should too.

The Pressure to Perform

Let’s start with this one, because it’s sneaky.

That pressure to show up in January like a fully evolved, healed, glowing version of yourself. As if the clock hits midnight and suddenly you’re supposed to be motivated, inspired, disciplined, and crystal clear on your life direction. It’s exhausting. It turns growth into a performance.It makes rest feel lazy.It makes quiet seasons feel like failures. But some of the biggest growth in my life has happened when absolutely no one was watching.

Sometimes growth looks like:

• getting through something you never talk about

• choosing rest instead of burning yourself out

• learning how to breathe again after a hard season

None of that shows up on a highlight reel. And none of it needs to.

So I’m done trying to look like I have it all together. I’m choosing presence over performance.Truth over polish. And softness over self-punishment.

Because not all growth is loud. Some of it is just… staying.

Guilt (Yes, That Too)

And once you stop performing, guilt tends to pop up.

Guilt for resting. Guilt for slowing down.Guilt for not doing “enough.”

So many of us were taught that being busy = being valuable. That rest has to be earned. That if you’re tired, the solution is to push harder. I lived that way for a long time. I thought exhaustion meant I was doing life right. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Last year taught me that

honoring your capacity isn’t laziness.. it’s intelligence. It’s listening when your body asks you to pause. It’s choosing sustainability over impressiveness.

So I’m leaving behind:

• apologizing for needing space

• feeling bad for slowing down

• believing my worth is tied to my output

  
  

If you’ve been carrying that guilt too… you can put it down. You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to protect your energy. You’re allowed to exist without proving anything.

Old Versions of Myself

Another thing I’m not bringing with me? Old versions of me that don’t fit anymore.

I think we’re meant to shed in seasons. Quietly. Naturally. Without ceremony.

2025 was the Year of the Snake, all about shedding, survival, and internal change. And honestly? That tracks. It was slow. Uncomfortable. Growth without applause.

So I’m leaving behind:

• the version of me that stayed quiet to keep the peace

• the version that over-explained just to be understood

• the version that thought love had to be earned by shrinking

  
  

Those versions weren’t weak. They were doing their best with what they knew.

I honor them.But I don’t need to live as them anymore. 2026 is the Year of the Horse - movement, momentum, freedom. And after shedding.. it feels good to move.

I’m carrying the wisdom. Not the weight.

Unfinished Business

Not everything gets a clean ending. And I’m finally okay with that.

Some conversations never happen. Some apologies never come. Some stories end without explanation. For a long time, I thought I needed closure to move on. Like healing was something someone else had to give me. Turns out… it’s not.

Some chapters end without wrapping up. Some lessons don’t come with answers. And some peace comes from deciding you’re done revisiting. So I’m not chasing closure anymore. I’m not reopening doors that closed for a reason. And I’m not rewriting the past to make it more comfortable. Sometimes choosing peace is the closure.

Self-Doubt & Limiting Stories

You know the ones.

“You’re behind.” “You’re too late.” “Everyone else has it figured out.” “You should be further by now.” I’m not taking those with me either. They’re not facts. They’re habits. Old beliefs that got comfortable in my head.

So this year, I’m choosing:

• curiosity instead of criticism

• compassion instead of comparison

• trust instead of fear

  
  

Not because doubt disappeared…But because I’m tired of letting it drive.

What I Am Bringing With Me

Because letting go isn’t empty. It makes space.

And in that space, I’m bringing:

• the lessons that only come from living

• the boundaries I finally respected

• the courage that showed up when I thought I had none left

• the self-trust that came from staying with myself when things got messy

And I’m bringing hope. Not the loud, motivational kind. The quiet, earned kind.

The kind that says: I’m still here. I survived. And I don’t need to rush what’s next.

A Thought to Sit With

As you move into this year, ask yourself: What am I tired of carrying? What feels heavy out of habit, not necessity? What am I ready to loosen my grip on?

You don’t need answers yet. Noticing is enough.

You don’t need to arrive in 2026 fully healed, fully certain, or fully prepared.You just need to arrive. With a little less weight. With a little more honesty. With room to breathe.

Release isn’t weakness. It’s courage. Here’s to traveling lighter. Here’s to choosing peace. Here’s to becoming, without rushing. Here’s to you!