It’s about resetting attention, expectations, and systems; not chasing a new identity.
I love the New Years holiday. Even more than Christmas and my birthday. I’m obsessed with change and starting over and bettering myself. The adrenaline of a blank slate in front of me where I have complete control of what goes on the page.
The New Year Creates False Urgency
The new year is made up!!! Time in general is made up but really, you can start over and make resolutions whenever you want. I know a handful of people (me included) that make resolutions on their birthdays. Just because it’s January 1st doesn’t mean you need to completely reinvent yourself by the end of the month or else you failed. Let’s not put pressure on ourselves like that. There’s your first goal.
Again, this is my favorite holiday, but I try not to put so much pressure on myself. I have all year, and when a new year hits, I have that year too. Sometimes for me it’s easier to break things down into time blocks (a year) for me to consider them managable.
Starting Over vs. Resetting
Starting over does not mean you are erasing your past. When I came out as a trans man, I did not erase my past. I didn’t shy away from it. My past was still a part of me. So for the new year, you don’t need to erase everything you’ve done or became the year before. You can start over on any foundation you set.
Resetting is removing things that didn’t work and keeping things that did. I think this is a beautiful time of the year for self reflection. Figure out what worked for you (even if it’s small) and note what drained you. How can you take that information and move forward in the new year?
Be Intentional
What you give attention and energy to is what shapes you. Your time and energy is valuable, you need to treat it as such. We don’t realize how short life actually is, but it is. There’s only so much time we have, so we need to focus on things that fuel us and build us up.
Be intentional with what you consume, create, what spaces you spend your time in, friends and family you hang around. Build the life you want brick by brick. Focus on what works and get rid of what doesn’t.
You want to create smaller habits and set boundaries that reduce friction. Make your system work for you. You want to design your days for success in whatever shape or form that looks like for you. Small systems > Big goals.
What Does 2026 Look Like to Me?
It looks beautiful. Bright. Warm. This is the first year where I am 100% out of the closet as Wes. The possibilities are endless. Life looks so much clearer and more colorful. I’m not hiding a huge part of who I am.
I’m allowing myself to want less. Every year I make a giant list of things I want to accomplish only to forget about it by the end of the year. I’m giving myself permission to take it easier this year. Accomplishing one thing that I really want will make a difference.
Progress isn’t always linear. It’s consistency, not intensity. I’m showing up for myself this year even if it’s slow. This year is a blank slate. I’m excited to see how I’ll decorate it.
What are your new year’s resolutions? Short and long term goals you have?
What ways will you be setting yourself up for success this year? How will you participate in self care and slowing down?
Happy New Year. Cheers to 2026 🍾
