Who Do You Want to Be in 2026? (A Series)

Being Reflective

Entering a new year brings a lot of excitement and (hopefully) a lot of contemplation. How do I want my life to look different this year? Are there things that I want to maintain? Are there ways of being that are not serving me? I looked at a couple of formats for processing the last year and moving into the new year, though ultimately didn’t use any one of them specifically 😆. I also didn’t do it on New Year’s Day, but on the first Monday of the year (I am one of those weirdos who love Mondays). 

What I ended up writing about wasn’t extensive but it was an exercise in reflection. I wrote about the things that are actually new or feeling renewed this year. Being a witness to the things that are starting to take shape and directing my focus. I also wrote about the things that continue to consume my life, both welcome and unwanted. I came up with a word for the year and, finally, made a list of things I was proud of myself for in the last year.

Why is this kind of exercise so prevalent at this time of year and what is the impact? Especially since the specifics are rarely shared with anyone outside of ourselves. This kind of exercise invites us to process through reflection.

Without the act of reflection, our ability to be intentional in ways that bring positive outcomes is greatly reduced. By being reflective we get to see ourselves better. We get to understand who we are and what we want. We get to see areas of our lives that are going well, or not, and what the contributing factors are. 

I’ll give you my personal example. My word for 2026 is “Nurturing”. My initial reaction to this word was surprise, as I would characterize myself as extremely nurturing. I am, and always have been, very concerned with the well being of others. What I realized though after this time of reflection was that this word was not to be focused on the “other” but on myself. For so long I have poured myself out for the betterment and care of others (don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to stop doing that). However, I realized that this was an invitation for me to take care of myself with the same loving, compassionate, and gentle manner I ask of others to do for themselves, in both tangible and intangible ways.

If you haven’t taken time yet to reflect on 2025 or what you want for 2026, it’s not too late. While a new year prompts us naturally for this kind of reflection, there is no official timeline and you are not behind (I’m telling myself that as I’m writing this half way through the first month). 

Over the next multiple weeks I am going to lay out some ways in which I want to show up in 2026 that will not just impact me positively, but inevitably those around me as well. If you are ready to be more reflective and want help to process your next steps about how you show up in this world, I would love to be that person to do so! You can schedule a free consult with me today: https://calendly.com/katiepat48-1/30min.