2026 – A New Beginning

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I’ve never been much for New Year’s Resolutions… probably because I know myself too well.  Setting unrealistic goals and expectations just leads me down a dark hole that is difficult to climb out of when I fail.  A few years ago, I began choosing one word or phrase to work on at the beginning of each new year.  This is something I love because it is a realistic goal.  Just a simple thought or focus on one thing I want to do better at or put more of my focus on. 

LIGHT will always be a given in my daily life.  I’m as addicted to LIGHT as I am to Diet Coke… although I do like to change that up at times with a Coke Zero, Dr. Pepper Zero, Dr. Pepper Zero Cherry, or if I can find one, a Dr. Pepper Zero Coconut Crème.

I’m slow getting to my actual focus word or phrase for the new year.  Christmas is always a busy time for me as I help a lot of people with their Christmas shopping and Christmas projects.  This past Christmas was no different.  With Ronnie choosing to take some time off after Christmas, I too have chosen to give myself some time and grace to rest and recharge my internal batteries.  I have been pondering on what I want to focus on for 2026.  Some things that have come to mind are rest, reset, and slow down.  I’m seeing a trend here.  I’ve noticed a change in my energy over the past year.  Admitting that I’m growing older has not been easy.  Slowing down has never been an option.

While mindlessly scrolling through Instagram recently, I ran across this site. @true.north.vintage  A married couple in their 50’s who recently walked away from their thriving business in the U.K.  Sold their home in the city, moved to the countryside, and have chosen to live life on their own terms.  They retired early, but still have a vintage, antique and homeware business.  Their motto is “Slower life, extra income?  Honest stories and gentle support to grow your midlife business with confidence.”  These are some of the things they now focus on which they have named – “7 things that are dead to us in 2026 (in business and life).  They begin by saying, “What are you leaving behind in 2026?”

  1. Business advice that ignores midlife reality.  No more pretending we have the energy, time or appetite we did at 35. Menopause, sandwich generation, health and grief are part of the picture and the business adapts around that.

  2. Chasing every new trend.  Not pivoting every time someone online says “this is the new thing”.  Not worrying about “trends”.  Depth over novelty.  Repetition of what works for us over reinvention.

  3. Choosing fear over opportunity.  We’re happy to raise prices and play the long game.  We’re saying no to things that don’t feel “right.”  And taking risks to build our simplified life and a business model that fits within it.

  4. Worrying about algorithms instead of people.  We’re choosing connection, community, coaching and conversation with people who appreciate our truths, story and our message, over spammy promo to get reach or burning out for views.

  5. Choosing quantity of sales over quality.  We’re done racing to the bottom on Vinted and being tied to our phones.  A more sustainable business model means we get paid properly and the business (and our energy) have stronger foundations.

  6. Comparing our business operations to someone else’s highlight reel.  We’re not late.  We’re not behind.  We’re just growing our own business, at our own pace, in our own season.  We’re ignoring shouty reseller hype and opting for calm.

  7. Hustle as a personality trait.  If a business only works when you’re exhausted, anxious and permanently ‘on it’, it’s not freedom.  We’re building this to fit real lives, real commitments and real energy.

I love how at the end of these 7 statements they say, “FOLLOW if you’re up for a slower, steadier, more meaningful 2026.  If you’re building that kind of business too, you’re in the right place.  

They evidently have a free monthly calendar you can subscribe to by email.  I love the name they gave to January – “Gentle January – 31 Days of ‘Slow’ Business for Midlifers seeking a gentler way.” 

I’m not saying that Ron and I will be selling our home with Ron retiring early and moving to the countryside here in Utah.  However, I could be enticed to do that if we lived in the U.K.! 😊  But there is good food for thought in what this couple have discovered in life.  It’s ok to slow down and smell the roses along the way in life!  Am I good at doing that?  Absolutely not!  But I do have the desire to slow down and enjoy more of the things life has to offer instead of running so hard all the time going from one project to the next. 

We spent some time over the holiday break cleaning, de-junking, and organizing our basement.  Which if any of you have witnessed that chaos, would agree this is a much-needed project!  We worked especially hard one full day.  Ron took two carloads to the D.I. (our local Good Will type store).  We filled our garbage cans twice – both the recycle bin as well as the regular garbage can.  Does it look like we even made a dent?  Well… maybe a little one, but what really matters is that we started!  The goal is to donate and get rid of all the things we no longer need or use.  That’s difficult for me being a creator and crafter; however, once I get started it’s easy for me to keep going through bins and get rid of unnecessary stuff.

We were both sore and tired after we worked on that project, and it’s not done, but it feels “lighter” and that’s a good feeling.  It also brought LIGHT to my soul to get rid of things that we no longer need or use.  We have a long way to go, but we will be pacing ourselves with this project.  Little by little, we’ll get there.  As I finish this post, I’ve decided my focus for 2026 will be “rest and reset”.  Wish me luck as these words have never been in my vocabulary.

My wish for you this week is to choose one word or phrase that you want to work on in the coming year.  Give yourself grace if you don’t achieve it every day.  We get credit for trying.  In so doing, I hope your dreary January days are replaced with gentle January days instead. 

May the dark days of January be filled with the LIGHT within our souls and homes.  The days are already getting longer and before we know it, spring will soon follow.  Have a great week!

Love Ya, Les 😊