2026: A Mindful Start
with intention
My January is not usually this slow or deliberate. This year feels different. I did not feel the familiar urge to map out three month goals and hit the ground running before the Christmas stash of goodies had even run out. Instead, 2026 arrived quietly, with the early weeks of January settling into a gentler rhythm. After the urgency and momentum that defined the end of my 2025, this pause feels slightly uneasy. A calm has taken priority at the start of the year, standing in clear contrast to the energy I usually associate with a fresh calendar and new ambitions.
I must admit, alongside the uneasy feelings I am processing, I am enjoying it. The slower rhythm has given me space to focus on what I know matters most, and more importantly, it has given me back time to think about how I actually want to spend my January. Rather than rushing to define the months ahead, I feel more present in this one, allowing ideas and priorities to take shape naturally. In doing so, I find myself feeling genuinely energised, not from speed or urgency, but from clarity, as the days slowly begin to grow longer and brighter again.
A contrast to the ‘normal’
In a landscape that has grown accustomed to keeping on moving and growing. I tend to expect the new year to declare itself immediately, to set direction, and offer clear signposts about what lies ahead. Instead, 2026 has opened mindfully, allowing me to take stock before committing to major next steps.
I am starting to see that there is true value in this kind of beginning. A quieter start allows space for critical reflection that can be lost in busier moments. It creates room to assess what carried over from the previous year, what no longer fits, and what truly deserves attention moving forward.
Periods of slowdown rarely last forever and can be purposeful as transitional phases, moments where underlying shifts are forming before becoming visible. What appears static on the surface can be active beneath it, laying groundwork that will shape the months to come. The absence of immediate momentum does not signal laziness or a lack of direction; it may simply mean that direction is still forming and moulding.
Pace
As the year continues to unfold, I am interested in looking back at this more mindful beginning. Perhaps it may come to be seen as a necessary reset. I suppose I will have to wait and see. The pace will change, as it always does throughout the year. For now, my slow start into 2026 invites patience, perspective, and a willingness to let the year grow slowly in momentum without force.
With that in mind, I wish you a (slightly belated) Happy New Year!