In 2025, I tweaked too hard. As in editing and re-editingβbecause perfection got the better of me. And I know good and well: perfection is the bitchiest bitch in Bitchville. Enter: The Beta-Reader draft Itβs 2026 and Iβm in the phase called editing the next draft of my book, also known as the beta-reader draft. Insert quiet internal screaming. My 2024 word of the year, COMPLETE, stretched across two years and wrapped damn near at 10:21:09 PM on New Yearβs Eve. I was grateful, giddy, and fully aware I could not tweak this print baby any more. It needed new, fresh reader eyes. Beta Readers: Those exciting, terrifying humans A…
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Reflecting on the Year: Being Okay With the Outcome
So maybe not all the things went as planned in 2025. Or maybe they did. Maybe the βgoodβ is just around the corner for you, in 2026. Weβre not rewriting the past While weβre in our rest and reflective phase, remember weβre still wintering. Weβre thinking back on 2025 not to beat ourselves up or list all the things we said we were going to do but didnβt. Nope. No apologies or shame spirals here. Instead, weβre thinking about the pivots and turns for 2026. The moments that counted Think of a few stand-out moments from 2025. Things that really went well. Maybe it was five things, three, or just…
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Stillness and Growth: Why Slowing Down Isnβt Lazy
Lately, Iβve been paying attention to people who seem to find calmβnot perfectly, not permanently, but intentionally. Not people who have it all figured out.People who are actively choosing it. They still have trials and tribulations in their own lives but are intentionally managing their responses to them. And no, itβs not easyβbut looking for and choosing calm rarely is. They commit to enjoying the simple things without dismissing their real problems. So they donβt spiral over what they canβt fix single-handedly.And that means they move through life with a little more caution, slower, evenβnot because they donβt care, but because they do. And Iβve realized I donβt need to become someone…
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Why Unlearning Is One Key to Growth in 2026
I was speaking with a friend this morning who was doubting herselfβher reaction to a situation she already knew the answer toβyet was still willing to give the offending person the benefit of the doubt. A person who, in my opinion, was way past that point and who earned all the doubt and zero benefit. I listened and in response I said my piece, spoke my truth, and she heard me. Sheβs my mate and Iβd never steer her wrong, but when our convo was over it left me thinking: what if, in this season β still wintering, so to speak β and not rushing to force ourselves to learn…
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Iβm Not Revealing Myself in 2026, Iβm Claiming It
I’ve got it! It’s locked in, loaded, and ready to go. My word for 2026 is CLAIM. Behold and absorb the visual of me breathing a giddy sigh of relief. I flirted with some other real-deal contenders. But claim landed like a slap to the face that I soothed into sticking, and a friend helped me see why. Reveal wasnβt strong enough. For me, anyway. I didnβt need to show who I am. I already know. This year is about claiming it. Phase two of who the heck knows. Claiming the work Iβve been doing quietly.Claiming the parts of myself I held back while waiting to feel comfortable.Claiming forward movement…
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How To See January as a Continuation, Not a Correction
When I think about resetting, January is the biggest, dustiest, stankest lie I feel like we all agree to tell ourselves. We pretend itβs the start of a brand new season, when the holidays literally just ended five minutes ago and Iβm still too full to dive into anything with any real gumption. Don’t push me. January equals dark I still love all my January birthday babes, February ones for that matter, too, but January is dark! Itβs dark when we wake up, dark when we leave work, and dark when we get home. And somehow weβre, read Iβm, supposed to hop up and reinvent our lives right here, right…
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Why You Donβt Need to Be Brand-New in 2026
A little hello from meβ¦ serving GOOD VIBES only β¨Happy New Year! β¨ Drop a π« if youβre stepping into this year with intention, not apology, and say it out loud so it can meet you there.
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Finish These 5 Easy Reflection Prompts to Close Out 2025
Hi friends, whoβs ready to wrap up 2025? And whoβs beyond tired? Yep, same. So how are you closing out this calendar year and checking off day 365? With some more honesty, more gratitude, some reflection, growth, pleading for calmβ¦ or maybe a little humble bragging. Ooh, love that for you! Now, put down the whatever. Take a moment, and a deep breath, and finish these sentence prompts. No overthinking or second-guessing you allowed. And perfection? We donβt know her, and we donβt owe her. Comfy? Cosy? Ready? Okay, letβs go: Bonus Prompt! Yes, I’m sneaky! Drop your answers in the comments π(No grammar checks. No pressure. Just your delicious…
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A Reminder for Anyone Who Feels Behind Right Now
One with a few words but giant vibes as we wrap up 2025. Hereβs a snackable truth: the calendar may be running out, but youβre not. Youβre still movingβsometimes with momentum, other times like youβre dragging a mountain in some dusty, worn-out flip-flops. Didnβt cross off all your finish lines? Shake it off, Luv. Youβre exactly where youβre meant to be. Read this if you feel behind (though youβre not). You donβt need to rush this season Iβm calling this an active change, and youβre allowed to keep going at this pace. You donβt need to justify your pace. It’s time for you to enjoy this, and all the seasonsβtied…
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Reveal to Claim: My Word of the Year Journey
Earlier this week, roll back to Tuesday, I shared that Iβve been stuck choosing my Word of the Year for 2026.Not because I did, or did not, have a bevvy of ones to choose fromβbut because the weight of the right word matters to me, because it really, really works. These 5 are the ones Iβve been circling: A friend recently said something that stuck with me: You already know who you are. You donβt need to reveal it, you need to claim it. And once you do, you can actually own what comes with it. KWL Ummβ¦ OK, Babe! Lovinβ the thought process! Backstory: A few years ago, this…