The ENERGY I'm CLAIMING for 2026 (And What I'm Finally Releasing)
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There's something about the turn of a new year that makes you want to shed your skin. To look at everything you've been carrying—the good, the bad, the stuff that's just been taking up space—and decide what actually gets to come with you into the next chapter.
I've spent the last few weeks in deep reflection mode. Like, the kind where you're journaling at 1 AM and suddenly realize you've been people-pleasing for the entire year. The kind where you look back at your calendar and wonder where all your time went. The kind where you have to get uncomfortably honest with yourself about what's been working and what's been slowly draining your life force.
And let me tell you—2025 taught me some things. Some beautiful, some brutal, all necessary.
I accomplished things I'm genuinely proud of. I also made choices I'm not thrilled about. I showed up powerfully in some areas and completely dropped the ball in others. I laughed harder than I have in years and also cried in my car more times than I'd like to admit (shoutout to my Toyota Camry for being a judgment-free zone).
But here's the thing about growth: it's messy and nonlinear and sometimes you have to trip over the same lesson three times before it finally clicks.
So after all this reflection, after filling probably 30 pages in my journal, after multiple conversations with my most honest friends, I'm ready. I'm clear on what needs to stay and what needs to go. I'm kissing my 2025-self on the forehead, thanking her for trying her best with what she knew. And I'm walking into 2026 with intention, clarity, and a backbone made of titanium.
What I'm LEAVING in 2025
Apologizing for taking up space
I'm done. I'm done saying sorry for having opinions, for setting boundaries, for asking for what I need. I'm done shrinking myself to make other people comfortable. If my presence is too much for you, there's a whole world out there—you can leave.
Networking events that feel like performing
You know the ones. Where you're collecting business cards and making small talk that goes nowhere and pretending to care about someone's crypto portfolio. I spent too many nights in 2025 at events that looked good on paper but left me feeling empty. In 2026, I'm only showing up where I can show up as myself.
The scarcity mindset around rest
This was a big one for me. I kept treating rest like a luxury I had to earn rather than a fundamental need. I'd run myself into the ground and then feel guilty about taking a day off. Absolutely not. Rest is not the opposite of productivity—it's what makes productivity possible. We're done with the hustle worship in 2026.
Holding onto friendships that ran their course
Some people are meant to be in your life for a season, and that's okay. I spent too much energy in 2025 trying to revive connections that had naturally ended. Not every friendship needs to be forever, and that doesn't make it a failure. I'm releasing the guilt and making space for relationships that are actually alive.
Doomscrolling before bed
This one is embarrassing but I'm putting it out there. I cannot keep going down TikTok rabbit holes at midnight and then wondering why I'm anxious and can't sleep. My brain deserves better. My nervous system deserves better. The phone stays out of the bedroom in 2026.
Saying "I should" instead of "I want"
"I should go to the gym." "I should respond to that email." "I should be more productive." Every time I use "should," I'm basically guilt-tripping myself into actions that don't even align with what I actually want. In 2026, if I can't say "I want to" about something, I'm interrogating why I'm doing it at all.
What I'm BRINGING into 2026
Audacity
I'm talking about the kind of audacity that makes people uncomfortable. The audacity to ask for more. The audacity to believe I deserve good things without proving myself first. The audacity to take up space, speak up, and not apologize for it. I spent too much of 2025 playing small, and I'm done with that energy.
Radical selectivity
I'm becoming the most selective version of myself in 2026. Selective about who gets my time, my energy, my presence. Selective about what projects I take on. Selective about what I consume, what I engage with, what I allow into my space. Quality over quantity in absolutely everything.
The ability to just exist
Not everything needs to be content. Not every moment needs to be optimized. Not every experience needs to be shared. I'm bringing back the energy of just being—of having experiences purely for the sake of experiencing them, not for what they'll look like later.
My non-negotiables
I'm entering 2026 with a clear list of non-negotiables, and I'm not budging on them for anyone. Eight hours of sleep. Movement that feels good. Time for creativity with no outcome attached. Mornings without rushing. Sundays completely off. These aren't luxuries—they're the foundation.
Celebration energy
I have a bad habit of accomplishing something and immediately moving on to the next thing without pausing to appreciate it. In 2026, we're celebrating everything. The big wins, the small victories, the progress, the tries, the attempts. We're popping metaphorical champagne for simply showing up.
My relationship with myself as THE priority
This is the big one. In 2025, I let my relationship with myself slide while I prioritized everything else—work, other people, obligations, expectations. In 2026, I'm my own best friend, my own biggest supporter, my own primary relationship. Everything else is secondary to that. And I'm not apologizing for it.
The Vibe for 2026
If I had to describe the energy I'm bringing into 2026 in one word, it would be: SOVEREIGN.
I'm ruling my own life. Making my own rules. Setting my own standards. Not waiting for permission or validation or approval. Not performing for anyone. Not explaining myself unless I choose to.
I'm done being everyone's supporting character. In 2026, I'm the main character in my own story, and I'm making sure every decision, every choice, every moment reflects that.
I'm also bringing softness—because sovereignty doesn't mean hardness. It means being strong enough to stay tender. Clear enough to be kind. Boundaried enough to be generous.
My Promise to Myself
I'm committing to checking in with myself regularly in 2026. Not just at the end of the year, but monthly, weekly, daily. Asking myself: Is this still true? Does this still align? Am I still on my own side?
I'm committing to course-correcting quickly. If something isn't working, I'm not waiting until it becomes unbearable. I'm adjusting in real-time.
I'm committing to trusting myself more than I trust anyone else's opinion of what I should be doing.
And I'm committing to having fun. Because what's the point of all this growth and intention and clarity if we're not enjoying the ride?
To 2026
Here's what I know: this year is going to ask things of me. It's going to challenge me. It's going to present opportunities that scare me and situations that test me and moments where I'll want to revert back to old patterns.
But I'm ready. I'm clear. I'm grounded. And most importantly, I'm on my own team.
So bring it on, 2026. I've got my boundaries, my non-negotiables, my audacity, and my most authentic self all locked and loaded.
Let's make this year the one where I finally stop performing and start living.
What energy are you bringing into 2026? What are you finally ready to release?
