Notes from the Becoming: 2026
When purging everything feels like the best option.
Hello, friend. We have now rolled into the second month of the new year. I’m curious about how the first weeks of the year have started off for you.
I spent most of my time in January in deep reflection with a big purging regimen to bring the year of the snake to a close. I was still holding on to things - material possessions, limited beliefs, old thought patterns, bad habits - I finally needed to let go of.
It’s not too late to learn from 2025. Grab your free end-of-the-year workbook.
The end of 2025 felt a little off the rails for me in terms of physical health, which throws off my mental health. I can’t determine the exact cause, but I attribute most of it to lack of structure and self-care. There are things I need to do to ensure my autoimmune issue doesn’t take over my functionality, and suffice it to say, I didn’t make them a priority.
Add in a few emotional detoxes from boundaries I needed to put in place, and I ended up with low cognitive bandwidth by December.
After deep nourishment in January, I’m back and more energized than ever, and happy to be returning to this page. It has been some time since I last visited, either to write or read the words of others. Mostly due to a lack of energy for output, but also because I spent a lot of time IRL last year rather than on the computer. Connection felt more important than content.
Every year, I choose a word as my compass for the year. A filter to run every decision through. The process is an exploration of what I learned in the last year - my end-of-year reflection - and then, armed with that knowledge, I determine how I want to feel or embody for the upcoming year. I feel like a word archaeologist, but it actually inspires and excites me about the direction I want to go. Every choice after that is easy. Does the answer I’m after lean towards those feeling states, or does it pull me away from them? The word of the year is an underrated tool I think everyone should discover.
I have such a good feeling about 2026. Call it the energy of the Year of the Horse or the cleansing element of purging, but the feeling is close to magic. I feel the energy when I’m fully grounded, which is when I’m reading, meditating, walking my dog, or spending time with my partner and our kids.
When I started the year, I wondered how I was going to get out of my funk. It was an overwhelming black hole of uncertainty. Today, I shared with a client seeking coping strategies for a difficult situation how valuable it is to clean up your physical environment, your body, and your heart and mind when walking out of a tough spot. I realized that is exactly what I did. Started with what I could control.
I leaned into a 21-day purification cleanse of my body, rested instead of pushing my body into submission, and cleaned…the pantry, my closet, cupboards, furniture. The amount of space that has opened is nothing short of a gift. I’m spending February filling that space with knowledge by reading books that teach me things, dabbling in art, listening to podcasts, spending time outside, and writing.
The future is bright, and I intend to harness that energy. If you are on a similar journey or you’re staring at a similar black hole of uncertainty, I see you. Keep going or start by taking a walk. I’m here for your becoming.
May your days be wild…
Abby