Kick in the Butt

Inspiration comes from the outside

Motivation comes from the inside

A kick in the butt comes from all angles

I was recently asked if I had any New Year’s resolutions for 2026, and I realized my answer drifted a bit. I talked about upcoming work plans—good work stuff—but work that will require more of my time.

Truthfully, I hadn’t given much thought to personal changes for 2026. The Christmas–New Year’s blur tends to be my least favorite time of year, and this one hit especially hard. I felt ill-prepared, stressed, and largely devoid of holiday cheer. I thrive on routine, and two weeks without school completely scrambles my brain.

So resolutions for 2026? Meh, no.

So this year I will seek inspiration

from family, friends, mentors and the world around

seek new connections and peace in undetermined places

will dig deep for motivation to

start something new, show up for for the hard thing, walk through the challenging hurdles

all while being present

and still likely to receive self inflected kicks in the butt

While at the moment I don’t have the brain space to make resolutions, here’s a few things I’ll put into the universe in a most passive way:

VANITY: Lose the 10 lbs I gained over the last 4 years

SELF CARE: Moisturize nightly, daily gym

DIET: More fruits and veggies

BRAIN: More books, less scroll

MAINTENANCE: Doctor, dentist, dermatologist, eye doc

TRAVEL: More

FAMILY: love and connection

…and a winning lottery ticket