What Really Matters: Lessons to carry into 2026
Well hello there! Hope you’ve having a thoroughly lovely festive period.
Have you made any exciting plans for 2026? It’s what everyone always asks isn’t it? That, and “are you making any New Year’s Resolutions?”.
From me, to the latter, it’s always a resounding “Nope!”, because, as I think I’ve mentioned before, I don’t really do New Years Resolutions. I never stick to them so it seems pointless. January is already difficult enough without turning it into the land of false promises too!
Plus, I don’t really understand celebrating getting to the end of a year by immediately looking at all the ways you want to change yourself. When, in my humble opinion, you are perfect as you are!
That said, looking back over 2025, there are PLENTY of life lessons to take into 2026. And I don’t mean, eat better, run more, donate more to charity kind of things. I mean lessons on how to be happier, more content, spend more time with the family…the things that really matter. Promises to yourself that you’ll make choices that will fill your cup not drain your soul.
And that is what this month’s blog is all about. The lessons 2025 has taught me, that will make 2026 the happiest year yet in the hope that some of them will inspire you to do the same.
Time to slow down
Weekends are supposed to be for family time. Walks in the woods, trips to the park and delicious Sunday roasts followed by board games and snuggles.
No, that’s not what my weekends looks like either! In reality they are a hectic schedule of swimming lessons, kid’s parties, sports activities, with a load of household tasks chucked in when I’m not playing taxi! This is parenting.
But the other weekend as I was racing to empty the dishwasher before the kettle boiled, my seven-year-old daughter appeared in the kitchen and asked if I could put on a film for her. Huffing and puffing, I went into the lounge to sort it out and on pressing play, she asked if I could watch it with her.
Immediately, my head began whirring with all the tasks I had to do. There was washing to put out, the dishwasher to reload, shoes needed de-mudding and the bathroom needed cleaning. But just as I was about to say ‘no’, I stopped. Because the fact is, all of the jobs could wait. So for the first time in a long time, I sat down and watched a whole film without doing any jobs…in the middle of the day. And do you know what happened?? Absolutely nothing bad. I felt rested and happy having cuddled with my seven-year-old for 90 mins. The jobs weren’t going anywhere.
Lesson for 2026: There will always be jobs that need doing but slowing down to have cuddles is far more important.
Celebrate our achievements…no matter how small
We’re always good at celebrating the ‘big’ aren’t we? Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations…etc. But what about the ‘small’? What about the day-to-day achievements that can go under the radar but can often mean so much.
In this case, as adults, we can definitely take a leaf out of our kid’s book. They are brilliant at celebrating every little achievement from learning to count to ten, scoring a goal, and tying their shoelaces for the first time. What doesn’t seem like a big deal to us, is a HUGE deal to them.
In the summer, my daughter came home from school a little bit upset because all of her friends could do a cartwheel, and she couldn’t.
But not to be beaten, she practiced every day on the school field. Her friends even joined her, giving her tips and trying to help her master the cartwheel she longed to do. Then finally, a few weeks later, she came bursting through the front door, desperate to show me her cart wheels. But it wasn’t the cart wheel I noticed, it was her beaming smile and how much it meant to her.
Why can’t we be more like that as adults? And that’s when I learnt another lesson to take into the new year.
Lesson for 2026: Sometimes the smallest achievements have the biggest effect on how happy we are. Celebrate them.
Find fun in the mundane
When I was little, around four or five, I remember going for walks with my Nana to post letters in the village where we lived. On our way, we would walk through a little wooded area with a small stream where we would play poohsticks and visit the fairies. It was one of my favourite things to do, so much do that I would often write pretend letters and then beg my Nana to walk into the village so we could post them.
It was only when I became a parent that I realised what my Nana had been doing all of those years. She had taken a mundane task and turned it into something fun because she knew I would have been bored otherwise.
Did she have to do that? Absolutely not. But by making it fun, she got to do the job she needed without me moaning and without realising it, made a core memory that will stick with me forever.
And because of this, I’ve been trying to do the same with my girls. Whether that’s games on the way to school, playing chefs when making dinner or playing eye spy during our Sunday roast.
It’s easy to lose the joy and fun when we become adults. But I know I am always happier when I find it again.
Lesson for 2026: fun can be found in everything we do, if only we just looked up once in a while.
That’s all from me for this month. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a magical 2026
Love Kelly x
