Two Questions

Jan 16 2026 Two Questions

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.

T.S. Eliot

 

Happy New Year! I believe we’re allowed the whole month of January to say it, don’t you?

We may be later in the month, but we’re still early in the year. How are those resolutions coming along? I don’t tend to make grand, sweeping ones. I’m more of a small-goals, ongoing-projects, boxes-to-check kind of person. I love productivity and getting things done, sometimes a little too much.

For the past few years, once the holiday haze has lifted, I’ve returned to two simple questions: What didn’t work for me last year? And What did work for me last year? I found them somewhere on the internet long ago and can’t credit their origin, but I can testify to their usefulness. They help me look back with honesty and move forward into a new year with purpose and intention.

A few things that did not work for me in 2025:

Phone usage, especially social media.
I already take two days a week off from checking socials and occasionally do longer fasts by deleting the apps altogether. Still, I’m considering going bigger in 2026, maybe even powering down from Saturday night to Monday morning (family calls allowed, of course). The rage-bait and negativity grieve my heart… so why do I keep peeking? Because I love seeing my people, their faces, their lives, their joys. That was the original point, after all.

Mornings.
LOL. I have never been a morning person (ask my family). Yet (annoyingly and wonderfully) mornings are unavoidable as long as I’m still breathing. So, I’m learning to meet them one at a time, with mercy and a second cup of tea.

Carrying cares and worries alone.
Yes, I take (almost) everything to the Lord. But sometimes He prompts me to bring a few of those burdens to trusted humans. When I bottle them up, they tend to leak out sideways as heaviness, discouragement, or that lonely feeling that sneaks in uninvited. Sharing is not weakness; it’s wisdom.

A few things that did work in 2025:

Great books.
I say this every year. Reading brings me comfort and joy like few other things. I also picked up my commonplace book again—a personal collection of quotes from what I’m reading and hearing, such a delight.

Community.
My girlfriends, church groups, writer’s group, book club, and now… ukulele class. (Yes, really.) Community is not optional; it’s essential.

My health toolbox.
I trimmed my supplement stack to what actually works and experimented with what might. I lifted heavier weights. Spent more time outside, especially in the early morning sun. Ate more whole foods. No gluten. Low to no sugar. A deeper focus on breathing and prayer. Good sleep.

Sunday Sabbath.
I leaned into this more in ’25, and it has been a game-changer. Church. Reading. Less phone. Time outside. Puzzles. Prayer. Solitude. A holy exhale every single week.

Live music.
Pure joy. Summer’s free concerts, plus shows whenever we can swing them, fill my cup to the brim.

Oh, how I wish I could sit with you and hear what worked for you. These two simple questions gently steer my heart as I look ahead to all that 2026 holds.

Blessings upon blessings to you in 2026.