Welcome to 2026: Recognizing Our Unrealistic Expectations
Welcome to 2026,
After the countdowns and confetti, the beginning of a new year often looks one way on the outside—and feels very different on the inside.
There’s something we rarely talk about at the beginning of a new year—yet almost all of us feel it.
Almost quietly. Almost invisibly.
We get… incongruent.
A new year tends to arrive carrying expectations with it.
New energy. New intentions. New goals. New versions of ourselves we think we’re supposed to step into.
And while all of this usually comes from a good place, it doesn’t always come from you.
Sometimes, without realizing it, we place pressure on ourselves to want the “right” things.
To aim higher. Do more. Be different. Be better.
And the expectations we set end up being unkind—or simply unrealistic.
Here’s one gentle way to notice when that might be happening:
Pay attention to how your inner sentences begin with one of these 3 examples:
“I should…”
“I’ve got to…”
“I must…”
Often, these phrases aren’t coming from your truth—but from an idea of who you think you’re supposed to be. An ideal. A borrowed value. Someone else’s definition of success quietly making itself at home inside you.
We’re influenced all the time—by culture, family, friends, people we admire. And slowly, almost without noticing, we can begin chasing goals that matter deeply to someone else… while losing touch with ourselves.
So I want to ask you something—gently:
What expectations are you placing on yourself this year that might be incongruent with who you actually are?
Take your time with this. Many of these expectations live just below the surface.
What intentions for 2026 don’t truly honor your rhythm, your values, your brilliance?
And if it feels hard to know what does matter to you, try looking backward instead of forward.
What did last year quietly show you mattered?
What pulled you in naturally?
What did you keep returning to—even when it was hard?
Growth takes time.
Alignment takes time
And that is not a problem—it’s part of being human.
When we move toward what genuinely matters to us, we tend to stay with it.
Even through discomfort. Even through doubt. That kind of commitment rarely comes from “shoulds.”
So as you step into 2026, I invite you to keep checking in with yourself:
Is this something that truly matters to me? Or is this something I’ve been told should matter?
I trust that you’ll do meaningful things this year.
Some big. Some quiet. Some barely visible to anyone else—but deeply important to you.
A toast to 2026: fewer “shoulds,” more honesty
Happy New Year
May this year meet you where you actually are.
Grateful to be on this learning journey with you.
Hugs,
Nora