Things I won’t allow to hold me back in 2026
I don’t find January a good month for drastic lifestyle changes.
It’s the most dreadful month of each year: post-Christmas blues, short and dark days, cold & miserable weather… it’s a time that begs for comfort food, warm blankets, candles, cozy evenings by the fire. It’s not a time to start running, dieting or commuting to a crowded gym. I find spring to be a much better time of the year to tackle any such goals. Leave me be until March… this hibernation mode is the only lifestyle that’s ever made the winter months survivable, as someone whose regular depression gets replaced by seasonal depression in late autumn.
That being said, I do love a good sit-down with my journal, a cup of coffee and a fresh set of inserts for my yearly planner.
I like to take a good look at the year that has passed, and write some of the things that stood out - good or bad.
I try to identify areas in my life where I have grown - for example, 2025 is the first year in my life when I didn’t binge eat when I felt stressed, anxious or…bored. Instead, I reached for my journal and wrote down the thoughts racing through my head, went on a walk, called a friend, or made a cup of herbal tea instead of reaching for the stash of sweets. I consider this one of my biggest achievements of last year, even though it seems like something trivial. To me, ‘curing’ my binge eating habit has proved that I CAN do hard things, and I can use my will power to build healthier habits, and outgrow toxic ones. If you’ve read my previous blog post you can see more ways in which getting over the habit of stuffing my face whenever I dealt with an emotion has helped change my life for the better.
Besides celebrating my wins, I look at the areas where I still struggle, and write down the habits, internal beliefs and narratives that hold me back from growing into the version of myself I want to be. These can be about self esteem, imposter syndrome (especially around my photography!), about my looks, my personal relationships and any other aspect of my life.
This list will help me plan new habits I want to implement in my life, and help shape my career/personal life choices in the subsequent months.
Without much further ado, here are a the things I won’t allow to hold me back in 2026, in no particular order of importance:
• Waiting to feel ready
I don’t need certainty or confidence to begin. I’m letting movement come first and trusting clarity to follow. As the saying goes, “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.” Thus, I will allow myself to start whatever project I want to, without supressing my goals just because I don’t feel ready. I have a habit of spending weeks or months in preparation mode, delaying that first step until either it feels to scary, or I run out of time, or I lose passion and drive for that project. Well, not anymore!
• Fear of being seen trying
I no longer need to look polished before I show up. Learning, experimenting, and changing my mind are part of the process. I give myself permission to be bad at something whilst I learn & built a skillset, and I will share more ‘in progress’ rather than hold off until I have finished, polished results.
Hello, wreath I made & photographed, without any previous knowledge on how to make a wreath!
• Romanticizing stress and exhaustion
Burnout is not a badge of honour. A calm nervous system is success too. This year I am re-applying some lessons I struggled to learn in 2025: rest is not a reward, it’s a right. I don’t have to justify myself for spending a quiet Sunday on the sofa, instead of cramming hours of editing or e-mails or other ‘light’ tasks. How about I give myself a break once in a while?
• Overconsumption instead of creation
Less scrolling, less noise. More making, noticing, and expressing what’s already inside me. I desperately need to reduce my screen time, especially on Instagram. I look back at the end of a day when I told myself ‘I didn’t have time to do x or y creative task’ and I notice I’ve spent 1-2 hours on Instagram alone… then I wonder why do I feel like I’m falling behind, and everyone is a much, much better photographer than I am.
• Rushing my life
Not every moment needs to be optimized. After a lifetime of habit stacking, productivity hacks, and glorified exhaustion and busyness, I’m choosing presence, pauses, and room to breathe.
I choose to do less, but better.
• Ignoring my inner rhythm
I trust my own pace, even when it doesn’t match what’s expected or celebrated. I won’t push myself to keep up with trends, but instead focus on what’s sustainable in my daily life.
• Postponing joy for “someday”
Life doesn’t start after the next milestone. It’s happening here. I will light that expensive candle at the dinner table, I will use the fancy linen napkin, I will buy the organic broccoli and I will absolutely NOT waste another pence on cheap, watered-down oat milk. I will find joy in the small, every day pleasures.
• Shrinking to stay comfortable or acceptable
I’m done editing myself to fit into spaces that require less of me. I choose honesty over ease. My whole life I struggled with the idea that I’m too much, I talk too much, I’m too emotional, too impulsive, yet I overthink, I overshare, I am just…too much. So I dilute myself, and try to shrink my personality into becoming a pill that people can swallow without choking.
Well… no more of that nonsense. I have found a small group of friends who love me for who I am, and with whom I can be an authentic, unmasked self without fearing that I’ll be cast aside… so if they can put up with me the way that I am, maybe I was never the problem. Maybe I just spined in the wrong circles, and instead of dimming my light any further among people who find it too hot, too bright… I’ll find those people who warm themselves at the flame and crave more. They’re out there, I’ve met a few of them.
I give myself permission to be cringe.
• Letting outside expectations define success.
A quiet, meaningful life is still a full one. A slow and ‘boring’ day doesn’t make me a once-been. Choosing to stay in and build a puzzle instead of going out for drinks on a Friday night doesn’t make me a social outcast. I will create my own measuring units for success based on my values and beliefs.
• Forgetting that creativity is a way of living.
Not just something I produce, but something I practice daily, in how I move, choose, and pay attention. Growing a flower in the garden, baking a pie, hosting an event at my coffee shop are all wonderful creative endeavours, but I need to give myself grace for the days when I don’t create anything tangible. I am a creative person even on days when I don’t create.
I hope some of these resonate, and inspire you to create your own list. I would love to see it! You can message me at hello@carmina-andra.com or dm me on Instagram! I’d love to connect!
