Sitting here, January 10, wrapped in a heated blanket watching our new cats stalk birds on the patio, I’m reflecting on the unexpected changes and challenges 2025 brought. I could not have predicted the upheaval of my career change, and though we did know this time last year about Dexter’s prognosis, we hoped we would still have him in 2026.
I didn’t do my traditional New Year’s Resolutions post last year, or the year before (I don’t think I did, and I’m too in the moment to check).
Anyway, I don’t think it matters.
I was busy this time last year. My responsibilities at the Record had ramped up. We had a new project manager, and the changes she implemented had begun to affect our workflow and our office dynamics. We no longer had time to take lunch. We no longer had time to step away from our desks to think or converse or team-build, which had been part of our office camaraderie for years.
I’m busy now, too. I’m still in training at the University, but my work there is steady. However, Wellness time is built in to our schedules so we don’t feel overwhelmed. After working so long in a deadline-driven environment, or in a middle school where the pace is AAAAAAAAAHHHHH all the time, this has been a pleasant departure.
So I have time today to watch the cats, pack for a trip (we’re leaving tomorrow), and enjoy a morning without feeling completely burnt out. (Still morbidly burnt out with worry over our political situation in this country, but those are nightmares for not right now.)
All of that to say, this is my goal post for 2026. I borrowed from something called The SLIME Method, which is like Start, Let Go, Improve, Maintain, and Experiment. But I don’t like slime, so I changed it to BLEPP (see related cute graphic of Dexter), which stands for Begin, Let Go, Enhance, Preserve, and Play.
Fits me better anyway.
BEGIN
- Running again
- Practice daily mindfulness via journaling
- Changing the language around the term being spoiled, using instead the phrases “well loved” and “treated with grace”
LET GO
- I’m letting go of expectations in our fandom surrounding voting and streaming. These practices are stressful to me, and I’m here to celebrate artists I love. I will participate in the ways I enjoy.
- Let go of writing for anything other than fun.
- Gently moving away from toxic activities, people, and places.
- Gently moving away from people who don’t love me as much as I love them.
ENHANCE
- Romanticness! (Which should be a word)
- My husband is sweetly and wonderfully romantic. I want to be more like that.
- I want to be better at my new job.
- I’d like to be better at random gift giving, which means I will no longer keep buying presents, putting them in a safe place, and then forgetting where I’ve put them or even that I bought them to start with.
- Attentiveness to detail
- Going slow
- Being present: maybe even looking in to medication to put the pause in my perimenopause
PRESERVE
- Writing for fun
- Reading goals – 40 books this year
- Health goals – hike, bike, kayak, run, and maintain my current weight
- Savings goals – maintain my current plan
- Travel (Albania? Vietnam? Switzerland?)
- Continue making progress on my List of 100 Things
PLAY
- Be creative with different types of media
- Scrapbooking
Most of these goals are not measurable or specific. They’re guidelines rather than rules. I used to be more of the SMART Goals type of person, and that has been effective. I get things done. But I’m learning that it doesn’t really matter, ultimately. I’m not saying this from a depressive place, although that particular journey led me to this understanding. The point of all this is to be present and to enjoy this bright window of time we have while we can.
Happy New Year, everyone. Hug your loved ones tight. Kiss your cat on his lil face. And may this next little stretch of months treat us with kindness.
Beautiful, Celeste. Thanks for sharing.