You Are Here

January 7, 2026

This is my favorite image to post after the first week of the new year. I keep this image around because it tells the truth about where most of us actually are in early January. Not at some dramatic starting line, not in the middle of a big breakthrough, just at the point where one year rolls into the next with a lot of carryover from what came before.

The first week of the year tends to come with a lot of noise about fresh starts and big changes. But most progress does not work that way. It is usually built in layers. What you are walking into right now is shaped by the choices, mistakes, risks, and effort you already put in. That matters, even if it does not always feel exciting or Instagram worthy.

What comes next is not about reinventing yourself, it is about using what you already know more intentionally. You have more context now. You have a better sense of what works, what drains you, and what is worth the energy. That makes the next stretch of the year less about guessing and more about deciding, which is where real momentum usually starts.

I think the first few days of January are better spent taking an honest look at what last year taught you instead of rushing to declare what this year has to become. Not everything needs a bold new plan. Some things just need consistency, clearer boundaries, or the confidence to keep going without second guessing every step.

Some seasons are not about big moves at all. They are about putting the right pieces in place, so the next move is actually possible. That kind of work does not always feel productive in the moment, but it is often what makes later progress smoother and more sustainable.

It also feels like permission to focus on direction instead of speed. You do not have to sprint just because it is January. You get to decide what you are building next, and you get to do it in a way that fits your real life, not someone else’s timeline.

This image is a good reminder that you are not late, and you are not behind. You are right where your experience meets whatever is coming next, with room to move forward instead of needing to start over.

Before everything speeds up again and the calendar fills up, it feels like the right moment to pause and check in, how are you doing….