Happy New Year!
It’s true… I will go back to work tomorrow…
January is always such a month of opportunity and reset. December kind of feels like a spiral, you are having fun for the most part, but life is swirling quickly. You are trying to just stay upright and present.
January is different.
January is slower. You feel more organized. You can breathe. You also dream of resetting certain areas in your life. You are open to change and growth.
Today I want to share my non-negotiables for 2026. I am 38 years old. I am finally starting to understand what I need to make me feel my best. These “needs” are going to be my non-negotiables for 2026.
#1: STAY IN GOD'S WORD... DAILY!
Reading my bible has been a daily constant in my life for the last 6 years. Reading the bible is absolutely LIFE GIVING and LIFE CHANGING. If you’ve never been consistent in reading your bible, I challenge you to make it a non-negotiable in your life for 2026. Find a bible reading plan on the YouVersion app, go pick out a devotional at Barnes and Nobles. Use a plan that helps you stay organized and helps you comprehend what you are reading. I want to warn you- make sure you are reading the bible and not just words that someone writes about the bible. Yes- those daily devotions can be positive and helpful. However, the HOLY BIBLE needs to be the biggest bulk of your reading.
I have done THE BIBLE RECAP for three years straight. You can use the reading plan on YouVersion for free or you can purchase the hard copy.
Also- I didn’t start the Bible Recap on January 1st. So please! If you are reading this after January 1st- You can start reading your bible ANY day of the year.
#2: BE CREATIVE... and BOLD!
Blogging is a tremendous outlet for me, creatively. It gets me off my phone. It makes me think deeply. It forces me to learn new skills and problem solve. It challenges me to see other viewpoints. Blogging constantly makes me think of others, not just myself. I feel nerves with each post. I am so proud of myself for being bold enough to share my life and my thoughts with friends, family, and complete strangers.
The National Library of Medicine put out research in 2021 saying “being creative makes you happier.” I had ChatGPT summarize the research for me…
The research reported in the article found that creativity and subjective well-being are positively linked: people who score higher on measures of creativity tend to report greater overall well-being even when accounting for stress and demographic factors, and experimental evidence showed that engaging in a creativity-boosting task actually increased participants’ subjective well-being compared with a control group. The authors conducted two studies—one using surveys of both students and working adults and another using an experimental creative priming task—and concluded that creativity not only correlates with but can help *cause* improvements in how people feel about their lives, suggesting that encouraging creative activities may be a valuable way to support mental health and happiness. ([pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov][1])
I encourage you to find more time to be creative this year.
#3: MAKE THE NEXT HEALTHY CHOICE... ONE AT A TIME.
In the past (and presently) I always made huge plans to be healthy. I make weeks or months long workout plans. I try to make a week’s worth of healthy eating lists, every snack and meal planned. I ALWAYS get overwhelmed doing this, leaving me depleted before I even start. The year 2026 is about making the next healthy choice. I am hungry? Okay- let’s pick a nutritious snack and execute that. I think tomorrow has enough to worry about, I’m just going to focus on the day and how I can make the best choices for this day.
#4: FIRST THINGS FIRST
I want my responsibilities to be done first. I don’t want my priorities to get mixed up. As a mother and wife, I want to be a good servant and caretaker and provider. I want to make sure I don’t prioritize scrolling over my family.
I pray that God helps sustain me in this area. I want to have the perspective of blessings when I clean dishes or fold laundry, not the perspective of burden.
#5: CONNECT MORE... ISOLATE LESS
At times, I can get into my turtle shell and stay there. It is usually because I am overwhelmed or overstimulated. However, I am overwhelmed and overstimulated by my own selfishness. It is usually when I don’t do #4 above and things start to add up. Instead of owning my own sins and selfishness, I tend to get into my shell and sulk. I’m going to make this a non-negotiable for 2026. I want to stay connected with my people in my circle more, support them and value their needs. And I want to isolate less, in isolation, my problems and burdens always feel bigger and heavier.
As I step into 2026, I’m not chasing perfection or some shiny, unrealistic version of myself—I’m choosing faithfulness, consistency, and intention in the small, everyday moments. These non-negotiables aren’t about adding pressure; they’re about creating space for peace, growth, and joy. My prayer is that this year is marked by deeper roots in God’s Word, courage to be creative, grace in making healthy choices, clarity in my priorities, and connection with the people God has placed in my life. If January feels like a fresh start for you too, I hope this encourages you to prayerfully consider your own non-negotiables—and to walk into this new year with hope, purpose, and trust that God is already at work.
Love y’all. Happy 2026
Leave a comment with your non-negotiable for 2026.
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Happy New Year Kari! You are such an inspiration to me and I’m sure others. Thank you for your positive outlook and strong faith! It’s contagious!