Weekly Happiness Note January 1, 2026
What If This Year Isn’t About Resolution, but Remembrance?
“This year may not ask for another version of you, but a remembering of how you want to live.”
Happy Thursday,
Every new year seems to arrive with an unspoken expectation to decide, commit, and improve. This week’s Happiness Note takes a gentler approach. Instead of resolutions, I’m sharing a newly published piece that explores the idea of remembrance. A remembering of how we want to live, how we want to feel, and how we want to show up, one moment at a time. If the start of this year already feels full, I hope these words offer you a softer place to begin.
What If This Year Isn’t About Resolution, but Remembrance?
Resolutions are decisions to do or change something.
And in today’s age of being human, change and action are already the constants.
We are surrounded by decisions, demands, and expectations to adapt, improve, and respond, often faster than we can keep up. By the time the calendar flips, many of us are already tired, stretched, and carrying more than we realize.
So, what happens if, instead of resolving to do more or change something about ourselves, we pause?
What if we gave ourselves permission to clear the slate, not to act, but to feel?
In a fast-paced world where we are now also navigating artificial intelligence, it is worth remembering that historically, human beings have always had something new and challenging to work around and through. There have always been forces reshaping how we live and work.
What feels different now is the volume.
There is conflicting information and noise, and now ever-present AI shaping the way forward at a pace many of us have not had time to process emotionally.
It can feel like too much. An overload of input, urgency, and pressure to decide and respond all at once.
This level of stimulation can overload our human capacity. It can erode our sense of safety and certainty, two things many of us quietly crave.
Rather than chasing another decision or another version of ourselves, we could reconnect with our ability to pay attention to how we feel and let that guide our next step.
Perhaps the way forward is not another resolution at all. Maybe this new year, or this new week, new day, or even this new hour, is an invitation to clear the slate enough to feel into whatever is next for you.
Here are a few simple practices to support you in remembering instead of resolving. They are not meant to be done perfectly or all at once. They are reminders you can return to when life feels loud, uncertain, or overwhelming.
Practice 1: Create Space to Feel
Before deciding what to do next, create space to notice how you feel.
This practice is not about adding something new to your day. It is about reducing the noise long enough to reconnect with yourself.
That might mean spending time in nature and paying attention to the soft sights and sounds around you. It might look like sitting quietly, bringing awareness to your body, and noticing your breathing. It could be listening to a guided meditation, choosing not to reach for your phone or the news, or quietly connecting with your faith or a sense of something greater than yourself, whatever that most means to you.
When we are constantly consuming information, our minds stay busy feeding worry and replaying stories, many of which are not actually happening in the present moment. Creating space allows the nervous system to settle just enough for something else to be felt.
You are not trying to solve anything here. You are simply making room to listen.
Practice 2: Care About How You Feel, Throughout the Day
Caring about how you feel does not mean expecting to feel good all the time. It means paying attention.
Throughout the day, notice when something feels tight, heavy, or draining. It might show up as holding your breath, feeling mentally scattered, or replaying a story that does not feel good and continuing to add to it. It may also show up as a constant sense of urgency or overwhelm that never seems to let up.
This practice is about checking in with yourself without judgment. Often, a simple pause is enough.
You might quietly ask yourself: How do I feel right now? Is this thought helping me or depleting my energy? What would feel a little kinder or more supportive in this moment?
Sometimes the answer is doing less. Sometimes it is slowing down. Sometimes it is allowing yourself to enjoy what is already here. When something feels easier or more supportive, that is often a cue to do more of that.
This is not about forcing positivity or avoiding what is hard. It is about choosing steadiness and care when you can and trusting that those small choices add up.
Practice 3: Feel Toward What You Do Want
When we spend too much time focused on what we do not want, it is easy to feel stuck. Worry and fear can hold us back or keep us busy without moving us forward.
This practice invites a simple shift in attention.
Instead of feeding the list of what you do not want, begin to feel toward what you do want. Not perfectly and not all at once, but enough to sense direction.
This might mean giving yourself permission to imagine what you truly want more of in your life, and what your own definition of success or fulfillment looks like.
Spending time envisioning what feels meaningful is a way of feeding something that feels good. You do not need to have all the answers in this practice. Allow yourself to be present with a sense of possibility, especially if it is a story or picture that feels supportive and hopeful.
From there, action becomes clearer. Not rushed and not forced. Small, realistic steps begin to make sense when they are rooted in clarity rather than pressure, and in trust rather than fear.
When you care about how you feel and allow yourself to imagine what is possible, forward movement becomes more natural and sustainable.
Over time, these small choices help you move with life rather than against it, even as the landscape continues to change.
Perhaps this year does not ask for another resolution or another version of yourself. Maybe it asks for remembrance. A remembering of your ability to choose how you show up, one moment at a time. To quiet the noise enough to allow yourself to move forward in a way that is in alignment with how you want to feel. When we stop treating ourselves as a project that needs fixing and trust our ability to pause and feel again, we create space to move forward with more ease, clarity, and kindness. That may be a way of living worth remembering.
This Week’s Quote:
Disclaimer: This newsletter’s advice and strategies are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, we cannot guarantee outcomes or be held liable for any consequences of using or misusing the information provided. We encourage you to seek professional advice or consult with qualified experts for guidance related to your particular needs.