This is NOT a New Year’s Resolution Post…

Written from my kitchen table, somewhere between Christmas and New Year.

There’s too much cheese in the fridge, only the rejected chocolates left in the box, and a dog who is absolutely convinced that now, right now, is the perfect moment to lick my face while I’m trying to think.

Time feels…blurry here.

It’s that strange inbetween week where the world hasn’t quite started again, but the noise already has.
The posts. The prompts. The pressure to reflect, resolve, reinvent…probably before the decorations are back in the loft.

Everyone else seems to be announcing who they’re going to be next year.
I’m still deciding whether I want another cheese cracker or a nap.

Which is probably why this is absolutely, definitely and most certainly NOT a New Year’s resolution post.

Why I’m Not Setting New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time again, the annual ritual where we’re encouraged to reflect deeply on the year just gone, identify what went wrong, decide who we’re going to be “next,” and emerge like a blooming butterfly on January 1st 2026, reborn, energised, fitter, healthier, wealthier, more fabulous, and somehow miraculously better organised than we’ve ever been before.

Apparently, if we don’t set intentions, declare goals, or choose a word for the year and then share it on Facebook or Instagram for the world to see, then we’re doing it wrong…

So just to be clear: I’m NOT reflecting.
I’m NOT setting goals.
I’m NOT manifesting anything.

And I promise, there’s a genuine reason for that.

When New Year’s Resolutions Feel Like Pressure, Not Possibility

From a nervous system point of view, New Year’s resolutions are…a lot.

For many people, especially those who’ve lived with chronic stress, trauma, burnout, or years of simply getting through, resolutions don’t feel inspiring. They feel like another demand, another reminder that we’re not good enough yet. A giant finger pointing down at all our flaws and errors…whether they exist or not!

“Be calmer. Do more. Fix this. Improve that.”

If your system is already stretched thin, then those messages don’t work as motivation.

Instead, they hit you over the head like a giant threat.

I see this all the time in my work with children and adults. The problem is rarely a lack of effort or will, it’s a pure lack of safety and security. And no amount of goal setting can override a nervous system that’s braced for impact.

So no…I’m NOT doing resolutions this year.

My nervous system has politely declined.

I’m Also Not Doing a Year-in-Review

I’m not doing one of those neat little round ups either. You know the ones: “2025 taught me…”, “What I achieved…”, “So proud of myself for…”

Not because nothing happened…quite the opposite when I think about it, but because turning a whole year of real lived experience into a 30 second highlight reel feels oddly performative this year.

So I WON’T be reflecting on navigating unexpected redundancy, setting up my own business from scratch, completing a foundation diploma (alongside several other courses), featuring in the local press more than once, unexpectedly ending up on BBC Radio Merseyside, being fully booked by Christmas with a waiting list, completing a 100km non stop walk across Bakewell for Cancer Research, or Lola’s Wishlist supporting Home-Start and the RSPCA…all while also celebrating a 10-year wedding anniversary.

I definitely WON’T be mentioning letters from Royalty landing on my doormat, or Lola becoming Highly Commended somewhere in the middle of all that either.

Nor will I be unpacking how, somewhere between certain memorable “moments” and the general state of the world, I found myself seeing and experiencing both the absolute worst and the absolute best of humanity this year.

Absolutely NOT reflecting on any of that.

That would be very New Year-y.

What I’m Doing Instead

Instead of resolutions, reflection, or reinvention, I’m noticing what helps my shoulders drop, what allows my breath to slow, and what my dog instinctively does when something feels like too much — pause, soften, move away, rest.

I’m paying attention to what already works, what supports regulation, what doesn’t need fixing, and what’s allowed to stay gentle. I’m noticing too, how much I’ve learned from the moments that felt impossible at the time, the so-called “horrific” experiences where I had to make sudden life decisions, trust myself, trust my instincts, and rely on a solid support system around me.

Absolutely none of the meaningful things in my life today came from a five year plan or a vision board.

They definitely didn’t come from my 2024 New Year’s Eve resolutions. They came from responding to what was right in front of me in the moment, one regulated enough step at a time.

The Same Trauma Informed Approach I Bring Into Schools

This is also the lens I bring into my work with children, staff, and schools.

Not: How do we make children behave better?
But: What do they need to feel safe enough to learn?

Not: How do we push through another term?
But: How do we support nervous systems that are already doing their best?

When we stop treating humans (or ourselves!) like mini projects that constantly need fixing or improving, and start treating them like systems that need support and compassion, everything changes.

So relax…

If you’re not setting New Year’s resolutions this year — you’re NOT lazy.
If you’re not reflecting — you’re NOT avoidant.
If you’re not ready to dream big yet — you’re NOT failing.

You might just be listening to your nervous system.

And honestly?

That’s a VERY good place to start the new year.

If you’d like, I share more of these reflections, nervous system tips, and therapy dog approved wisdom over on my social media — helping children, families, and schools in Warrington, Widnes, and beyond find calm, humour, and gentle inspiration for the everyday chaos. You can follow along, or just take what feels useful and leave the rest.

Because sometimes, starting the year isn’t about doing more…t’s about being enough exactly as you are.