What I am trying to hold onto as the year unfolds is the word at the center of my vision for 2026 - peace. How do I hold onto my inner peace when there is so much in the world to disrupt it? How do I become an agent of my own inner peace, instead of an agent of my own disruption?

If I really do want to live life in a softer, kinder, more generous way, what would I do? But also, who would I need to BE? These questions are guiding me through 2026.

I've been sitting with a 2022 study from the University of Massachusetts that explores how affective states influence clinical decision-making. The finding that surprised me most? Our emotional states significantly impact our decision-making and functioning, individually and in teams.

Sometimes the only way through chaos is to sit down, have a cry, and remember "yet."

The answer to busyness isn't a perfect system or fresh start - it's paying attention to what really matters.