One major goal checked off!

Six months of 2026 done and dusted. The months have flown by faster than I could imagine, and it’s time for a mid-year check-in.

I’m sharing the progress (or lack thereof) I’ve made on my goals in 2026 both to keep myself accountable, and to encourage you to evaluate your year so far. How has it been going? Did you start the year with any goals or dreams you wanted to accomplish? Now is the time to evaluate, adjust, and recommit or let go.

“26 for 26”

I used Gretchen Rubin’s “26 for 26” framework to shape my goals for the year. My list is a combination of small stuff (“Write to Aunt Jary and Aunt Charlotte”), large projects (“Remodel the kitchen”), fun stuff (“Attend an author talk”) and pesky life admin (“Renew passport”). So far, I’ve completed 10 of the tasks on my list (including renewing that passport!), with several others partially completed. Knowing I have just six more months to finish the list is helping motivate me to get going. I can do it if I choose one or two items on my list to work on each month. 

Word(s) of the year

“Mend and tend” have been my guiding words in 2026, and I’ve concentrated specifically on two areas: improving my fitness and finishing our move and home renovations. Since December, I’ve been lifting weights twice a week using YouTube videos, walking twice a week, and practicing yoga. I’m currently doing a second round of Caroline Girvan’s Iron series (no affiliation). Caroline lifts much heavier than I do, but I have definitely gotten stronger and been able to lift heavier weights than when I started. I love the format of 30- to 35-minute workouts. I can easily fit them into my days as well as convince myself to keep going if it feels hard. I want to add a third strength session per week in the next couple of months. 

I’ve also allowed myself to slow down and rest more this year instead of rushing from activity to activity. “Resting” might mean reading a book or surfing the internet for an hour in the afternoon, or on really tired days, lying on the couch with comfort TV playing. I don’t need that often anymore, but I when I do, I don’t feel guilty.

I’m not throwing a pity party for myself, but since 2022 I’ve been on a high-stress ride with the illnesses and deaths of my mother-in-law, mom, and my dream horse of 20+ years. We also sold our family home and moved, and tackled two major home renovations. (Oh, and I forgot about the devastating hurricanes…) I may look functional from the outside, but the inside has been a different story. Emotions have run high and my physical and emotional stamina were completely drained and are just now beginning to recover. 

As far as the move and house renovations go, on Saturday we unpacked the last box that was still in the garage from our move! Some sorting and reorganizing in the garage and elsewhere need to happen, but overall, after nearly two years, we are done. 

Remaining biggish goals

The biggest remaining goal for 2026 is a visit to my family in California and my friend in Seattle. This week I’ve been working on that—scouting airline ticket prices, rental cars, and hotels. This will be the first time a trip to California didn’t mean a visit to my mom’s house and that just feels wrong. I do not like the new normal.

There’s still time

Judging by the pace of the first six months, the end of 2026 is nearly upon us. However, we still have time to seek joy and happiness, set and achieve goals, and savor simple pleasures. Let’s finish 2026 strong.

If you feel comfortable doing so, please share some highlights or challenges of 2026 in the comments below. I’d love to hear what’s been going on with you so far this year.

My couch mate

Apologies for my absence here lately—after writing February’s newsletter, I crawled onto the couch and pulled a blanket over my head, figuratively speaking…mostly. I continued doing the necessary things to keep my home and our lives running, but any creative work, with words or art, has been largely absent. I’ve needed—and taken—some downtime with no expectations. There *may* have been napping involved.

Where is my Year of the Fire Horse energy, hmm? Up and galloped away without me, apparently.

Anyway, this post is to let you know that I am:

1. Alive.

2. Possibly coming out of my recent funk (?). Jury is still out, but there are some promising signs of life.

During the past couple of weeks, I took some time to mend and tend—the phrase I’m using in place of a word of the year in 2026. As I explained in January’s Happy Little Thoughts newsletter:

“I chose this combination because while I have come a long way in dealing with the losses and griefs of the past few years, I still feel tender and vulnerable, as if any setback could send me back to darkness. I’m not ready to make ambitious plans, but I am ready to take steps forward. I am on the mend, but could use some further tending. I’m not exactly broken, but I’m not exactly whole.” 

The last couple of weeks have felt like much-needed mending. Sometimes the best way for a wound to heal is to leave it alone and not mess with it. Getting extra sleep when you’re sick allows your body to do its healing work. Psychic wounds are no different.

In other news, we’re gearing up for another home renovation, this time in our kitchen and spare bathroom. It shouldn’t take as much time or be as all-consuming as the main bathroom reno, but I will have a bunch of decisions to make and contractors to coordinate in the next couple of months. Hoping for as good an outcome as the bathroom!

What have you been up to lately?