Why Wait Until January?

The people we've met, the conversations we've had, the things we've learned, and perhaps the moments that have changed how we see ourselves or the world around us.

A lot can happen in ten months, and sometimes we're so busy getting on with life that we don't really notice how much has changed.

I've certainly felt that this year.

There's been a great deal happening in my own life, particularly with building Your Life, Your Call, meeting new people, having some wonderful conversations, and learning things about myself that I probably should have understood years ago. Some things have worked out, others have taken longer than I expected, and there are still plenty of things I'm trying to figure out.

But that's life, isn't it?

And as I look towards the remaining two months of this year, I've been thinking about something I've never been particularly fond of.

New Year's resolutions.

I understand why people make them. A new year feels like a fresh beginning, an opportunity to do things differently. And for some people, that works.

But I've always wondered why we put so much pressure on ourselves to change everything simply because the calendar has turned over.

We're going to get fitter, eat better, save more money, spend more time with family, change jobs, become more organised, be more productive, and somehow turn ourselves into a completely different person.

That's quite a mountain to climb, especially when we haven't necessarily taken the time to understand the habits and behaviours that have brought us to where we are today.

And then, of course, there's the marketing that comes with it.

Before December has even finished, we'll be surrounded by advertisements for gym memberships, personal trainers, fitness apps, diet programmes, coaching packages and all sorts of things promising to help us transform our lives in the new year.

I find some of that quite uncomfortable, particularly because I'm a life coach myself.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make changes, improve our health or ask someone to support us along the way. But I do wonder how often we're encouraged to believe that who we are today somehow isn't good enough.

As though we need to become somebody else before we can begin enjoying our lives.

And before we've even had a chance to understand what we genuinely want, somebody is offering to sell us the answer.

Perhaps I'm becoming a little more conscious of this because of the journey I've been on myself. I've learned that changing something in our lives often begins with noticing what's happening, rather than immediately deciding what we need to do about it.

Sometimes it's a small adjustment. A conversation we've been putting off. A habit we've become aware of. Making a little more time for something we enjoy, or recognising that something we've been doing for years no longer feels quite right.

We don't necessarily need to wait until January, and we certainly don't need to change everything at once.

But there's something else I've been thinking about as we approach the end of this year.

The world around us is changing at an extraordinary pace.

We see it in technology, in the way we work, in the news, and in the uncertainty surrounding so many things that once felt familiar. Some of those changes are exciting, while others can leave us feeling rather unsettled.

And the reality is that much of what's happening is outside our control.

We can spend an enormous amount of time worrying about what might happen next, trying to keep up with everything and wondering how it's all going to affect us.

I sometimes wonder whether, in all that noise, we lose sight of what's happening a little closer to home.

The people we have around us. Our families, friends and communities. The things that make us feel comfortable, the places where we can be ourselves, and the relationships that help us through difficult times.

Not everyone has that sense of connection, of course. Some people may be feeling quite alone, and others might have found themselves drifting away from people they were once close to.

And perhaps that's something worth paying attention to as well.

When life feels uncertain, it can be tempting to withdraw into ourselves. But sometimes what we need most is a conversation, a familiar face, or simply knowing there's somebody we can reach out to.

Creating a safe space for ourselves doesn't necessarily mean shutting the world out. It might mean making our home feel a little more comfortable, spending time with people who matter to us, reconnecting with someone we've lost touch with, or finding a community where we feel we belong.

Somewhere we don't have to pretend that we've got everything worked out.

And perhaps that's as important as any goal we might set for the coming year.

I think that's what I'd like to take into November.

Before I start thinking about everything I'd like to achieve in 2027, I want to spend a little time appreciating what 2026 has already given me. The people who've been part of it, the things I've learned, the experiences I've had, and even some of the challenges that have made me question myself.

Not everything has been easy, and not everything has gone according to plan. But I don't want to overlook what's already here simply because I'm thinking about what comes next.

And if there's something I'd like to do differently, perhaps I can begin making a small adjustment now, rather than waiting for the first of January.

No enormous promises. No pressure to become a completely different person.

Just a little more awareness of where I am, what matters to me, and what I'd like to carry forward.

After all, we still have two months of 2026 left to live.

And that seems worth remembering.