I know a lot of people say “new year, new me” — but I’m not here to reinvent my life or pretend everything starts fresh on January 1st. I’m here because this is the year I turn 30.
Thirty full rotations around the sun. And honestly? What a thirty years it’s been.
I still feel like I’m freshly turning 20 most days, but instead of panicking about that, I’m choosing to see this year as a quiet thank you to my 20-year-old self for teaching me everything I need to take into my 30s.
2026 isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about staying true to who I already am, and building a life that feels strong, steady, and intentional.
In the past, I’ve liked to pick one big goal for the year. This time, I’m doing it differently. Instead of chasing a specific outcome, I’m focusing on one word:
Strong.
Not just physically, although that’s part of it, but strong in the ways that actually matter to my everyday life.
This year, I want to become:
- Strong financially
- Strong physically
- Strong in my gardening skills
- Strong in my lifestyle choices
- Strong in my baking skills
Strong Financially
This is where we get really honest, really quickly.
Growing up, money was always tight. I came from a single-parent household where my mum did the absolute best she could — and because of that, I learned early on how much financial security actually matters. Not for luxury, but for peace of mind.
My long-term goal has always been simple: to own my own home. A place with a garden, space to breathe, and the ability to truly call it mine — whether that’s with someone or on my own. But in the current economy, and living in Surrey, that dream can sometimes feel like it’s moving further away instead of closer.
Rather than letting that frustrate me, 2026 is the year I focus on setting myself up so money feels less scary and more intentional. I want a future where I’m not constantly worrying about where money is coming from — where I know I could step away from my 9–5 if I needed to, take time off, and travel without panic.
A big part of that this year is building a second source of income. This website is one piece of that, alongside the possibility of opening an Etsy shop and experimenting with social media and YouTube. Not overnight success — but steady, sustainable growth.
2026 isn’t about sudden wealth. It’s about strengthening the foundation I’ve already started building and making choices that support the rest of my life.
This will also be the year I continue educating myself on financial literacy. I want to better understand money, wealth, and decision-making — not to chase shortcuts, but to feel informed and confident. A few books I plan to read this year include The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel and Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, as a starting point for deepening that understanding.
Strong Physically
2026 is also the year I become physically strong — and I don’t just mean lifting heavier weights at the gym. This is about training for getting older. About understanding my body, moving it regularly, and building strength that supports me for the next 30 years of my life.
In my 20s, I gained weight and became less active than I wanted to be. Life got busy, priorities shifted, and before I realised it, I was getting out of breath doing simple things like walking up the stairs. That was a quiet wake-up call.
This year isn’t about punishment or extremes. It’s about building a body that can do life — one that can carry shopping bags, spend long days in the garden, travel, hike, and move without fear or frustration.
I want to be the person in the retirement home bragging about her adventures. The mountains she hiked. The places she explored. And while I’m not there yet, I know that future starts with the choices I make now.
So in 2026, I’m focusing on improving my nutrition, learning from experts, and moving my body in ways that feel sustainable and supportive. Not to chase perfection — but to build strength, energy, and confidence in a way that I know 80-year-old me would be incredibly proud of.
Strong Gardening Skills
Gardening has already taught me so much, but 2026 is the year I stop treating it like something I’m “trying” and start treating it like a skill I’m actively building.
In the past, I’ve approached my allotment with a lot of enthusiasm and a fair bit of chaos. I’ve planted things because they looked nice, because someone on the internet said they were easy, or because I felt like I should. Sometimes it worked beautifully. Other times… not so much.
This year, I want to become a more confident, capable gardener — not someone chasing perfection, but someone who understands why things work (or don’t). I want to make decisions based on my space, my time, and my energy, rather than gardening fantasy versions of myself.
With a small allotment plot and a full-time job, 2026 is about gardening smarter. Growing things I actually eat. Using containers and covers to make life easier. Learning which crops are worth the effort and which ones I’m happy to let go of. And accepting that doing less, better, is often more productive than trying to do everything.
I also want to get better at planning — thinking seasonally, rotating crops where possible, and reflecting on what each year teaches me instead of starting from scratch every spring. Gardening doesn’t need to be overwhelming to be rewarding.
For me, becoming strong in my gardening skills means building knowledge, confidence, and trust in myself. It’s knowing that even when things go wrong — because they always do — I’m still learning, still growing, and still showing up to my little patch of land with care and intention.
Strong Lifestyle Choices
For me, strong lifestyle choices in 2026 are about slowing down.
Not in a dramatic, “move to the countryside and delete all apps” way — but in a quiet, intentional way. I work full time, I live in the real world, and screens are unavoidable in my 9–5. But outside of that, I want to become far less attached to my phone and far more present in my own life.
This year is about choosing hobbies that add depth instead of noise. Gardening, baking, reading, making things with my hands — activities that slow my thoughts down and make time feel fuller, not rushed. I don’t want my downtime to leave me feeling overstimulated and strangely tired. I want it to feel restorative.
It’s also about people. Making time for the ones I love, not just fitting them in between obligations. Creating space for conversations, shared meals, and quiet moments that don’t need documenting or optimising.
I’m learning that a “good life” isn’t built through constant productivity or endless scrolling — it’s built through gentle routines that support me instead of draining me. Routines that allow for rest. For creativity. For boredom, even.
In 2026, I want my lifestyle to feel slower, richer, and more intentional. Less about doing everything, and more about doing what actually matters — with care, presence, and enough energy left at the end of the day to enjoy it.
Strong Baking Skills
Becoming strong in my baking skills in 2026 is about returning to something deeply grounding — making food with my hands, understanding where it comes from, and taking pride in feeding myself and the people I love.
This is the year I properly commit to learning. To preserving food, experimenting in the kitchen, and finally getting my sourdough starter not just alive, but thriving. I want baking to become a regular rhythm in my life — bread on the counter, something in the oven, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from making food from scratch.
I want to try new recipes, expand my baking repertoire, and build confidence rather than sticking only to what feels safe. Not everything needs to be perfect. Some things will flop. But there’s joy in the process, in learning what works, and in slowly getting better over time.
Baking for me is also about hospitality. About creating a home that feels welcoming and lived in. I love the idea of inviting people into our flat, offering them something homemade, and sharing food as a way of connecting. A loaf of bread, a slice of cake, something warm on the table — these things matter more than we often realise.
In 2026, I want baking to be less of an occasional project and more of a steady presence. A skill I’m proud of. A way of slowing down. And a way of showing care — both to myself and to the people around me.
Quietly Becoming Her
When I look at these goals together — strong financially, physically, in my gardening skills, lifestyle choices, and baking — what I see isn’t a checklist. I see a way of living that feels steadier, calmer, and more aligned with who I actually am.
2026 isn’t about becoming someone completely new. It’s about honouring where I’ve come from, recognising what no longer serves me, and choosing to build a life that feels sustainable for the long term. One where strength doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from being intentional, informed, and kind to myself.
I don’t expect this year to be perfect. There will be messy moments, plans that change, and days where things don’t go as expected. But I’m learning that progress doesn’t need to be loud to be meaningful. Quiet consistency is powerful too.
This is the year I quietly become her — not all at once, but piece by piece. Through small choices, gentle routines, and a commitment to building a life that feels rich, grounded, and true.
And I’m looking forward to documenting it as I go.
