“Every new year brings with it a familiar rush.“
New calendars, hopeful chats, and an underlying urge to promise ourselves that this is going to be a better year. We make promises in all sincerity and eagerness, as if simply turning over a new calendar will somehow turn our lives around.
However, life, especially motherhood, has a lesson that is kinder and truer:
Change is not something that happens on the calendar. Change happens in us.
“As I turn my sights towards the year 2026, I realize I’m moving away from the hardline resolutions and opting for something softer, deeper, and much more sustainable—intent.”
Why Resolutions Feel So Heavy:
Resolutions are often a result of dissatisfaction. They are whispers (sometimes screams) saying we are the ones who need fixing—we are failing to reach our potential. Resolutions are all about meeting an outcome and a deadline. Nonetheless, life—as well as a life as a female and a mother—is far from linear and predictable.
THE AGONY OF DECISION- Choosing
There were years when my lists were long and full of goals until I was overwhelmed by the fact that, well, life did not cooperate. Commitments piled up, my energy levels wavered, and my emotions had demands. The goals sat dormant, taking up no space, guilt settling into that empty space instead.
Until one year ago, another question I asked myself was:
What kind of life do I want to live, versus the outcomes I want to achieve?
The question changed my relationship with growth.
Intent does not pressurise us to change overnight.
It encourages us to live mindfully—to one day at a time, one decision at a time, one moment at a time.
What Intent Looks Like in Everyday Life
The intention is not loud and dramatic. The intention is in the small stuff.
It is the choice to wait rather than respond. It is resting without labeling ourselves as lazy. It is ongoing softly, even when the drive wanes. It is teaching our children through example that self-esteem is not dependent upon productivity.
In 2026, my intent is not to be flawless.
My intent is to be present.
To speak with honesty, listen with empathy, and allow myself to grow without pressure. To measure my days not only by what I accomplish, but by how I feel when the day ends.
For Mothers Who Carry So Much
As mothers, we often step into the new year carrying invisible loads—expectations, emotional labour, and the constant need to balance everyone else’s needs before our own.
This year, what if our intent is self-respect?
What if we stop glorifying exhaustion and start valuing balance?
What if we choose boundaries without guilt and rest without explanation?
Our children do not learn from our resolutions written in diaries.
They learn from how we treat ourselves on ordinary, tired days.
Beyond the Calendar:
A new year does not demand a new version of us.
It asks for a more aware one.
2026 does not need grand promises.
It needs gentle commitment.
So this year, I am not resolving to change everything.
I intend to live consciously.
Not led by dates or declarations,
but by intent—quiet, consistent, and deeply rooted.
Because when intent leads,
Growth follows naturally, steadily, and with grace.
The Momma Clan 
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