From The Pumpkin Patch

I can do this. That’s my mantra for 2026.

At this point, I’m tired of doubting myself. So this year I’m stepping into self-belief and harnessing that inner power, the power I know I have inside me.

As always, I’ve made a list of goals to accomplish over the next twelve months.

I can do this.

Finish the first draft of my book

2026 is the year that I finish the first draft of my book. It’s currently sitting at just under 40,000 words, so I’m around halfway there.

It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Every writing session is a battle with my imposter syndrome, that nasty voice in my head constantly trying to bring me down. But I won’t let it win. I have something good here, I just know it.

If I only achieve one goal in 2026, it will be this one. I’m determined.

Write one short story

While my plan is to focus on my book this year, I also want to write another short story. I wrote two in 2025, and it was such a fulfilling and rewarding experience.

The Sheep’s Head and The Collector are really special to me, and I’m planning to get some art made as a daily reminder that I can write good stories.

I’ve signed up for an online creative writing course, and I plan to write my third short story as part of that process. The idea came to me a couple of months ago, and I’m just itching to get it down on paper.

Visit New Zealand

I moved to New Zealand with my parents and sister back in 2001. I attended middle school, high school and university there before moving back to England and settling in London.

My family still live there, and I’ve been terrible at visiting – I’ve only been back once, an entire decade ago. Now that my little sister is getting married this year, it’s the perfect excuse to visit. And this time, I’m bringing my husband!

I have a lot of boxes and photo albums to go through while I’m there, so it’s going quite the nostalgic trip. I also need to renew my driver’s licence, if they’ll let me.

I’m so excited to see family and friends and show my husband all my favourite places. And of course, I can’t wait to see my sister get married!

Visit New York at Christmas

I put this goal on my list for 2025, but I wasn’t serious about it. This year, I am.

Christmas in New York is my absolute dream. Of course, I wouldn’t want to be away for Christmas itself, but spending a week there with my husband in December would be the perfect way to celebrate the festive season.

I want to see Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the New York Public Library, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the 9/11 Memorial, Grand Central Station… everything!

So in 2026, I’m determined to save up enough money for the ultimate Christmas trip to New York City.

Build up my self-confidence

I’ve never been the most confident person in the world, but I was doing okay for a while there. However, after several setbacks over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a major decline in my confidence and self-belief.

This is most evident at work, where I struggle with anxiety and imposter syndrome. This year, I’m going to face it head on and learn to love myself again.

Read 12 books

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to challenge myself by increasing my reading goal. After all, with so many amazing books in the world, why wouldn’t I want to read as many as I can?

I still stand by that, but I want to slow down a little this year. For me, it’s better to read just a few books, thoroughly absorbing the story and messages, rather than racing through a huge list for the sake of an impressive number.

I’m going to focus on reading one book a month this year. Preferably classic literature, although I’m not going to be too strict with myself.

Publish 12 blog posts

I’ll be honest: I have a lot going on. I have a 9-5 corporate job, a household to run, books to read, self-care and exercise to do, a secret scary challenge to face and a book to finish writing. Something has to give.

I love this blog, but I think it’s time to let it go – just a little. I’m still going to keep posting, but probably no more than once a month.

It’s wonderful to have this safe space to write freely, without worrying too much about how well my sentences flow or whether I’m using the correct grammar. But I want to stop feeling guilty about not posting enough.

So this year, my intention is to post less. Instead, I want to devote my spare time to reading and working on my book. So you’ll be seeing a little less of me, but I’ll still be here!

Save a specific amount of money

I put this goal on my list every year, just to keep myself accountable.

There are so many pretty things out there, and it’s easy to want to buy them all. But I have financial goals to reach, so I need to resist.

As always, I’m going to put away a set amount of money every month in 2026. My savings make me feel secure and confident, and I love knowing that I have a safety net to fall back on if anything goes wrong.

Learn to read tarot

This is a fun goal, and something that I’m looking forward to delving into.

Lately, I’ve started to become interested in the psychological and therapeutic benefits of tarot cards. I think they can be a great reflection of our inner thoughts, emotions and desires, and I’m really keen to harness them as part of my self-love journey.

Give my work space a makeover

I’ve resisted this so many times. I’m not particularly career-oriented, and would prefer to simply be a homemaker and author. But life requires money, and so I have to work. It could be worse!

However, my back and neck are suffering. I spend a lot of time at my desk, but my current work space is impractical and not particularly pretty.

As you can see by the photo above, I’ve already made a start. I purchased a wooden laptop stand with drawers, and my in-laws gifted me that adorable wireless keyboard and mouse set for Christmas. My husband has agreed to switch my basic chair for his fancy Herman Miller one (it’s currently in the shed, so I’m not stealing it from him!) and I’m hoping these small tweaks will help to fix my posture.

I want to look forward to sitting down at my desk, instead of dreading it. Maybe I’ll post a desk makeover tour when it’s all done…

For the first time in a while, I’m looking ahead with hope and excitement. I have a really good feeling about 2026.

Happy New Year! I can’t wait to get started.