To Reset or Not to Reset

The other week, my daughter’s keyboard stopped working with her iPad. We did the standard dance - checked the Bluetooth, ensured the battery was charged, nothing worked. Finally we did the simple-but-tedious fix: turned the iPad off and back on. Suddenly, everything connected again.

That’s what a reset is. Not fairy dust. Not a calendar trick. It’s action.

New Year’s ≠ New You

A lot of us look at New Year’s like a natural reset. The calendar changes and we hope our lives do, too. But a date doesn’t do the work for us. It’s like going on vacation expecting to come home as a different person only to slip back into the exact same patterns because we didn’t choose anything different. 

A break can create space; it won’t create change. We have to leverage the space.

Welcoming 2026 Without the Magic Wand

Shifting from 2025 to 2026 didn’t land as a powerful reset for me. I’ve been working through some ongoing health stuff, and as the transition to New Year hit a part of me felt discouraged. I woke up on the morning of January 1, 2026 still the same person with the same struggles watching others brim with excitement.  

Then I remembered what the iPad taught me: when I feel stuck, it’s time to take action and reset with intention.

What an Intentional Reset Looks Like

An intentional reset looks like stepping back to gain perspective on what’s really going on and acting accordingly.

• What loop am I feeling stuck in? 

• What’s keeping me stuck? 

• What’s within my control and what’s not? 

• What’s something small I can do right now to catalyze a shift?

  
  

Over the years, I’ve developed an operating manual of sorts - it’s a list of a few simple actions that help me cross the bridge from stuck to reset. I put those to work in the last week as I pulled myself out of my pity party and back into real life. 

• Heart meditation with biofeedback

• Restorative yoga

• Journaling

• Going for walks

  
  

These four practices are accessible for me to lean on anytime I find myself languishing. They help me reset my mind, body, and spirit. They enable me to shift out of the distorted thinking patterns and release the tension in my body that reinforces immobilization. They ground me in what drives me on a deeper level and give me the fuel to turn a setback into a springboard for progress.

There’s no wishful thinking or waiting for a miracle. There’s genuine effort, and gentle progress, along with a strong dose of self-compassion.

Reset ≠ Magic Eraser

A reset isn’t a magic eraser. My daughter’s keyboard still has crumbs in it and more wear and tear than it should. Powering down didn’t make it new. What it did was clear the interference so the keyboard and iPad could communicate. 

Our lives are similar. We don’t wake up in a brand-new universe on January 1. We wake up with the same responsibilities, the same unfinished business, the same bodies. The point of a reset is to reduce the friction. To alleviate tension, release frustration, and reduce resistance so our energy can move toward what matters instead of staying stuck.

That’s an active choice. It’s about claiming agency over running on autopilot. “I can’t control everything, but I can choose how I get unstuck.”

Your Turn: How Will You Reset in 2026?

If New Year’s didn’t magically change anything for you either, you’re not behind. You’ve got a life full of all the complexities and joys, challenges and connections, all humans have. Luckily, you can reset any day of the year. 

To get started, turn to a blank page in your journal or open a new document on your computer and take a few moments to write down some simple steps that help you reset. Then, when your mind is too clambered with stressors to shift into true problem solving, you can revisit your list and take steps to reset. 

No silver bullet. Just an easier pathway to simple actions, done with intention, that help you reconnect to yourself and your work.

I’m doing this mindfully as I move from hardcore recovery back into a steadier rhythm. What about you? What reset are you choosing as you welcome 2026? I’d love to hear.

If you’ve found value in what I wrote here and you want to support me in continuing to create, guide, write, and make space for deeper transformation, I invite you to buy me a tea.

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