Dear Me,
January 1, 2026. New year, new me? Not quite. For a long time, we have believed that we need to wait until the New Year to start the biggest change of our lives. That belief alone creates pressure before the year has even begun. By the time December rolls around, many of the unrealistic goals we set earlier in the year may not have been achieved. When expectations are too high and timelines too tight, disappointment often follows. Add shorter days and heavier moods, and it is easy to feel discouraged about what we did not accomplish.
Scrolling through career milestones on LinkedIn or carefully curated family photos on Instagram can quietly trigger self doubt. Comparison has a way of convincing us that we are behind, even when we are doing our best. We start questioning our path, wondering where we fell short or why progress feels slower for us. Unrealistic timelines turn motivation into pressure, and by December many people feel defeated rather than proud. Sometimes the holidays amplify this feeling instead of softening it. If this sounds familiar, pause. Take a slow breath.
Sunday arrives, and before the day is even over, the weight of the workweek settles in. The body tenses, the mind races, and the cycle repeats. Wanting change makes sense. Wanting better habits makes sense. Goals like moving more, eating better, or taking better care of yourself are not failures waiting to happen. They are signals that our body and mind want support. The challenge is not the goal itself, but how harsh we are with ourselves when change takes time.
We often underestimate how much safety and patience the nervous system needs in order to change. Breaking old habits is uncomfortable because they once served a purpose. Building new ones requires repetition, compassion, and consistency. Imagine going from 2K steps a day to 10K overnight. Having the goal of running 10K is not wrong, but it becomes unrealistic without a gradual plan. What if the goal was walking 10K steps by June instead, allowing you to slowly increase your distance each month. Small, steady changes help the brain and body feel safe enough to keep going.
What often holds us back is the desire for instant results. We want to skip the middle part, the awkward learning phase where progress feels slow and imperfect. But healing, growth, and habit change do not happen through force. They happen through repetition paired with self trust. Slow progress is not a failure. It is how lasting change is built.
Physical health goals matter, but mental health goals matter just as much. Being kinder to yourself. Giving yourself grace. Learning to rest without guilt. These are goals too. We live in a constant state of doing, achieving, and proving. Sometimes the most regulating thing we can do is pause. Take a breath that is deeper than the last one. Remind ourselves that we are allowed to move at a human pace.
When was the last time we truly let go of the stress and anxiety that comes with being a working employee. When was the last time we set a boundary and told ourselves that something could wait until tomorrow. When was the last time our evenings were focused on self care instead of productivity. As time keeps ticking and the days keep flying by, it can feel like a reminder of everything we have not accomplished. But remember, the cup is always half full. Each day also holds evidence of resilience, effort, and quiet strength. Practising gratitude does not mean ignoring struggles. It means allowing both to exist at the same time.
This year, let kindness lead. If a goal went unmet or fell apart halfway through, that does not mean we failed. It means we are human. We do not need a fresh calendar to begin again. Restart gently, right where we are. Slipping does not erase progress. Resting does not mean quitting.
Celebrate the small wins. If the goal was to walk 10K steps but we walked 5K, that matters. It matters because we showed up. We chose ourselves. Progress is not all or nothing. It lives in the effort, not just the outcome.
To become a true Itamae, a sushi master, it takes around ten years. Mastering sushi rice alone can take up to 3 years. Skill is built through patience, repetition, and humility. Generally we might think I could use a quick sushi roller kit and learn in five minutes, but meaningful goals do not work that way. When we expect instant mastery, we turn learning into self criticism. Growth requires permission to be a beginner. Growth happens through consistency over time, not through rushing the process or expecting perfection.
Being kinder to ourselves means setting goals that allow for imperfect days, pauses, and flexibility. It means speaking to ourselves the way we would speak to someone we love. If we want to walk 10K steps a day, start with 1K and build slowly. If some days we fall short, pause. Breathe. Adjust. Then continue.
Comparing our progress to others often leads to feeling discouraged or inadequate. Remember that our timeline is deeply personal. Everyone is carrying something unseen. Measuring our journey against someone else’s only disconnects us from our own.
Get back into the rhythm when we are ready. Reward ourselves for showing up. We are not behind. We are right where we need to be.
Sincerely,
Future Me
About the author:
Hi, I’m Abinaa, a fourth-year naturopathic medical student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine with a deep-rooted passion for natural healing, inspired by my South Asian upbringing. Through this blog, I hope to share my journey, explore topics in holistic health and wellness, and offer simple, thoughtful insights that support a more balanced and mindful way of living.
