2026 Reset: Debt-Free Goals, Local Adventures, and Taking My Small Business Seriously
Happy New Year, everyone.
Or should I say: “new year, new you”?
Yeah… about that. I’ve never totally subscribed to the “resolution” thing. I’m not a big goals girl in the traditional sense. I’ve joined challenges, I do push myself, but it’s never been about hitting some perfect number or keeping up with what everyone else is doing.
Ask my trainer. I’m the person who says, “Let’s just do 36 reps in a row and see what happens.”
If we don’t make it, we try again next time.
If we do, we bump it up.
That’s more my speed.
But this year, even with my anti-resolution stance, I felt something shifting. A need for change. A need to realign.
The last year has been about rediscovering my creativity. My corporate job has its perks, but it doesn’t exactly let my creative brain stretch out and make a mess. And as I grind through the day-to-day, I’ve realized I need… more. More color, more making, more “this feels like me.”
Side note: I know I’m not alone here. So many people I know quietly started painting again, dusted off sewing machines, opened Etsy shops, took pottery classes, or started baking like they were auditioning for a cozy Netflix show. It’s not just me craving something different.
So when I thought about what I wanted to be different in this new year, a few things rose to the top.
1. Getting Out of Debt (Without Losing My Joy)
I have some old debt that I’ve been side-eyeing for a while. Not ignoring, exactly, but definitely not giving the focused attention it deserves. When I had extra money, I leaned toward experiences and things.
And listen, I still believe in experiences. I don’t regret making memories. But I’ve hit a point where I want more freedom, not more stuff.
So what does “out of debt” look like in practice?
Trimming the obvious
First stop: monthly expenses.
I went through all my streaming services like I was performing a breakup audit. A couple of them didn’t make the cut. Monthly savings: unlocked.
I kept my gym membership (I’ve had it for 20 years - wild), but I paused my twice-a-week trainer sessions. I’ve been working out my whole life; I know what to do. I’d just gotten really comfortable having someone else think for me and hold me accountable. Now it’s on me to show up and actually use the thing I’ve been half-donating to for the last decade.
Rethinking “big trips”
I love travel. I love big, stamp-the-passport experiences. But this year, I’m pressing pause on the large, expensive trips.
Instead:
I’m setting a budget for smaller, local adventures.
I’m saying yes to exploring nearby instead of hopping on a plane “just because.”
Caveat: my nephew graduates college in June, and if the family decides on a trip, I’m in. That falls under the “this is core memory material” category. Everything else? It needs to fit into the budget, not the other way around.
The Big One: No New Clothes (Mostly)
This is the part that feels… big.
After my closet clean-out in November, I filled ten tall kitchen trash bags with clothes. Ten. And my closet is still bursting at the seams. Somehow, I still manage to say, “I have nothing to wear.”
So for the next six months:
No shopping for clothes, shoes, or accessories.
Instead, I’m “shopping” my own closet and actually wearing what I have.
Because I live in reality and not in a Pinterest board, there are a few caveats:
I can buy essential undergarments if truly needed.
I can purchase clothing items specifically to test quality for new designs I plan to sell in my Etsy shop.
If I receive a gift card or store credit from a return, I can use that.
I’m giving myself a small $100 thrift budget for the entire six months, because clothing waste is out of control and thrifting feels like the most responsible compromise.
It’s a lot. I know. I’ll be sharing how it goes - the wins, the temptations, and the “why does Target know my name” moments.
2. Smaller Radius, Bigger Creativity
Since I’ll be staying more local this year, I want to lean into the kind of experiences that don’t require long flights.
I’ve been really drawn to crafting lately - especially:
Polymer clay
Finally getting my own Cricut
Making small, handmade pieces I can gift or sell
There’s something deeply satisfying about holding a thing you made with your own two hands. I want more of that.
I’m planning my next craft project soon and will share how it goes - and whether it turns into a new obsession or just becomes That One Hobby I Tried Once (looking at you, hyper-specific seasonal projects).
Case in point: there was a time I spent way too much money at Michaels to make a Halloween topiary with a friend. It turned out incredible… and I used it for one season. Just one. This time around, I’m aiming for things that last longer than a single holiday photo op.
Alongside crafting, I want to rediscover my local area.
During COVID, I was out rollerskating most days. I loved it. I felt free. And now? My skates haven’t seen daylight in years.
So this year, I’m asking:
What does San Diego have to offer that I haven’t experienced yet?
How many new-to-me places can I discover within driving distance?
What cities, national parks and places do I want to visit in the USA?
I want to document that — the parks, new cities, the little restaurants, the corners of the city I haven’t given a chance yet. Smaller radius, bigger curiosity.
3. Treating My Business Like It Matters
Then there’s my business.
It started as a hobby. A way to let the creative energy spill out of my brain and onto something tangible. It is not, at this moment, a money-making machine.
Is it profitable? Not really.
Do I still love doing it? Yes.
So I had to sit with the uncomfortable question: What do I actually want from this?
I officially launched in August and brought in around $300 in sales. Not bad for a start, especially when you realize how many fees and shipping costs quietly eat away at that number. But if I’m honest about my time and materials, it’s not where I want it to be.
So I’m setting a simple, clear goal:
$500 in sales per month.
It feels reasonable given my time and capacity. Achievable without being soul-crushing.
But here’s the catch: this will require something I don’t naturally enjoy.
Outreach.
Marketing.
Selling.
I don’t love sales-y energy. I don’t like being “sold to,” and I definitely don’t want to become the person who’s always pushing something. Which is ironic, considering how much time I spent in retail in my teens and early college years. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.
What I want is to:
Sell in a way that feels authentic to me.
Build something sustainable.
Grow slowly and intentionally instead of trying to “blow up” overnight.
I don’t totally know what that looks like yet, but I do know this: the goal feels right. Now I get to reverse engineer the plan.
Taking the Best of 2025 Into 2026
I read somewhere that 2025 was “the year of building” - laying foundations, testing ideas, figuring out who we are in this new version of life. And now, as we step into 2026, it feels like the season of editing.
Not throwing everything away.
Just… shedding what doesn’t fit anymore.
For me, that looks like:
Paying off old debt and choosing freedom over impulse purchases.
Trading big trips for local adventures and creative projects.
Treating my business like it matters, without losing the joy that started it.
Taking what worked. Leaving what didn’t. Carrying the solid parts forward and letting them grow.
Bring on 2026.
I’m curious to see what you have to offer - and who I get to become while I’m living it.
Who can relate?
I’d love to know what you’re changing (or not changing) this year:
Are you a resolutions person, or more of a “let’s see what 36 reps feels like” person?
Are you focusing on money, creativity, your body, your business… or just surviving with a little more ease?
What’s one thing you’re shedding or shifting in 2026?
