Cultivation Over Chaos
Ah yes, that time of year again.
When we open our brand new notebooks - I can hear the spine on that notebook cracking already - and begin to write down all of the things we are going to do that year. I’m here to give you shit about it, because yes, I am that person too. Since I was 16 I have been writing about my dreams, fears and the things I want to do, and the people I want to do them with. I always thought of myself as Carrie Bradshaw, writing on my laptop while looking out the bedroom window at my parent’s house.
It was never the unbelievable fashion, the swanky bars or the handsome men in Carrie Bradshaw’s life that got me.
It was the way she stayed true to who she was and chronicled the ups and downs of love, friendship, work and finding herself in New York City. Behind the scenes, Sarah Jessica Parker has been cultivating her own legacy in television. Her recent Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes isn’t just a trophy; it’s a recognition of decades spent nurturing stories that centre women, push cultural boundaries and redefine what TV can be. Just like Carrie meticulously curated her wardrobe, friendships and life choices, Parker has cultivated a career that blossoms across generations - showing us that cultivation isn’t only about patience and care, it’s about bold choices and authenticity.
I couldn’t help but wonder… instead of putting all our efforts into running before we walk, what if we boldly decided where to intentionally invest our time and energy. What if we balanced patience and intentional steps toward a finish line with daring to go where we want to be, where we could finally leave an indelible mark?
So here we are, I’ve found my 2026 Word of the Year. Or maybe, it found me.
Cultivate: to foster growth, development, or refinement; to nurture, improve, or prepare something intentionally; to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).
I have spent so many years hustling, running before I walk, taking on many projects at once. When I finally slowed down in 2025 I realized that the things and people that brought me the most joy were the ones where we really showed up and sat in it together. I started investing my attention, curiosity and honesty - even when it’s messy. I started focusing on my passions, my every day habits and the quiet victories no one notices.
And now, here I am.
I’m moving into 2026 with a strong intention to invest in my health, my career, the relationships I hold personally and professionally. This year I’m focusing on building habits that will carry me through a mentally and physically healthier me for years to come, I’m showing up for hard conversations and moments, and I’m being purposeful with my energy.
Cultivation for me is different that the hustle I have been running with for so long. It’s a slow down, a moment to purposefully foster growth in all aspects of my life. It’s intentionally showing up where it matters most to me.
So in the spirit of channeling my inner Carrie…
I couldn’t help but wonder… what if this isn’t the year I reinvent myself, but the year I cultivate who I already am?
Not an overhaul. Not a hustle. Not a dramatic third-act plot twist. Just a quiet commitment to tending - to my work, my relationships, my body, my ideas - with a little more intention and a lot less urgency. Because lately, the moments that feel most expansive aren’t the ones I chase, but the ones I give room to breathe.
So this year, instead of asking What’s next? I’m asking a different question: What deserves my care?
And like Carrie Bradshaw at her laptop - hot coffee in hand, New York City humming outside - I’m choosing to believe that if I keep showing up, paying attention and nurturing what matters, this year will unfold exactly as it’s meant to.
