ringing in the new year!

(it is such a privilege to have a life that is rich, even if it comes at the cost of predictability and routine)

i’ve always treated the start of the year as something sacred. not necessarily in a “new year, new me” way - more in the sense that january feels like a collective pause. a moment that invites reflection, intention-setting and recalibration.

i’ve usually welcomed that structure. but this year was a little different.

i was travelling until january 11th and when i got back to singapore, the days that followed were full: birthday celebrations, reunions with friends who had moved abroad, farewell brunches. this time of year is especially lively here, with so many people returning home!

i felt incredibly grateful… and at the same time, kind of overstimulated and disoriented.

i hadn’t “marked” the new year in the way i normally do. i slept early on december 31st - like 9 pm kind of early - because i had an early morning, the next day! there was no real reset, no intentional reflection, no sense of closure or beginning… or so i thought. without realising it, i was carrying this pressure that i was somehow already behind (imagine that!).

that tension made me start questioning: why do we place so much weight on january 1st - and what happens when life doesn’t flow according to that timeline (i.e. when life is just… life-ing)?

new years are cultural, not universal

(the spring is associated with the "new year" in many cultures!)

first of all, the idea that january 1st marks the beginning is specific to the gregorian calendar. many cultures define the “new year” very differently - often in ways that feel far more aligned with nature, rhythm and symbolism.

for example:

• lunar new year (celebrated across many east and southeast asian cultures) follows the lunar cycle and centres themes of renewal, family and prosperity

• nowruz, the persian new year, begins on the spring equinox and symbolises rebirth, balance and new life

• in many agricultural and indigenous calendars, the year begins in spring - when the earth wakes up, seeds are planted and growth becomes visible again

spring as the “true” beginning is so intuitive lowkey. renewal tied to warmth, light and emergence!

knowing this doesn’t make january meaningless… but it does put things into perspective. time doesn’t actually reset. our bodies don’t suddenly shift gears because the calendar flips. yet, we often expect ourselves to feel an almost instantaneous sense of clarity, motivation and direction.

that expectation can be very destabilising.

the pressure to “reset” can become performative

(it's so easy to get swept up by the messaging around what you "should" be doing - it's a lot harder to lead with what you "need")

somewhere along yapping with a friend (ily nat!), i realised i was mentally postponing my own grounding.

i kept thinking: once i properly reset, deep clean, reflect, vision board, get back into work - THEN i’ll feel like myself again.

as if there was a single correct moment i had missed… and now needed to recreate.

what struck me was this: the days i was spending reconnecting, resting and being present were probably exactly what i needed before returning to work. they just didn’t look like a january 1st reset… whatever that’s supposed to mean!

we’re surrounded by messaging (especially in self-help and wellness spaces) that frames growth as something visible and structured. morning routines. goal lists. yearly intentions. while those tools can be useful, they can also turn looking inwards into a performance.

so then:

• when does intention-setting actually serve us?

• when does it become yet another thing we feel we should be doing correctly?

honoring rhythm

(it is SO hard to surrender that gripping sense of control but i think it's the only way in this world!)

what i’ve realised this year is that i have to learn how to let things unfold more slowly, in their own divine timing. i know i talk about this so much but it’s actually incredibly hard to practice; especially if you’re someone who tends to plan more, thinking far into the future (which is really an illusion of control... but that's a topic for later!).

in the first two weeks of 2026, grounding has come through:

• conversations with people i love (!!)

• unstructured time

• a little more rest

• easing back into work

not going to lie, i’m struggling big time to reframe all of this. my system feels absolutely flooded with adrenaline and urgency. there’s so much i want to accomplish this year - personally and professionally - and it’s hard not to over-ascribe meaning to this first month (of twelve!).

but the bottom line is this: reflection is not time-bound. especially if over-analysing and dissecting every aspect of your life is an activity you partake in every single day HEHE (thought daughter behaviour, truly). on a more serious note: it can happen mid-april. on a random thursday afternoon. at 3:07 pm!

you don’t start when the world says you should. you start when you feel clear enough, thoughtful enough, present enough - and then you keep that momentum going!

moving forward with intention (and less pressure)

("the universe wants you to have it all" sprinkle sprinkle)

the tricky part, i think, is figuring out where to exist on this spectrum.

i still value intention. i still care deeply about being thoughtful with how i live, work and grow. that hasn’t changed.

what i am working towards changing is how i approach it:

• less anxiety and urgency

• less performative “resetting”

• more attention to rhythm

• more faith in rest and connection

this year, i’m trying to hold both truths at once: that beginnings can be meaningful… and that there’s real magic in the time thereafter! 

the start can be sacred - and so can everything that comes after.

~

if you liked this post and want to read more about what non-performative wellness looks like, then please check out these other blogs i’ve written!

a love letter to london

challenging limiting beliefs

what’s really in my control