The Energy of Becoming: Preparing Yourself for 2026

2026 is only 45 days away. 45 days until the New Year. 

November for me is a month of possibility. December always seems full of the end of this and the end of that… celebrations, shopping and finishing things up.

November is the month that I use to ‘be prepared’ for next year. I was a girl guide. ‘Be prepared’ was the motto. I love organising and preparation.
I am addicted to possibility. Constantly curious about what’s possible. 

The gap between now and January 1st is an invitation. A space where you can start considering what you want to be, do and have in the next 12 months.

I love the energy of forward motion, of being forward facing.  Moving towards something. Reflection is super useful to see where you have been, what you enjoyed, what you love, what you want more or less of.

Most people spend the end of the year reflecting on what went wrong, what they didn't achieve, how they failed to measure up. The energy of becoming is different. It asks: What do I want to create? Who do I want to be? What possibilities am I willing to consider for myself?

Becoming requires energy. You can't become anything new while running on empty. You can't transform your life while you're depleted, distracted, or drowning in obligation. Becoming demands that you have fuel in your tank. 

This is why I'm obsessed with energy. Your physical energy – what you eat, how you move, whether you sleep. Your emotional energy – who lifts you, what brings you joy, where you feel alive. Your mental energy – the beliefs you carry, the stories you tell yourself, the thoughts that drive or drain you. Your spiritual energy – what connects you, what grounds you, what helps you trust yourself and the process.

All of it matters. All of it contributes to your capacity ‘to become’.

I used to think I could push through on willpower alone. Work harder, sleep less, ignore my body's signals. Classic control freak behaviour! It worked for a while, until it didn't. Until I was burnt out, resentful, and wondering why nothing felt good anymore even though I was achieving everything I'd set out to do. 

Becoming isn't about grinding yourself into dust. It's about building yourself into something better.

Hope is not a plan! I hear it constantly: "I'm hoping 2026 will be better." "I'm hoping to lose weight." "I'm hoping to start that business." Hope is lovely. Hope is important, but hope alone will not get you where you want to go.

Action is a plan. Intention is a plan. Deciding what you want and putting the steps in place to get there – that's a plan.

My Bridge of Action tool exists because I got tired of watching people (including myself) stay stuck in the gap between wanting and having. 

Draw two circles. In the left circle, write where you are today. In the right circle, write where you want to be in 2026. Then build the bridge – all the steps, no matter how small, that will take you from here to there.

Each step is a lily pad. You don't have to leap across the entire gap in one go. You just have to know which lily pad is next and be willing to step on it.

What are you becoming?

This isn't a fluffy question. It's not about manifestation or positive thinking or writing affirmations on sticky notes. It's about honest assessment and intentional design.

Who do you want to be in 2026? Not who you think you should be. Not who your family expects you to be. Not who you were five years ago. Who do you actually want to become?

Maybe you want to become someone who moves their body every day. Someone who speaks up in meetings. Someone who says no without guilt. Someone who creates instead of consumes. Someone who shows up for themselves with the same energy they give everyone else.

Becoming starts with naming it. With being clear about what you're moving towards rather than what you're running from.

Consider your possibilities
Possibility can paralyse some people. Too many options, too many paths, too many ways to get it wrong.  What if you let yourself consider the possibilities for 2026 without immediately shutting them down with "but that's not realistic" or "but I don't have time" or "but what will people think"?

What if you asked yourself: what do I want?

Not what's sensible. Not what's achievable. Not what fits neatly into your current life. Just: a big wide open what do I want?

The work of becoming
Becoming isn't passive. It's not something that happens to you while you're busy making other plans. It's active. Intentional. Sometimes uncomfortable.

It requires you to:

• Get clear about what you actually want

• Examine the beliefs that might be holding you back

• Build bridges of action from where you are to where you want to be

• Allocate time and energy to what matters

• Take imperfect action rather than waiting for perfect conditions

• Communicate what you need from the people around you

• Let go of who you were to make space for who you're becoming

The gap between who you are and who you're becoming isn't a chasm. It's a bridge. And you get to build it, one intentional step at a time. 

2026 is coming whether you prepare for it or not. 

You get to decide whether you're showing up ready or will be scrambling to catch up!