New year, same me.

It's that time of year; when people are looking towards 2026 and making a list of goals and resolutions. There are habits we promise ourselves we will stop, and ones that we will absolutely start.

I love the enthusiasm of the turn of the year. I love that, for once, we are looking at ourselves and our lives and trying to figure out what we want to do differently. In my view, the more often we sit down to reflect on what matters, the better! We get so many messages every day about who we should be, how we should look, what we should and shouldn't do, I think it's vital that we spend time sitting with ourselves and asking "What do I want?" "Who do I want to be?"

So often we go through life on autopilot, and I'm very pro us taking time out for reflection, to design the life that we actually want.

BUT

I don't love the 'new year, new me' mantra. It seems to tell people there's something wrong with them. That they have to change fundamentally who they are as a person. That doesn't resonate with me. What I love is the idea of coming back to ourselves. That's why I created the I in the VIP mindset. It's about figuring out who we are, and then, using those strengths, gifts, inclinations and experiences, moving towards the version of yourself you want to be.

We don't need people to all be cookie-cutter replicas of one another. There is no fun, no joy, no depth in that. The world needs all the diversity we have to offer, and to me, that means accepting ourselves, and growing from a place of self-love, rather than self-loathing.

What if, this time, it's not about new year new you, but instead, it's new year true you? What if 2026 can see you stepping into the truest, most authentic, brilliant, and unique version of yourself that you can be right now?

This year, take some time to reflect back. Look at what's worked, what hasn't. Celebrate the wins, mourn the losses, and learn from the mistakes. Take some deep breaths and think about who you truly are. What is the best version of you? How can you help that person to appear more in 2026? This year, let's begin with grace. Let's embrace who we are.

New Year, True You.

Love always,

Ruth

P.S If you want some space and time to connect with yourself in a guided way, I'm running a retreat at the beginning of 2026 in Wellington. You can find out the details here. I would love you to join me.