Choosing a Slower Life in 2026

I sent an email to my list, providing a little life update for 2026. I thought it would be helpful to share what I wrote here on the blog, as I heard back from moms who said they could relate to what I shared and are taking a similar approach to 2026.

First, I’m going to share with you a little life update. Then, I’m going to share what I’m leaving behind in 2025, and what I brought with me into 2026. Lastly, I’ll share my thoughts about where This Routine Life is going. 

Life Update…

Back in October of 2025, in addition to working part-time at a pre-school, I started working at my son’s (elementary) school and really enjoying it. Due to spending more hours outside of the house, I have less time to devote to This Routine Life. 

And in true transparency, I still haven’t figured out a daily routine to keep the momentum with This Routine Life going, but I’m not pressuring myself. Instead, I’m trusting that I’ll figure it out. 

However, since I made the decision to go back to working more outside the house, I have felt a real shift in my life. 

I think it’s because I’m no longer feeling the (self-made) pressure to keep doing things in my business that I lost interest for, but believed I “should” be doing. 

I’m also loving working in the school setting, and I feel really fulfilled at the end of the day. These positive emotions have spilled over into how I feel at home. 

I noticed over the holiday’s that I was really enjoying my time with friends and family, and for the first time in a LONG time I wasn’t stressed or overwhelmed with everything on my to-do list that wasn’t getting my attention. 

In fact, I’ve kind of loosened up on my planning. I still write my week down in my planner, and include a to-do list, but I no longer schedule every single hour. 

Read these posts to find out the various ways I’ve planned throughout the years:

And you may be surprised to hear that I created a lot of goals for myself in 2026, but a few weeks in, I’m not even sure if I want to work on those goals anymore, and I’m ok with that. 

I’ve probably spent more time on the couch over the last two months, then I have in years. I’ve allowed myself to have lazy mornings where my husband and I catch up over coffee. I watch movies and tv shows with my kids, and I spend a lot of time reading or watching tv on my own. We’re also experiencing another snowy, cold winter which supports my Couch Potato Era. 

I love that I have the ability to be ambitious, disciplined and routined. I’m proud of my past self for all the things she’s accomplished because of those traits. 

But over the last few years, those traits also aided in feelings of burn out, overwhelm, and a general dissatisfaction. I was always pushing myself to do more, and be better, in every aspect of life. 

I’m 46 years old and my boys are now 13 and 10  (I started This Routine Life when they were 6 and 4).  I know one thing for sure, time flies by! I want to take advantage of spending time with my family while we are still under the same roof, without feeling like I have a million other things that “should” take priority. 

I keep asking myself, “What am I trying to prove, and to who?” I still don’t have the answer. But what I am trying to get comfortable with is no longer pushing, and recognizing that it’s OK to just be without having to constantly strive for something different. 

I’ve been talking with moms like you since 2019 and what I hear the most is that you’re drowning in overwhelm. The bottom line is, there are so many expectations you think/believe you need to live up to that you’re striving for something that is impossible to achieve. Instead of continuing to work toward something that’s unachievable, ask yourself the question I’m pondering, “What am I trying to prove, and to who?” And also, “What am I missing out on along the way?” 

It sounds dramatic, but you are a human being with one precious life, and your needs, desires, and dreams are just as important as any other member of your household. I think this is the message that I’m starting to lean into, and it’s made a world of difference in my life. 

Leaving Behind in 2025/Taking With Me in 2026

I’m leaving the following behind in 2025: 

–Self-pressure to do it all (if you read above, you know what I mean)

–Spending every minute being productive – No more filling a bag with everything I “can” accomplish while sitting at tennis lessons, or car pooling back and forth. Instead I take a book and do what I want with the time. 

– Posting on Social Media – I tried to spend 2025 getting back into posting on Instagram…but once again I was reminded that I HATE having to post. You can read more about my love/hate relationship with social media here.

-Reading Challenges – this year, I’m just going to read what I want to read. 

I’ve brought into 2026: 

– My daily walk – In 2025, I achieved my goal of taking a 5-10 minute walk outside everyday, and snapping a picture as proof. This is one of those things where I don’t want to break the chain, so I’m still taking a walk everyday. Today was my 402nd walk since January 1, 2025. I also snap a picture of my walks so I have a collection of photos that scan the seasons (see pic below from this morning), but also capture the different places where I took the walk.

–A list of movies and shows I want to watch – I watched, People We Meet on Vacation last night and it was so cute. 

–Cross-stitch and word searches – I’m picking up cross-stitching again more frequently, and I spend a few minutes each day working in a word search book. 

–More analogue and less phone – I want to write things down more, and use my phone/computer less. I’m also working on spending at least 5 minutes a day writing down the events of the day. Life moves so fast, and I would love to have something (besides pictures) to look back on years from now, to remember this season of life.

Going Forward…

I honestly can’t say how often I’ll be blogging, or what exactly my email schedule will look like. However, I can say I’m not abandoning This Routine Life.  

If you choose to stick around, thank you. Feel free to comment below with questions, or let me know if you have a topic you’d like for me to cover on the blog. 

One thing that hasn’t changed is my love for my Morning Routine. I’ve been following a similar morning routine for five years, and it’s my favorite part of the day! Get the Morning Routine Checklists freebie and take charge of your mornings! You can get it here.