Post #3311: Notes from my future self

I keep thinking that after so many colds in the last few months—plus Covid in the spring—I must be immune to whatever is currently going around. Alas, this has not been true. I’ve come down with my third cold since July, picked up somewhere along the way during my holiday travels.

I’m through the worst of it now, grateful to be home and cozy in my studio for the first time in a week. I slept prodigiously last night and am easing back to the computer to catch up on a few things. Here’s hoping this is the final entry in my viral year, and that 2026 holds far fewer sniffles (not to mention, a repair for my aching tooth which flared up on Boxing Day).

I am not so much for making resolutions, but as I anticipate a year of change ahead, I’ve been thinking a lot about next steps. Just before Christmas, I spent some time working through an exercise projecting my year in review – as if it were already the end of 2026. It involved a mix of planning and imaginative writing: mapping intentions, then describing the year as though I had already accomplished some of what I set out to do.

It’s an exercise I’ve seen others write about on the Internet, though I don’t know where it originates. Apparently, writing as if something has already happened seems to activate the brain’s ability to notice pathways, opportunities, and small decisions that move us in that direction. It’s not manifesting so much as a way of orienting attention towards what matters, and what I want to prioritize going forward.

At the end of the exercise, I gathered what I’d written into four main areas that emerged organically: Career & Finances, Health & Spirit, Art & Writing, and Relationships & Community. Not everything that follows is new—some of it is simply a re-affirmation of directions I’m already walking. And some of it may read as a little cryptic, as I’m not quite ready to reveal everything I’m working toward just yet. But you’ll get the idea. Be the end of 2026, future me will be able to say that I:

Career/Finances:

• retired, with all consumer debt paid off in November 2026
• was accepted into a new education program and begin studies
• was accepted into a career-path that surprises everyone around me

Health/Spirit

• have finally returned to the daily meditation practice I abandoned in 2025
• made my workouts are non-negotiable 5 days per week and was super focused
• re-introduced intermittent fasting to help with my health and fitness goals

Art/Writing/Music

• played my fiddle daily, and was rewarded by spending more time in the old time music communities in Vancouver and Victoria, plus I went to NimbleFingers!
• started my year with a small cloth-dyeing project which lead to more textile-related ideas carried throughout the year
• returned to weaving and completed three projects
• kept a book of days, a commonplace book, a sketchbook, and a notebook for in-depth writing in continual use
• got two substack newsletters out per month, and also continued with the semi-regular blog posts
• sewed a half dozen new garments, some specific to my faith tradition

Relationships/Community

• committed to more time in relationship with my partner, which included spending time in Vancouver more frequently
• continued to support community as a core practice – staying on the two boards I currently sit on
• supported family with whatever level of effort was required
• tended to my ongoing life and home on Gabriola, taking more care in the garden and on finishing projects.

When I completed this list, I noticed what didn’t make the cut – such as concerts at Birdsong, teaching workshops, time spent with friends, etc. That doesn’t mean those things won’t happen, but this is going to be a year of heavy lifting, and I need to set priorities accordingly to balance both my career and creative goals with life and community responsibilities. I’m curious to look back on my list at the end of 2026 and see what other events arose, or got in the way of my projections!

I have a week of holidays still, before I return to work on the 4th and am home for all of it. This is the part that truly feels like vacation – I’ve got some community stuff going on, we’re hosting a few friends on New Year’s Eve, but most of my time is my own for a few days as I recover from over-feasting, illness, and too little sleep. Another nap is on my near-horizon, and I hope that you can say the same!