“Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved” – Winnie the Pooh
Tod has a deep affection for the History Channel. This may stem from his degree in political science or his love of gathering information, needless to say we have watched countless episodes of the “Built America” series. From the men to the food, they all have a fascinating perspective of history, yet my favorite by far is “How Disney Built America.”
I can get lost for days binge watching shows that share the back story of Walt Disney and the building of the Mouse Empire. During one show, Walt was sharing with his imagineers he thoughts and used the phrase, “Plus it Up.” Which meant lets take it to the next level. As we embark on the age old tradition of transiting from one calendar to the next, I have been thinking of the best way to approach 2026 and my answer may be one mathematical equation away.
The turning of the calendar isn’t just a date change; it is an unspoken pause to reboot and rebrand your life. For many, a period to reflect on the past 12 months and set lofty goals for the next 365 days is a common pastime. Having the good fortune of turning a year older in conjunction with the first week of January, I have always been a huge fan of what has been coined New Year’s Resolutions.
Today I find myself forming a new post with a fresh set of eyes. Or should I say perspective of my mind. In true historic fashion I paused a moment to see what enlighten thoughts I shared at the beginning of 2025 in a post titled Same Time Next Year. (https://alittlebitaboutalotofthings.com/2025/01/14/same-time-next-year/). Ironically the post featured the stats (just a little math) of the past 14 years of my writing and a road map to my blog’s highs and lows. As I reflected through bygone times, there was a keen sense that my 2026 post may veer off the written path.
How did I begin 2025? In the truest form, a blank slate. I returned from the holidays to a brand-new house, a garage & basement full of unpacked boxes and an empty canvas to create a home. And for some unknown reason, in that moment of being overwhelmed with the task at hand, I changed my typical approach to a new year and setting goals. Instead of the tried and true “check list” of this is what I want to accomplish, I wrote myself a memo in my cell phone that was constructed in a statement of purpose fashion. What do I mean? Titled “What I Need to Visualize”, I replaced the traditional “I want to achieve” with the words “I am” or “I have” phrases. It was a little test of visualization mixed with a dash of positive energy and an undeniable sense of belief or maybe it was desperation. Phrases like “I have created my office space for work and writing” and “I am experiencing new places”. I even made a statement on the amount of additional income I would generate above and beyond my retirement. Why did I do this? I guess after 58 years of setting goals, checking lists and feeling less than fulfilled at the end of the task, a mind shift was needed.
Little did I realize this was the beginning of a year of discovery. Not to keep you in suspense, each and everything I wrote in that memo is the absolute truth today. From the wonderful office space I created in our new home, to visiting new places (I exceeded my annual goal of three new cities; Aspen, Saratoga Springs, Myrtle Beach and Key West) from producing a garden to increasing my teaching load at the University of Louisville, it was like a magic ink pen, if I wrote that I was, I became.
Not only did I manifest some changes in my space, I also discovered a few other outlooks along the way. I traded a few of my “older” players in for some new talent. Giving up my Fit Bit for an Apple Watch coincided with joining a Barre Studio in late February. My step count is still crucial in my daily number tracking, but I have added more areas of fitness to the analysis. With almost 100 classes under my belt, I have surprised myself with my balance improvement, strength and overall commitment.
Discovery new health habits were just the beginning. From enrolling (and completing) an online certificate program at Cornell to becoming a certified travel advisor, there were no limits to the new adventures in my world. And thanks to Kayla’s Christmas gift I have uncovered my talent for making sour dough bread. But the discovery that I have embraced, feel in love, and have become the biggest fan of is Mel Robbins “The Let Them Theory”.
A big believer in signs, this book kept “popping” into my space. From newsstands at the airport to social media feeds, someone was not so very gently telling me to read this book. And thank goodness I did. It came into my world at a point that I craved help navigating a few culture shifts in my day-to-day life. Every morning when I picked up and read from where I left off, I sat there mesmerized how this book was speaking directly to me. I still find myself just flipping the pages when I need a boost. If you haven’t read this book, do it.
We are five days into 2026. How to continue the rhythm I have achieved and grow from the new space created? Embracing my Pollyanna spirit and focusing on the positive, what can I accomplish in short time periods that is open ended and measurable? Then it came to me, I am just going to take 2025 and plus it up.
Letting my math mind go into overdrive, I decided to select a few buckets of success from 2025 and multiple the successes. Theme number one is “Letting Go”. I am going to let go of everything that doesn’t serve me anymore. From the pair of sneakers that I haven’t worn in years to processes and people that do not fit any longer. I have been dipping my toes in the “letting go” pool, but it is high time I jump in and embrace the results.
Theme number two embrace the fun. How much fun do you have on a weekly basis? My guess is that we experience fun but fail to acknowledge it in its simplest form. Sure, we go on a fancy trip and do an amazing outing, and think boy wasn’t that fun. How many moments of fun are hidden we just need to take a notice. I recently learned of a theory that you should announce three good things that happen to you each day before you go to bed. This process helps clear the mind and remind you to look for the light even in the darkest days. I may just substitute fun for good and see where that leads my thoughts.
Theme number three being grateful in the present. My twist on the gratitude train is what am I grateful for today. I had so many moments of gratefulness in 2025. The biggest was we did not move. Let me type that one more time, I am beyond the moon grateful that we did not move in 2025. Last year also shown that my goal twenty-five years ago of raising three happy kids, is alive and well in the souls of Nolan, Kayla and Lilly. And my gratitude cup spilled over with the three amazing people that each of my children have discovered. With two engagements in 2025 and another very serious relationship, my offspring have partners that love them almost as much as I do.
Theme number four is embracing my five senses. From reading books to baking bread, from writing to growing a garden, I yearn more and more for authentic moments of creation. I have even been considering purchasing a new sewing machine as mine is over 35 years old. I think of my grandma often and all of the talents she possessed. She manage to create without YouTube, Pinterest, and a cell phone. In a world of technology, express communication and products so far removed from their origin, maybe it is time to get back to the basics. Talking to people in person, making meals from scratch and maybe even writing a good old fashion thank you note that a mailman delivers. Let me put some air in my bike tires and take this idea out for a spin.
Dr. Seuss was quoted with the phrase, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it become a memory.” Taking a pause of the year in our rear view mirror, I can safely smile and say I was truly blessed with so many fabulous moments. To celebrating Kayla’s birthday in Apsen to helping Nolan plan his engagement in April, from watching the races with Tod in Saratoga Springs to experiencing Lilly’s 27th in Chicago and finally our Key West holiday, 2025 was a very good vintage. I may have to bend Pooh Bear’s thoughts just a tad. Life is full of experiences, but I can always use a good math problem to solve. Just imagine the moments that await with some simple multiplication in 2026. Combining the two seems like a memory in the making.
a little bit about a lot of things 
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