Hi, welcome to this special episode of The Inner Estate. I just wanted to take a few minutes and talk to you about how could you actually create real change in 2026. And I want to give a few ideas that you could add on to some of the standard recommendations you may get. One way you could create real change in 2026 is to reflect back on a hobby, passion, or sport that you used to do when you were younger that you loved, that for whatever reason you stopped doing. And if you have any flicker of interest, go ahead and start again. There is an adult equivalent of all of it. So let's say that, like some of us, you danced ballet when you were young, and you ended up giving that up as you got older, and you knew it wasn't going to be a career, so you stopped. There are adult ballet classes, and you could actually reclaim that. So think back. Now, are there some things that you may want to seriously reconsider? If you were an elite gymnast and you haven't done that for years, I don't know. See what you could do. See if you could get into that, but obviously keep safety in mind. But reclaim a part of your past that used to be joy, bring you joy, and was part of your identity that you just loved. Reclaim it. And it's not just physical. If you used to paint a lot, start painting again. If you used to write poetry, write poetry again. If you did much more bicycling and you haven't even had a bike for the last 10 years, go get a bike. So reclaim something that brought you joy in the past and reincorporate that into 2026. The second verse in the same song. If there's something you've always wanted to do and you never did it, do it now. I'm going to share a personal one. I have always wanted to learn how to fence. And so I went ahead and I started looking and lo and behold, here in Scottsdale and Phoenix area, there are beginner adult fencing classes. So I am looking at that with my work schedule. It's something I will be probably starting in March. Certainly, I'll share with any of you that watch this regularly how it goes. But I had a fascination for it. Now, by the way, does it mean I'm going to love it? I don't know. I won't know till I try. Does it mean I'm going to do it forever and become a, you know, so good at fencing that I'll be a stunt double in movies about King Arthur? Probably not, right? Is it going to satisfy that little urge of like, oh, I wonder what it would have been like. I just wish I could learn that. Yes. Now, do you have to do both? Do you have to reclaim something you loved in the past and start something you always wanted to do but never did? Not necessarily. But I think that if you reflect on that and see which one resonates with you the most, if one of those two ideas, if you, as soon as I said it, if you were like, I know what she's talking about. I always wanted to play the drums. Or, yeah, she's right. I always wanted to get into rock climbing and I never did. Great, do it. If you didn't do it in your days, do it now. However, always. old you are If you in your 20s and you listening to this because we do have some younger listeners and you like oh I didn do it when I was high school Do it now It doesn matter So I think that if you carve out time opportunity look for resources and just say you know what I going to give that a go in either of those two areas It going to have a ripple effect that will create real change in your year in 2026 because you will be satisfying part of your subconscious that has a desire for something greater or to reclaim a part of what was important to you. So I really think that those two things would allow you to experience some real change in 2026. Now, on to another song. So those were like two verses in one song. Another idea. Seriously consider having an off-grid day per month. So just pick one day out of the month. For most of you, it's going to be on a weekend where you're just off-grid for the day. Um, that meaning no cell phone, no TV, no electronics, really reclaim either reading an actual old school book or hanging out with friends without the distraction of the phones, baking. I don't know. See what, see what fills the space. So just challenge yourself that one day per month, you are going to have one full day with no technology and just see what happens. If you wanted to, I have one of my clients that does this and it starts at eight in the morning and it ends at six. OK, great. So it's not even a full. When I do them, I like to go from the time I wake up till the time I go to bed. There's no rules to this, but just give your mind some white space. We are just bombarded with messaging and technology and people have access to us all the time. It's just a perpetual. It's a blizzard. You're living in a technology and notification blizzard and just decide that for one day per month, you will step out of the blizzard into a shelter and just see what happens. I have found that when I truly want to step out, if I'm concerned that I'm having a draw and I'm like, do I really want to be off grid for the day? I like to do things that require my time and attention with my hands. So sometimes I will paint pottery and go to the pottery studio and just paint pottery for hours. When you're painting pottery, typically speaking, you're not going to be answering the phone or sending a text message or doing anything like that. So really consider having one day per month, every month of the year in 2026, where you are off grid and let people know. Let people know. And I'm curious to see what happens. If you do that experiment, I would love to hear what you fill the silence with. And if you want an inspiration around this, I am a child of the 80s. So I love Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence. That's a remarkable album. But listen to that song. And if you actually look a little bit into the history of the song, it's very timely. It's very interesting that they were talking about the power of silence in that song. And it's far more applicable in today's world than it even was in the mid-80s. So that would be a song I would recommend to listen to. And let's all let some silence back in and have some off-grid days. So I feel like as idea number three to actually have some real change in 2026 enjoy the silence Have one off day per month The fourth way that you can actually have some meaningful change in 2026 change up what you wearing. So whatever you're currently wearing, it doesn't matter where you're starting from. I don't care. T-shirts and cargo shorts, athleisure. Maybe you already are kind of what used to be called casual Friday, business casual every day, whatever, wherever you're currently dressing, turn it up a notch. I'm not saying to go crazy. If you're starting off in jeans and a t-shirt every day, I'm not saying go to a suit, you know, and a tie every day or dresses and, you know, designer clothes every day. Just take wherever you currently are, kick it up one notch. I'd even go so far as to say, take some of the standbys that you're wearing almost all the time right now and either put them in a box and put them away or give them away and see what happens. When they're gone, you will just, you'll have no choice but to wear the other clothes in your closet. The funny thing about clothes is it does impact your self-perception. It impacts how you carry yourself. It impacts how you feel. And again, I'm not talking stylistically, and I'm not saying to run out and just buy a whole new wardrobe. Most adult adults have clothes in their closets and their dressers they're not wearing. We have a tendency to wear the same things over and over. So take those things you wear over and over, put them in a box and put them in a place that's inconvenient to reach, and then challenge yourself to just step up one level from where you're currently dressed right now. I know that's a little bit of an experiment. I would love to hear your feedback on how that works and if you see any impact from making that change or not. I do believe that that will lead to some significant change, and it's something that you can do every day. On a side note, when you do that, then when you do have a day where you stay casual all day or you slip into some of your loungewear, it feels so good. Like the contrast makes it even better. And one other note on that, it used to be like when I was growing up, some of the nice clothes were not as comfortable as some of the casual clothes. Well, frankly, now everything is comfortable, you know, like and not at any price point. So you can find comfort and softness and, you know, good quality. So if you do want some new things, don't feel as if it has to be over the top. But just challenge yourself to, you know, dress up a little bit. And the last thing that I'm going to recommend if you want some real change in 2026, challenge yourself over the course of the next year that once a month you're going to go someplace in your town that you either know and love, but you don't go to very often, or someplace you haven't been to yet. I understand if you live in a small area, that might be hard to do. If you live in a very small or rural area, you might need to go to a neighboring town. But challenge yourself that just once a month, you're going to pick a day, and you're either going to the Museum of Musical Instruments, or you're going to go to a botanical garden, or you're going to go to a Japanese a tea garden. It could be a place. It could be a beautiful hotel lobby. I've talked about this in another episode but really I call it being a tourist in your own town and just say hey you know what I going to be a tourist in my own town once a month One thing you could do is actually look to see in your area are there monthly events like First Fridays Some towns have a First Fridays and different businesses are open and you can go walk down your main street or your downtown. Some museums will do special days for locals. So go to your visitor bureau or chamber site and sign up to get notified about upcoming events and just decide that once a month you are going to go and be a tourist in your own town, and you're either going to go to a place that you already know and love, or you're going to go someplace new. And by the way, invite friends. Why not? Get out there. It could be an easy way to socialize as well. So I hope you find these five things appealing or intriguing. I hope that you'll try at least one of them. And I believe that if you do, it's possible that you're going to create some unexpected change in your life in 2026. Rapid fire, how to create some change in your life in 2026. Number one, go back to a hobby you did when you were a child that you loved, that you haven't done in years. Go ahead and reclaim that, whether it is a creative outlet or an athletic outlet or a social, theatric type of outlet. Figure out a way to make that happen. Reincorporate it in your life. Number two, something you've always wanted to do that you've never done, make it happen in 2026. I am taking on that challenge. I'm going to go take fencing lessons starting in March because I've always wanted to learn how to fence. So think of something you've always wanted to do and never had the opportunity or the chance to do it. Make it happen. Number three, have one day per month where you go off grid. Just have one day per month that is technology free, social media free, even TV free. So unless you're going to do like a themed movie day and that's part of your being off grid because you'll be fully engaged in the movies, just cut out all technology and see what you fill the day with and see what happens. But really challenge yourself. No technology for one day per month. The next idea is to actually upgrade what you're wearing and do it with your own existing wardrobe. So go in your wardrobe. You have clothes that you wear all the time. Take all the clothes that you wear all the time over and over. Put them in a box. Put them away. I'm not saying you have to get rid of them, but just put them away for now. Go and rearrange your closet and your dresser and start wearing the clothes you have in there that you haven't worn in forever. And guess what? If there's some you want to get rid of, get them to a good charity and clear out that space. You'll let in space for something new. Another way to create change in your life next year, the fifth way, is play tourist in your own town one day per month. So once a month, either go to a place that you know and love and invite friends or family and make it an outing and go someplace you know and love. Or once a month, go someplace in your town that you've never been to, that you've always wanted to go to, or maybe you didn't even know it existed. I recommend signing up with your visitor bureau or chamber and get upcoming events in your area. Get out there and play tourist in your own town once a month. I'm curious if anyone incorporated all five of these changes, which that would be a lot. In the first two, I'd probably pick one or the other, not both. I'd love for you to share in the comments or let me know, which did you do if you tried any? And what was the impact it had on your life in 2026? Thank you for listening to this special short episode of The Inner Estate. Get out there and let's make 2026 great.
