Inviting a Year of Acceptance
What if we operated in this world within our capacity? What if we didn’t have to navigate the constant experience of lack?
With the new year starting, I felt the pull to design and clarify 2026. But I didn’t feel ready. 2025 went so fast, and I was tired. The holidays did not charge me up. I came into January with a deep need to rest, to stop.
I didn’t feel clear, and the idea of deciding on yearly goals and setting up projects made me want to crawl under the duvet.
Finding a Model for Rest
I went on a search for a model that would help me slow down and stay longer in the reflective space. I settled on the Systemic Design Framework by The Design Council. The visual model helped me look back at the last four months without rushing.
In the Explore stage: I spent time remembering the clients I worked with, the groups, and the experiments I ran. I noticed how these memories felt in my body; some filled me with pride and energy, while others didn’t. I didn’t rush to make sense of it.
In the Reframe stage: I collected my learnings. I asked: How do I work best? What are my limits? What do people actually come to me for? What am I not willing to do anymore? What tensions was I repeatedly navigating?
As I prepare to move into the Create and Catalyse stages, I want to share the insight that stood out to me most.
The Limits of Capacity
In the past four months, many of my conversations with clients and friends were about feeling stretched and overwhelmed. We talked about how to stop being "busy fools," how to decide what to focus on, and how to care for our unregulated bodies.
Upon reflecting, I had to accept that I arrived in January extremely exhausted. A deep wish arose in me to stop operating outside of my limits.
Which led me to the question: What are my limits?
How many hours can I work? How many clients can I meet without my body feeling stressed? What practices support me? What will my life look like if I know my limits and respect them?
The last four months were brilliant in many ways: I worked with new coaching clients, the Her Circle groups are growing, and I was happy to support an old client’s new team. My creative practice has been the most consistent since high school (and that’s a very long time ago!).
And yet, while all the good work was happening, when December came, my body was telling me loud and clear: “You are pushing too far.”
I was grinding my teeth until my jaw hurt. I pulled my back. My sleep was disrupted. I felt joyless and exhausted.
What Acceptance Actually Looks Like
I am realising that the idea of living within one's limits is foreign—both to me and to the people around me. What does it even mean?
So, here is what I have met so far by embracing where I am at and refusing to push beyond my capacity:
Acceptance comes with a sense of loss. I am not who I thought I was.
Acceptance of my true capacity means facing fears. Will I still be loved? Will I make enough money? Who am I really?
Not pushing through my limits opened the door to a better relationship with myself. For the first time, I feel I’m really listening to my own needs.
It changed my relationships with others. Some pulled away, while others stepped in closer.
Not pretending to be someone I am not makes it easier to rest in being me.
Accepting my limits makes me feel like a true pioneer.
I would love to know if you resonate with any of this.
I feel that now, more than ever, we need to be intentional about finding new ways to live. To question the norms, including the rituals and practices that no longer serve us. To come together in creating a new normal that puts our well-being at the centre.
Let 2026 be a year of acceptance. Let it be the year we learn how to trust ourselves. Let it be the year we discover that we can choose to thrive, and not struggle.
Resource: Use the link below to learn more about the Systemic Design Framework by The Design Council: https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/systemic-design-framework/#c8282