January 16, 2026 – Changed my mind

I cannot believe it’s mid-January already. I have a tonne of things to do and accomplish and things are already falling off my plate… involuntarily. People have passed away and workload is increasing and in question. I had originally identified the word PRACTICE to be my #OneWord2026. In November and December, I really wanted to practice taking risks (with my academic work), practice going to bed and having a good sleep (for my health and wellness), and practice exercising, mindfulness, and eating well (for longevity and stress management). Anyway, those are all good things and practicing them are super important for all the reasons stated, but in January, I find myself overwhelmed.

The term started a few days early, plans are being solidified at the 11th hour, forms are being filled and I’m learning a new process, and I have been strongly reflecting on life, purpose, and my health. My dad’s health could be better, my friend/colleague passed away last week (and it was a surprise and not a surprise), and I just learned that one of my good friend’s health is being challenged. There is so much on the go around me… and then there is my work. Teaching is super busy and I am teaching 4 courses this term, I was just advised that my next year’s workload will be changing to more teaching, and I am doing research on three different teams, I’m leading two different teams, and I have my own writing and research to accomplish. Truthfully, this is a good problem.

Another aspect of my work is service. I love this part of my job and can/will tend to over extend myself. I realized today that PRODUCT or outcomes is the measurable metric versus process. For example, I have submitted two manuscripts to one journal and there is sits… one got accepted and the other is under review, but nothing has been published yet. The development and completion of the manuscript took a lot of time and effort. It was an amazing learning process, which I loved, but now, we wait for the outcome/publication. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. I’ve been second-guessing my #oneword2026.

My #OneWord2026 is PRACTICE. My original intention for the work seems to be focused on productivity… and doing more or being better. I can see why most New Year’s Resolutions are abandoned by mid-January. It’s tough commit and it does not feel good when you think you are failing or underperforming. Also, when people are passing or not doing well, it makes me think about my mortality and how I want to spend the last chapter of my life. In the end, I was worried that PRACTICE was leaning towards productivity. As a result, I wanted to avoid feelings of shame, failure, and disappoint. But as I am writing, maybe my first focus with practice is PEACE. I thought of changing my one-word to peace, but maybe I just need to practice peace, kindness, compassion, and patience.