Stop Recreating the Same Year!

January rolls around and we do it again.

A new year.
A fresh calendar.
Good intentions.

You may have already thought about or even written down your goals, resolutions, or intentions for 2026. And if you’re being honest, they might look very familiar.

Same goals. Different year.

How are you tracking so far? I ask this with zero judgement, because I lived this cycle for years. I was highly motivated, capable, disciplined and yet I kept recreating the same patterns with a slightly upgraded to-do list.

What I didn’t realise at the time was this:
You can’t create a different life while operating from the same internal blueprint.

Traditional goal setting is very outcome-focused. Do more. Achieve more. Become better. But it rarely asks the deeper questions:

• Who am I living as?

• What truly matters to me now, not ten years ago?

• What patterns, beliefs, or identities am I still carrying that no longer fit?

For me, everything shifted when I stopped trying to “fix” my life from the outside and started doing the work internally. Getting to know myself intimately. My values. My purpose. My self-identity.

That’s when I experienced lasting change, not just short bursts of motivation.

And it’s why I eventually created my own approach to goal setting, one that doesn’t start with goals at all. 

The LIFE Framework is the foundation of Life Design Lab. It’s holistic, human, and based on the belief that life is a journey not a destination.

Instead of chasing outcomes, it focuses on who you are being along the way.

L — Learn who you are
This is where clarity begins. Understanding your values, patterns, conditioning, and inner dialogue. Awareness before action.

I — Identity
Lasting change only sticks when it aligns with your self-identity. When your intentions match who you believe yourself to be, not who you think you should be.

F — Feel & Flow
How do you want to feel in your life day to day? Fulfillment isn’t found at the finish line; it’s created in how you live, work, relate, and care for yourself now.

E — Embody & Evolve
This is where intentions become lived behaviour. Not perfection but consistent, embodied action that becomes part of your DNA.

In this framework goals don’t disappear, they simply stop running the show. They become a natural expression of who you are, rather than something you’re striving toward while missing your life in the process.

I’m currently back in New Zealand visiting family and friends, and being here always brings me back to my roots. There’s something powerful about returning to where you come from. It reminds you of who you’ve been, who you’ve become, and what truly matters. Connection to family, to old friendships, to shared history is another way we come to know ourselves. It often highlights parts of our identity we want to strengthen… and sometimes traits we’re ready to gently let go of. This kind of reflection is fertile ground for redesigning your life.

My personal intentions for 2026

Rather than keeping this theoretical, I want to share my own intentions for the year ahead.

1. Strengthen my body — in every sense
Over the past three years, my body has been through a lot:
Breast cancer surgery in 2023, Full reconstruction in 2024. Ankle surgery in 2025.
Each recovery took me out of action for months at a time.

This year, my intention is strength. Building muscle. Supporting longevity. Honouring my body not just for what it’s survived, but for how I want to live moving forward.

2. Turn up the volume on Life Design Lab
I feel deeply called to reach more people, guiding them to truly know themselves through my online and face to face workshops.
Because when you understand who you are, life opens up. You make wiser choices. You stop repeating patterns. You squeeze more meaning, joy, and freedom out of everyday life.

As 2026 unfolds, I invite you to ask yourself: ‘If I keep living from my current identity, what kind of year will I recreate?’ And just as importantly: ‘Who do I need to be  internally for this year to feel different?’ That’s where real change begins. Lasting change rarely begins with doing more.
It begins with knowing more. Especially about yourself. If this question lingers, let it.
It may be pointing you toward the work you are ready for next as you embark on 2026.

Wishing you clarity, courage and a deep sense of empowerment as the year ahead unfolds.

Kat x