A Focused and Intentional Start to 2026

When 2025 started, my focus was very simple, earn an income, as much as possible.

At the time, a job my husband was waiting for had not yet started, and we still had daily life to fund; groceries, petrol, bills – the ordinary realities that do not pause just because plans are uncertain. So I did what many small business owners do under pressure, I said yes. To work that was not a good fit. To opportunities that did not suit my working style, my experience, my health, or even my home office environment.

Some way into the year, we realised that the job we had been waiting for was not delayed, it was never coming, and that realisation changed everything. My efforts to bring money in became more urgent and reactive, driven by fear rather than clarity.

My body eventually forced a stop.

I landed up in the emergency room with a dangerous heart episode that required an urgent heart procedure. No warning bells, just a very clear message that something had to change.

Health scares have a way of cutting through the noise. They force you to pause, reassess, and reframe. For me, that reframing wasn’t just about work, it was about my relationship with work and how I was choosing it.

By the time January 2026 arrived, I was ready to be intentional.

I let some work go, even though that is deeply uncomfortable when you have lived in scarcity mode. I chose instead to focus on work that fits my strengths, my energy, my health, and my values; work that allows me to show up fully, consistently, and sustainably. 

Starting a new year with this intention, instead of the panic, truly changes everything. It shifts you from chasing to choosing. I love that 2026 has begun with focus, boundaries, and self respect. Honestly, it feels like the strongest foundation I could have chosen.

Michelle Longman
Founder + Owner
Cuppa Daisies