Hi, I'm Emilia Isabelle

No New.

It’s hard not to get caught up in New Year, New Me.

You go to the gym, and suddenly it’s full of people who signed up over Christmas (love that energy, btw). Social media is flooded with before-and-afters, resolutions, routines, and reinventions. It’s even at the point my son has started asking about New Year’s resolutions, as if change only officially begins on the 1st of January.

J get it. There’s something hopeful about a fresh start but if last year taught me anything, I can’t do New Year, New Me. It’s not through lack of wanting to grow or better myself or not wanting to improve my life but it’s because when I buy into that mindset, I don’t just commit, I become completely consumed.

Anyone who knows me well will know this about me. When I set my mind to something, I go all in. And while some people praise that intensity, it comes at a cost. A big one.

I stop living freely.
I stop socialising.
All the little pleasures quietly get replaced by rules, targets, and pressure.

In fact, I barely live at all.

What starts as motivation quickly turns into obsession. The thing I once enjoyed becomes something I have to control, perfect, and police. Before I realise what’s happening, I’m no longer thriving, I’m depleted, anxious, and eventually… burnt out and depressed.

So this year, I’m opting out.

There is no New Year, New Me.
There is just me. Instead it will be me choosing to treat every day as a new day.
Through understanding that change doesn’t need a deadline or a dramatic declaration and allowing growth to be slow and steady instead of extreme.

Every day is an opportunity to do one small thing that makes my life:

• Happier
• Healthier
• Softer
• Easier

I don’t need to reinvent myself to be worthy of care. I don’t need a resolution to make a good choice. And I don’t need January to give me permission to change. Sometimes, it’s about recognising that you can  choose what actually works for you. For me, that looks like steady days, small shifts, and a life that still feels like mine.