I’ve never loved New Year goals or resolutions. They’ve always felt forced, like trying to sprint, you hate running. Honestly, my birthday feels more like the start of my year anyway. Instead of resolutions, I choose a word. One word to carry, sit with, wrestle through. This year, it’s a word I’ve already been living with for a while now: Intentional.

You know, one of the first signs of burnout I totally ignored? When the easy things, like really easy things, suddenly felt impossibly hard.

I didn’t post a blog post last week, just because it felt too forced. I haven’t even posted on my Instagram in over a week. The HORROR! Why? Honestly, it felt like performing, or more like needing to mark off another notch on my goal of 52 posts this year, or growing a following and having something to show for it. A few weeks ago, I felt a deep pull to stop posting altogether. And what did I do?

Yesterday, I found myself at a table with a group of women, staring at this wig—one that looked suspiciously like a dead animal. The goal?

Life isn’t fair, but how you show up makes all the difference. Keep showing up, for yourself, with confidence and purpose.