Last year was a difficult year for most of us. The world felt upside down. I sensed that many people experienced turmoil. If not in their personal lives, then collectively, as seismic global shifts unfolded.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, we’re stepping out of the Year of the Snake. A year of transformation, of shedding the old to make space for the new.
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. This year is known for strong progress, increased ambition, bold actions, and quick changes. The problems in global politics from last year are unlikely to be resolved; they may even get worse. We are seeing a shift in the world order that goes beyond just a typical change. This will likely lead to major changes both personally and globally. We need to be ready for this fast-paced year.
Extending the imagery of shedding can be useful. We might think of it as an object being stripped of anything that could cause friction during forward motion.
Consider an Olympic swimmer who retains only what helps them propel through the water. Every stroke is designed to minimise disruption and maximise impact. Their clothing encourages the smooth flow of water over the body.
I spent days over the holidays pondering how I could minimise friction in my own life. I considered what I needed to shed to make my life lighter and allow for forward movement. I thought about what was holding me back, things not only in my environment, but also in my thought patterns, habits, and rituals.
Since moving into my house a year ago, settling in has been a slow process, along with letting go of things. I recently read a social media post that said we keep most things either as reminders of the past or as symbols of an imagined future. I began to ask myself what I would keep for the life I am living now.
Most of the time, I live alone now. My adult children are seldom home for more than a few days at a time. And yet, I was still holding on to paraphernalia from their childhoods. Things like expired food colouring for birthday cakes, plastic lunchboxes, and even a bread maker from a time when I imagined making their sandwiches with homemade bread. It all had to go.
As I arranged my gran’s dinner service into a display cupboard, I challenged myself to put the dinners in the diary. I enjoy having friends around, but I often delay planning, so the heirlooms are seldom used.
You may think that getting rid of stuff is trivial. Yet studies show that clutter affects our health and decision-making ability. Women, in particular, carry the mental load of managing a cluttered household.
Clutter also represents money. Often, the money we’ve spent on unused items is precisely what makes them so hard to let go of.
My messy garage was a constant source of stress!
Decluttering is painful. It forces us to work through sentiment, memories, the cost of past decisions, and a realistic assessment of our current needs. The decluttering reminded me to be more mindful of what I acquire in the first place.
I am nearing the end of my physical shedding. A skip load of rubbish has been collected. Boxes have gone to charity shops, and bags of clothing have been donated.
I am ready for the forward momentum of the Fire Horse and determined not to be held back by clutter. May 2026 feel light and free for all of us.
P.S. I look forward to sharing the changes I’m making to my rituals and routines, too.
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Kind regards,
Sunél