Tracking my Foundations

My focus this year is on foundations, and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how I want to track all of these wonderful activities. A massive checklist was off the table quickly - these are things that are not only good for me, but they're things that I love, so the last thing I wanted was to transform them into a guilt-laden, never-good-enough checklist. But if not a checklist, what? 

My answer: A mosaic. I have long loved the concept of time as a mosaic (from Laura Vanderkam's I Know How She Does It).  The idea is that our days are often heavily slanted one way or another. But if we pull back and look at a week or two, we can start to see our time as a mosaic (a tile of kid time, a tile of exercise, a tile of hobby time, a tile of work time), and we can decide whether or not we like the picture that's forming. This takes the pressure off of creating a perfect day or week and focuses on the bigger picture. 

So, here's my experiment for 2026: a mosaic of these foundational practices that I love and that are good for me. Every day, I'll color in the activities I do. Yep, I even wrote the activity on its corresponding crayon - we are all in. The focus is not on perfect days but on each week and month as a rainbow of the foundational patterns I want in my life.

Will it work? Will it be a fun, colorful celebration of things that I love? No idea. However, I like the experiment, and I'm willing to give it a try, learn from it, and iterate along the way. 

How do you like tracking your goals? What has worked for you in the past? Are you trying any new approaches to motivate yourself in the new year?

Foundational Focus

Every year, I decide on a focus for the new year. It's not a resolution per se, but more of an intention to guide my goals. Last year was all about creating quiet and margin in a year of wild change. This year, I have decided to focus on foundations. 

2026 will be my first year actually living out this chapter. I've been in transition, working towards this for so long - first evaluating what I wanted to create, then working full-time while in school, then completing school and my internship - and now that I'm finally here, I want to establish solid patterns to undergird this life I have worked so hard to create.

Foundations are the microhabits, the small, regular things that pay off in the long term. They might feel good as you do them, but more often you see the payoff in the rear-view mirror, like small contributions to your retirement account that don't do much on their own but accrue over time to make a world of difference.

This is a foundation-setting year for me. What does that look like? For me, it's exercise (outdoor cardio, weights, yoga), regular time with loved ones, daily quiet times, regular journaling, daily time outside, and committing to the disciplines of building a small business. Nothing earth-shaking, just a commitment to the things that I know build strong foundations for the life I want.

What are the simple, foundational habits that you build the rest of your life on? How can you focus more on those for the new year?

Everybody Needs Somebody

I am delighted to announce that Fully Myself is open for business! Because of my education and experience, I am able to offer both coaching and counseling services to meet you where you're at and help you get where you want to go. Here are a couple of questions I frequently hear: 

1. What's different about you? For the first chapter of my career, I spent 25 years in corporate tech. It's a great space and a tough space, and I've experienced the highs and lows firsthand. Sometimes it's nice to have a coach or counselor who has been in the corporate space, who has done great work and found huge success in that space, and who gets where you're coming from. Learn more about me at https://fullymyself.com/about.
2. Why coaching and counseling? How does one choose?  Coaches and counselors are both awesome helpers, and I've used both throughout my life (including now!). If we're over-generalizing, counselors help diagnose and treat mental health issues and help you heal from the wounds of the past. Coaches help clarify your future goals and develop the skills and strategies to achieve them. There are additional nuances, and you can read more about the distinctions between coaching and counseling at https://fullymyself.com/services. 
3. Ok, I'm interested - how do I learn more? Feel free to email jamie@fullymyself.com or visit https://fullymyself.com to learn more or schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation. You can share a little about your goals and struggles with me, and we can get to know each other and find the best way to meet your needs.

I've been working to create Fully Myself for the past three years (and the better part of my career!), and I'm so excited to bring my unique background and skills to this space. If you know someone who could benefit from executive coaching, career coaching, or mental health counseling, feel free to share my contact info or website with them. Hooray for new adventures!