{"id":2048,"date":"2025-12-31T03:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/?p=2048"},"modified":"2025-12-31T04:16:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T04:16:38","slug":"design-your-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/design-your-year\/","title":{"rendered":"DESIGN YOUR YEAR: HOW TO CREATE A LIFE YOU\u2019RE EXCITED TO WAKE UP TO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>You don\u2019t need a perfect plan for the entire year, your clarity and next steps at the end of this blog post (psst &#8211; yes, this includes freebies).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Blog-Banner-Img-Jan-2026-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A DIFFERENT WAY TO START THE YEAR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We are so often told that January means becoming an entirely new person overnight. We set such unreal expectations, and then feel like failures when we don\u2019t meet them. This mindset just leads to burnout. That\u2019s not how I want to start 2026. Although the idea of becoming this magically improved person overnight is appealing, it\u2019s far from realistic. This post is all about helping you step into 2026 with a plan that feels achievable, and a mindset of possibility. Not one of fear or impossible standards. Designing your year isn\u2019t about forcing outcomes. It&#8217;s about creating alignment between who you are now and who you\u2019re becoming. Together, we are going to design our best year yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of trying to map out an entire 365 days at once, I am going to show you this new approach I am taking. I am designing my year in layers. This is a much more flexible and achievable approach. Let\u2019s get into it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DESIGN, DON\u2019T DEMAND<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We are not going to plan out our year in a rigid way. I have found that my \u201call-or-nothing\u201d mindset had to change in order for me to be successful. Because life happens, and when plans get changed or altered by events out of our control, we shouldn\u2019t just give up on the goals we set. We need to pivot, adjust, and keep taking steps to reach those goals. Designing our year means we are giving ourselves permission to adapt. We may choose a path and decide that it\u2019s not working for us, so we pivot. That\u2019s completely okay! We are creating a structure that is supporting who we currently are AND who we are becoming. It\u2019s okay to want growth <em>and<\/em> peace at the same time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a moment now or come back to this at the end:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What do you want <em>more<\/em> of this year?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are you tired of forcing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">START WITH A VISION THAT\u2019S REAL (NOT FANTASY)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I am creating a vision board for this year. This is not going to be a group of images that are just aesthetic or random. These are photos that represent action steps that I can take or actively work towards. For example, one of my biggest professional goals is to work for myself. So on my vision board, I want to include photos of what I dream my home office would look like, photos that represent what my routines and schedules would be, photos that showcase the type of work I think I want to be doing. All these things help keep this dream at the forefront of my mind and ensure I look for opportunities to make it happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When building your vision board, consider this:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How you want your days to feel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The type of work you want to prioritize<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The energy you want in your routines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Actionable tip:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When dreaming, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cWhat does this require of me?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cWhat small behaviors support this vision?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-a5331a9e wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" data-id=\"2051\" src=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-2-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2052\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-on-Screen-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-on-Screen-edited.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-on-Screen-edited-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-Vision-Board-on-Screen-edited-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PLAN IN SEASONS, NOT THE WHOLE YEAR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To prevent overwhelm and keep things flexible (not rigid), I am developing plans for Q1 only at this time. I am thinking-big picture for my professional work, my brand, my client work, and I developed a plan with tasks to get me closer to my revenue goal. I am only focusing on Q1 for now because this helps prevent overwhelm. Also, I can evaluate my progress after Q1 and determine if anything needs to be changed or adjusted. This helps keep my goals and plans flexible and allows me to pivot and make changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My one main focus for Q1 is my professional career. BUT I also want to focus on my mental health and well-being. I have been sick off and on from October to December, and this has been really hard on me physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Not being able to finish the year strong with my goals felt like such a fail. I have to keep reminding myself that life happens, and it\u2019s okay to have to pivot. So Q1 I want to keep building my professional life, but I also want to keep building my mental framework so that resilience comes more naturally. I want to look for the opportunities in every situation, and not dwell on the bad. I have some daily affirmations I will use. I am also going to prioritize journaling, meditation, and gratitude as part of my daily routine. I know these shifts in my mindset will also have great impacts on my professional life as well. It will help me when dealing with clients and staying open to new opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Actionable tip<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p> Choose <strong>one main focus<\/strong> for Q1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One area to grow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One habit to build<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One outcome to move toward<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DREAMING IS A SKILL (AND IT\u2019S WORTH PRACTICING)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We need to regularly check in with ourselves and figure out what our dreams are. Most of us exist in survival mode, just going through the motions. But that\u2019s not how life should feel. We should have something to work toward that lights us up. As adults &#8211; it\u2019s up to us to find and cultivate those things. No one is going to do that for us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to just write about what I want my life to look like. Even if it sounds extreme or ridiculous, write about it. Write about your whole life, not just your work. While I value getting fulfillment from my work, I also know that it\u2019s not the only way to be fulfilled in your life. If you\u2019re not in a position right now to change careers, then think about your life outside of work. Where can cultivate passion and find fulfillment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The way we view our own success also changes as our lives change. That job title may have made you feel successful at one time, but now you value creating experiences for your family to enjoy, and that brings you fulfillment. You need to regularly evaluate what success looks like to you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Here are some prompts to get you dreaming about 2026:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What would make this year feel meaningful?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What kind of life do I want to look back on?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does \u201csuccess\u201d actually look like for me now?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">STRUCTURE IS WHAT MAKES THE VISION POSSIBLE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To make your dreams happen, you need a system. Systems are what will keep you making progress toward your goals. Building a foundational planning practice is the best way I have found to make progress toward goals. Having a planning system allows you to create a container for growth, it\u2019s a way to protect your time and energy, and it gives you a forward roadmap, plus a way to look back and evaluate behaviors and patterns. It\u2019s the ultimate self-development tool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some may see this planning structure as limiting, but structure doesn\u2019t limit creativity, it makes it sustainable. This is why tools like planners, routines, and intentional check-ins matter, they turn ideas into lived experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YOU\u2019RE NOT BEHIND, YOU\u2019RE DESIGNING FORWARD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because Jan 1 is here, doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re behind or you need to rush and transform yourself overnight. That will only lead to burnout and frustration. Designing your year is a process. You have to work the system, choose a path, and trust the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are not shooting for perfection, what matters is the participation. If you\u2019re willing to take the first steps, then you\u2019ve overcome the hardest obstacle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jan 1 isn\u2019t a deadline to being your ideal self, it\u2019s a doorway to reframe your mindset and align your actions with the person you are becoming. We are stepping through this doorway together and into a year that we are designing with intention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YOU\u2019RE INVITED: 3-PART \u201cDESIGN YOUR YEAR\u201d SERIES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If this post helped you slow down and see what\u2019s possible, the next step is to <em>build it intentionally<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For January, I have a 3-part email series that will be going out to all subscribers to help you take the first steps toward designing your year with intention. These emails include freebie templates that will help you clarify your direction, design your Q1, and create a system you can actually stick with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout this post, I have explained why it\u2019s so important to design your year with intention and create a system that works for you. This email series will be the \u201chow\u201d that helps you get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next few weeks, I\u2019ll be guiding you through a simple, intentional process to design your year with clarity, not pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure you\u2019re subscribed to the email list to receive these freebies and start January on the right foot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to become someone else this year.<br>You just need to design a life that finally supports who you\u2019re becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">STAY IN TOUCH!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-foreground-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-c77085a3fcc6b2225b61255e0444c8f8\" id=\"f22e\">Follow me on <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/prints.by.kaitlyn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">instagram<\/a> for more planning tips and inspiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\" style=\"line-height:1.5\"><strong>Don&#8217;t forget about the monthly freebies! These are sent out monthly to email subscribers, so sign up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/\">newsletter<\/a> and don&#8217;t miss out!<\/strong> <strong>Subscribers also receive exclusive offers, discount codes, and more!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You don\u2019t need a perfect plan for the entire year, your clarity and next steps at the end of this&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[78,47,40,25,12],"class_list":["post-2048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-2026-reset","tag-new-year-planning","tag-personal-growth","tag-planning-system","tag-planning-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2048"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2056,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions\/2056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitlynrobinson.com\/printsbykaitlyn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}