New Year. Same Garden.

I don’t have resolutions, but my path is beautiful.

Hey hey. First, I hope you are having the new year that you need. Whether you follow the January 1st calendar, the March 20th calendar, or any other calendar, I trust you are feeling at peace, reflective, excited, and everything in between.

I know this season can carry a variety of emotions for you. I wanted to share with you an interesting reflection I noticed in myself this season. Something I feel could resonate with you.

Years ago, I did try to stick to New Year’s resolutions. I would write them in my journal or start a new document on my laptop. And as the year passed, they would fade into the background. Then, in 2017, I started using Pinterest to create a New Year’s board. It felt fun to visualize my goals and ideas, and easier to look back on. But, again, reality did not match the nicely curated board.

For some reason, moving from 2020 to 2021, I stopped.

My focus shifted to writing in my journal to reflect on what I was grateful for in the previous year and what I was trusting the following year would be better. No list. No demands.

Funny that this was around the time I started creating my business, Bandele Muse.

Looking back, I really did not know what I was signing up for. The amount of inner, outer, and in-between-er learning, unlearning, and relearning I proceeded to experience went beyond any resolution I could have created.

The more I wanted this creation to exist, the more I had to recondition my self-beliefs and self-stories. Have you ever asked yourself what your relationship is to success? Money? Creativity? Pivots? Time? or Privilege? Have you ever had to identify your self-critic? Have you ever had to work with the wrong people to learn how to identify the right people? Have you ever had to release your grip on control?

But, at the same time, have you ever realized how brilliant you are? Have you ever felt a wave of joy first thing in the morning? Have you ever felt fulfilled growing closer to God (or the higher power you believe in)? Have you ever smiled at the beauty around you? Have you ever felt like congratulating yourself without knowing what you are celebrating? Have you ever felt empowered in everyday things?

It was like I was in a cocoon, not knowing how my wings would turn out. But also, not knowing, I volunteered to be in a cocoon in the first place.

Then, moving from 2024 to 2025, I felt inspired to create a Pinterest board for my new year. Before I realized, the board had over 200 pins covering every aspect of my life. More than any other new year board or journal I had done before. I felt encouraged by this, still not knowing what to expect.

Now, as I am slowly and deeply breathing into 2026, I don’t feel like creating a new board.

Here is where the interesting reflection comes in.

I looked back at the Pinterest board I created for 2025. As I was scrolling through the images and quotes, I felt myself starting to check (or question) if this is my reality. Then I received a realization. These are seeds. This is what we have to look forward to. These are teasers to the next chapters and seasons of my life. My focus should be on nurturing these seeds. Creating and embodying the environment that allows these seeds to blossom. Learning and aligning to maintain and share these blossoms.

And I feel that is why I have no resolutions this year.

You see, the board I created for 2025 is not focused on the job, the house, the car, and the vacation. It is focused on experiences, community, beliefs, creations, beauty, impact, and alignment…just to name a few.

It’s like when the shift in my focus expanded, the clarity and trust deepened. Does that make sense?

So, I would like to give you an assignment. If you choose to accept it.

Regardless of how positive, negative, or neutral you are feeling in this season, take a moment to check in with yourself. Is your focus too small? Are you limiting your perspective to what is in front of your nose, instead of recognizing what is beyond your horizon? Have you given yourself enough credit for how far you have come? Have you allowed yourself to release what is no longer for you? Are you being intentional in listening to that whisper?

Take note of what your perspective tells you.

You, too, have a beautiful garden to tend to this year.

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