Control and Choice: Finding Your Footing in 2026

2026 is in full swing… how are you feeling?

Optimistic? Joyful? Anxious? Sad? Content?

As we approach the second month of the year, it's important to pause and sit in our current state of feelings.

Maybe the year didn't start the way you imagined. Maybe on January 1st you woke up sick. Or you received bad news about a friend, family member, or co-worker.

Here's the thing: the new year may feel like a restart, but life is constantly moving at high speeds. And if we're not careful, it can throw us off the tracks so quickly and so hard that we lose sight of everything we had planned. All the optimism we felt when we laid our heads on the pillow for that last night of sleep in 2025? Gone.

So how do you get back on track?

You focus on what you can control.

The Daily Reminder I Needed

I'm on my third year of reading daily meditations from "The Daily Stoic" – a book on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living.

And January 1st hit different this year.

The reading was titled "Control and Choice," and it's a quote from Epictetus:

"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own."

In short: Focus on what you can change versus what you can't. What you have influence over and what you don't.

Focusing on things outside our control is energy-draining. It gets us nowhere except high blood pressure and mental exhaustion.

We can't change the past. But we can change the future by focusing on the present moment.

And yet, so many of us fight this losing battle year after year.

What Control Actually Looks Like

People have been asking me lately how I feel about having my baby in two weeks. (I know! Two weeks. It went by so fast!)

I think they're waiting for me to say I'm scared, nervous, anxious. And I won't lie – those feelings come and go.

But then I focus on the present moment, and I suddenly feel calm.

I focus on the things I can control *today* to set me up for the feelings I want *in the future* when my baby arrives.

When he gets here, I want to feel calm, peaceful, serene. So what actions am I taking today to support that feeling?

I've been getting my house in order. Creating new routines. I know my triggers – the things that stress me out and make me feel awful. So I plan ahead.

I do a lot of visioning work. What do I want my days and nights to look like with my newborn, my eldest son, and my husband? I envision my body healing after I deliver.

Control is a mental game. When we can control our thoughts, we control the outcomes.

The Energy We Pour Into Things

Now, I know there's a lot of bad happening in the world. And in our own backyards.

I'm not saying ignore what's happening in your communities. I'm saying be mindful of the “energy” you pour into these things.

Stay educated. Stay informed. But do it in a “healthy” way.

Life is moving at warping speeds. And the access we have to everything makes it feel even faster. If we don't slow down our minds and the information we're processing, we can find ourselves in a spiral of emotions that leaves us burned out, stagnant, and depressed.

Here's what I've learned: If one of your new year goals is to work out more, you should also include mental workouts.

Get in touch with your spiritual side. Meditation. Vision work. Yoga. Whatever that looks like for you.

Just like the saying "we are what we eat.” Well, we are what we think.

The Practice: Flipping the Script

When you find yourself in a spiral, pause. Write out your thoughts.

For every negative thought, flip it upside down to be positive. This will help shift your mindset. This will help you gain back your control.

Be kind to yourself. Show yourself compassion.

Even when times get rough – what you think and say to yourself becomes your reality.

For every bad piece of news you read, watch, or hear, think of something positive. Our minds are constantly consuming evil and unimaginable things. Refocus on the goodness that's happening.

Eventually, the good will outweigh the bad.

My Commitment This Year

One of my goals this year is to continue taking a philosophical approach to my life.

To control what I can and release what I can't.

To enjoy the present moments.

To take risks knowing that failure is a learning opportunity and success adds sweetness to my life.

Your Turn

How are you shifting your mindset this year? I would love to hear from you.

And if this is easier said than done – please don't go at it alone.

Click here to schedule time with me.

I would love to share my practices in Step 1 of my blueprint: Mind Over Matter.

Until next time…

Live You. Love You.

- Maria