And I’ve been doing some reflecting on last year, and what I want 2026 to look like. 

Mid-January I went on a retreat to Bali, which was amazing! It’s a beautiful, welcoming place with generosity and kindness at its core. I had some extraordinary experiences, from our visit to a Balinese school, being welcomed into a Balinese home and learning about their way of life, sampling honey straight from the hive, learning about Balinese culture and heritage, as well as a bike ride around Bali, breakfast overlooking a volcano, a water temple ceremony and a whole lot more, it was honestly an experience I’ll treasure. I learned a lot about myself and others, and came home with a lot to reflect on. 

One thing I did on my return from Bali and to wellness, was to revisit my personal values. I realised I’d got a bit lost along the way at the back end of last year. Plans were made and rearranged as the madness of December and Christmas took hold and Bali gave me the reset I needed. So where do my personal values come in and what difference did that make?

Values are the beliefs you hold most dear and which are the most important to you in your life. They guide your decisions, and to help you lean into the best version of you. Your personal values and beliefs help you live a life of purpose and can help you ask questions of yourself throughout the day to lead you down the path that’s right for you. They remove the external chatter and bring you back to yourself.

I did the work – I started with my long list of 10, then narrowed it down, asking myself which ones resonated with me the most and got my list down to two – Kindness and Courage. These are the two values I lean into daily.

I ask myself:

“Is what I’m about to do or say kind – to myself and to others?”

That question alone has helped me strengthen boundaries, protect my energy, and communicate more consciously.

And courage? That’s been transformational.

None of that felt easy — but all of it helped me grow in ways I never imagined.

When I look back at the past year, I see how much courage it took to become more me. Everything so far this year has propelled that even further. My confidence has grown, my direction feels clearer and my values are now my compass.

Without revisiting my values — without reconnecting to who I am now, what I stand for, and living more intentionally,  I’m not sure I’d be writing this now. There’s a strong possibility it could have been very different! Every experience, good or bad, has something to teach us if we’re willing to listen and be honest with ourselves. Our values help us reflect and move forwards with authenticity.