The Excuses That Keep Us Stuck—And Why 2026 Can Be Different
- gillydasilva
- Dec 29, 2025
- 4 min read
As we move towards 2026, many of us start reflecting on how the years have passed and how often our own health and well-being have quietly slipped down the list. Not because we didn’t care, but because we got used to coping, managing, and carrying on. We often tell ourselves we’ll focus on ourselves once the children are grown and have left the nest. Then one day that moment arrives, and many women find themselves standing there alone, wondering what comes next. If that’s where you are, it isn’t a reason to retreat inward it’s a reason to make changes, widen your world, and meet new people who understand this stage of life.
When opportunities come along that invite us to pause, reflect, and finally put ourselves first, doubts often surface. Not because we’re lazy or unwilling, but because stepping outside our comfort zone feels unfamiliar. These are the thoughts I hear time and time again, and they usually reveal what’s really holding us back.
It's Too Expensive
More often than not, this doesn’t mean you can’t afford it. It means you’ve spent years prioritising everyone else, and spending on yourself now feels unfamiliar. You didn’t question the emotional cost of staying in a marriage that drained you or the cost of therapy, legal fees, sleepless nights, anxiety, or slowly losing your sense of self along the way.
But investing in your healing and well-being suddenly feels like something that needs justifying. The truth is, expensive isn’t investing in yourself. Expensive is staying stuck. This isn’t a splurge, it’s an investment in your health, and health is your wealth.
I can’t leave my kids
This one often comes with guilt, and that’s completely understandable. But your children don’t need a parent who sacrifices themselves at every turn. They need a parent who is emotionally grounded, present, and well. Taking time to focus on your own healing isn’t abandoning them, it’s modelling self-worth and showing them that looking after yourself matters.
Choosing yourself for once does not make you selfish.
I’ll do it next year
This is a familiar one. Next year sounds sensible and safe, but it often turns into after the house sale, after everything feels more settled, after I feel better, or after I magically wake up confident. Healing doesn’t happen in the waiting room of life, and there will always be another reason to delay if you’re looking for one.
As we step into 2026, it’s worth asking whether you want another year to look the same, or whether this is the year you gently challenge that pattern. A fresh start doesn’t arrive on its own. It’s something you choose.
I don’t know if I’m ready
Nobody ever arrives ready. If you felt ready, you probably wouldn’t be searching for something to help you move forward. You don’t come polished or with all the answers. You come as you are, and you leave clearer about what you want and what comes next. That’s the point.
What if I don’t fit in?
Almost everyone thinks this at first. Different ages, different backgrounds, and different life stories, but the same emotions underneath. Feelings of guilt, self-doubt, grief, or being stuck don’t discriminate.
You won’t feel like the odd one out. More often than not, you’ll find yourself connecting with people who understand where you are, because they’re navigating similar emotions and life changes too. Sometimes what makes the biggest difference is realising you don’t have to do it alone.
I can just work through this on my own
You can, and you probably already have, for longer than you should have. Being independent and capable doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. Independence isn’t the same as healing, and carrying everything by yourself often keeps you in the comfort zone longer than necessary.
There is strength in support and real relief in being around others who understand, where friendship and connection grow naturally without having to explain yourself.
The quiet truth
As one year ends and another begins, it’s natural to reflect on what you’re carrying forward. Most people don’t miss out because they can’t. They miss out because they’re unsure what might change if they do. Change can feel unsettling, even when it’s exactly what’s needed.
2026 doesn’t have to be about coping better or getting through. It can be about feeling healthier, lighter, and more supported. It can be about reconnecting with yourself and connecting with new people you genuinely have something in common with—people who can walk alongside you, offer support, and become real friendships.
If this stirred something, that isn’t pressure. It’s awareness. A gentle nudge to consider whether your health, well-being, and sense of connection are finally ready to take center stage in your next chapter.
Because there is more to life than simply getting through it, and 2026 can be the year you start living it differently.
As you think about 2026, ask yourself this: Where can you honestly see yourself this time next year? Still coping, or genuinely living?
Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t taking the leap it’s staying exactly where you are. And the real question becomes: what do you actually have to lose by choosing yourself?
Take the leap. Choose yourself. Join us in Thailand
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