What Matters to You This Year?
I love January, it always gives me time to THINK.
With less noise and less rushing, I have time to reflect on my core values.
And this January, I’ve been really intentional about using that space to reflect — not on goals or to-do-lists — but on what actually matters to me.
I’ve been re-reading Zach Mercurio’s book on "Mattering", and it’s has reminded me a few things.
People don’t just want to do meaningful work.
They want to know that they matter while doing it.
Feeling seen, valued and appreciated is not a luxury, it should be the norm.
And honestly? That hits close to home for educators.
Because so many teachers I work with don’t question their commitment.
They question their worth.
They give so much — emotionally, mentally, relationally — yet so often feel invisible in the process.
The science is clear here:
When people feel like they matter, we see:
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stronger motivation
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higher wellbeing
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greater resilience over time
Not because things get easier — but because people feel anchored in meaning.
That’s a big part of my vision for 2026.
Not doing more.
Not proving anything.
But continually coming back to this reminder:
I matter. You matter. And what you do matters.
So here’s the question I’ve been asking myself — and I’d love you to sit with it too:
How would you like to feel valued and appreciated this year?
And before you shrug your shoulders and say, “I don’t need appreciation”, that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m not talking about the global thank-you email.
Or the box of chocolates on your desk.
I’m talking about feeling seen for the effort you put in.
Feeling heard for your years of experience.
Feeling like what you bring actually counts.
Because if you don’t know what matters to you…
how will anyone else?
In the next blog, I want to talk about why we were never meant to hold all of this on our own — and why shared spaces make it easier to stay connected to what matters.
