Ways I Am Simplifying My Life in 2026
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Dear Inklings,
2026 is somehow upon us, and I'm here to share the ways I'm simplifying in the next year.
This has become something of a tradition since I first started writing these at the end of the year in 2023. Many of the practices have continued, and writing them down has proven an effective way to keep myself accountable.
At this point, I am just building new habits on top of old ones. This year, switching to a Light Phone has been the biggest change, and I'll have to write about the effects of that switch soon, now that I've had it for over a year now. I don't think I can ever go back to a smartphone.
In 2025, I read over 100 books. This is more than twice as many as I read before I became a parent. Instead of reaching for a phone, I just read.
Some things that I didn't accomplish are: doing all my writing by hand before transferring to the laptop. Honestly, while it's something I would like to do, the limited time I have to write in general make this somewhat impossible to maintain. I managed it sometimes when I had some rare, reserved times to sit down and write, but they were few. I still want to keep trying it next year, though.
The other thing is quitting social media, since, as I've mentioned previously, I'm sort of back on Instagram on the advice of a publicist I consulted with. However, thanks to my almost-two-year break from it and the lack of a smartphone, it has no hold on me anymore. Using social media on my laptop is annoying, and the friction keeps me from wasting time on it. I still low-key hate it 😭 so it's just there, but I'm happy about meeting some lovely people through it and finding quite a few close to me. That's the only upside of social media, so I shall let it be for now.
So, without further ado, here are some more ways I'm simplifying my life in 2026:
I will use "The Notebook Rule," as set forth in this article
The notebook rule is: "Before any interaction with a screen, I write down, in a notebook, what I intend to do. Then, as soon as I’m done doing that thing, I walk away (close the laptop, put the phone down, literally walk away, etc)" (J.E. Petersen)
I already do this to some extent. My pocket-sized Field Notes has been my love affair this year. But despite ditching my smartphone, I still spend an inordinate amount of time on my laptop. My goal with this rule is to be more intentional with how much time I'm spending on a device. Once I'm done with whatever I intended to do when I opened the laptop, I will close it instead of going down rabbit holes that take my attention and presence away from the people around me.
I am printing out newsletters I read instead of reading them online.
Last year, I sent articles to my Kobo and read them on there, but it was still annoying to send them to Pocket (which has now shut down anyways). Since we now have an eco-tank printer that seemingly never runs out of ink, I've been printing things out and reading them that way instead. There's just something different about reading on paper. I'm better able to attend to it. I write whatever I'd like to comment in my notebook.
This has allowed me to engage more meaningfully with the people I do choose to subscribe to. I am, unfortunately, not one of those who can subscribe to a bunch of newsletters, only to read just a few of them. I prefer to read deeply and sit with the words.
Despite reading over 100 books in 2025, I'd actually like to read less in 2026.
In the same vein as the previous point, I admit a lot of my reading last year was for escape. There's nothing wrong with that, but it means I did a lot less reflecting on the books than I usually do, because as soon as I finished a book, I wanted to move on to the next one (unless the book was The Everlasting or The Radiant Emperor duology). 2025 was a year of reading a lot of new-to-me books and new releases, but I'd like to focus on rereading books next year, and to choose new books with more care.
I've written before about how I prefer slow-reading. I also really hate the star rating system (I know; I keep saying I'll write about it someday, and then don't; maybe this will be the year). Some of my opinions on reading and reviewing may be a bit pretentious. Even so, I can't go back to the booktok/bookstagram culture of rating/reviewing that focuses primarily on how much a reader likes a book.
I'm more in line with what Simon Haisell said in his recent post about slow reading: "It seems to me that the interesting questions about a book are not 'did you like it' or 'is it a good book,' but rather, 'where did it take you' and 'what did you learn.'"
Instead of binge-reading like I did this year, my goal is to read fewer books, but to read them slowly and thoughtfully.
I will do fewer things well
I guess this is the thing of 2026: doing fewer things, but doing them well. This particular point is for my writing and writing business practices.
While I still haven't written about Author Nation, one of the big takeaways was to do less, but to figure out what you're doing aligns with who you are, how you work, and is sustainable.
Sustainability can look different for different people. For me, I have chronic and mental illnesses that often interfere with my ability to create and market myself. I have two young children and homeschool one of them. Constraints can breed creativity, but sometimes they are more aptly named "limitations."
Fortunately, it seems the industry is catching up to this not-forcing-yourself-to-do-everything nothing, as evidenced by the myriad of lectures at Author Nation centered around building a sustainable author business. Not that I was doing it anyway, but thank fuck I no longer have to pressure myself to market via TikTok or Instagram, just because people say I should. I've never enjoyed it, and it's nice to have permission to stop.
I will focus on genuine human connections
Okay, maybe this isn't simplifying. Why meet one-on-one with people when you can potentially reach thousands with social media??
Because meeting people in person still beats a thousand interactions I could have with them online. It gives me life and fulfills me.
Because in the age of generative A.I., connecting with people, even experiencing friction with them, is more essential than ever. I want to do more of the things A.I. could never do—meet someone face-to-face to talk over some good coffee, have awkward conversations and face the awkward silences, talk to people who don't agree with me, write letters and mail them (and talk to the post office workers while I'm at it), get to know my local librarians better.
I want to see people without digital filters, and I want them to see me with all my crows eyes and unflattering angles I know how to hide when posting online.
Of course it's true; people can be just as inauthentic in person as they are online. After experiencing a deep personal betrayal by someone I knew in person this very year, I know that to be true. And yet.. Well, I guess this discussion could be another essay by itself. I'll save it.
I will continue keeping a journal by hand
I used to be a dedicated diarist, writing in my journals every single day. This practice dropped off in after I became a mom, but has since picked back up, thanks to my recent return to scrapbooking and junk journaling.
My preferred journals are from Quirky Cup Collective and Archer & Olive. My QCC bullet journal has replaced my Monk Manual. I just write the prompts in my journal, so I keep up the same practices. The act of decorating the pages motivates me to use it, and it provides another creative outlet. My Archer & Olive journal will be used as my 2026 reading journal. I had a LEUCHTTURM1917 softcover notebook this year, and it served me well as my commonplace journal, but I preferred making book review spreads in my bullet journal for more decorative elements. We'll see if I can keep up with two journals next year.
I've never been good at keeping journals or tracking my reading digitally, though I've certainly given it multiple valiant efforts in the past. Digital planners have also always failed me. It seems I will always be an analog girl.
Thank you so much for another wonderful year of writing. Through your support, I’ve gained the courage to write and share words that have long lain dormant. This publication would not be able to continue without you, so thank you for giving me this incredible privilege of sharing my words with you and the world.
Extra gratitude goes to my council members: Joanne L., Tiffanie C., Joanne Yi, Stanley Sze, Endora, Albert L., Matthew Long, and Mary Roblyn.
With love,
About Me: I’m Tiffany, a literary fantasy, and memoir author. My writing has been published by The Cultivation Project and Renewal Missions. I’ve been writing this publication since 2023. All words are 100% human-generated by me without AI assistance. Order my books here or here.
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