Regret

As the year comes to an end, I, like so many, feel like there was so much I should have done and wanted to do…and didn’t. There hasn’t been a day in the last six weeks of this year where I didn’t feel like I was in the weeds in every way. From buying gifts for Christmas to preparing for a Christmas road trip to the Midwest to closing this year strong like a good entrepreneur, I’ve been moving like a quarterback trying to avoid a tackle in the last quarter of a close game during the Super Bowl. I know I’m not alone in this feeling. The end of the year always marks the mad dash to the finish line of the goals, hopes, and intentions we set out to accomplish in January.

Larsen Family Christmas photo that will never make it to the front of a holiday card. I hope you enjoy it here. 😂

There are parts of me that have just given up on some of those hopes and intentions. In fact, a recent analysis of our social media growth on Instagram and TikTok, which I still manage (hehe), perfectly illustrated my mindset at this time of year…”November - January tends to be your slowest period.” It’s an army crawl to the finish line for me…every year.

I struggle with wanting to be present for what’s happening around me—Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations, cookie making and decorating, late nights with family and friends, not posting incessantly on social media so I can be present for all that’s happening around me IRL—and the gnawing feeling that I should be doing more: sending more promo emails, posting more, locking in 2026 goals and metrics, completing my actual to-do list of day-to-day tasks, and preparing to hire new team members for the upcoming season. And while all of that should be happening, I am also aware that I’m only one person straddling multiple identities that each come with a laundry list of responsibilities. The only way through is with more team support, not guilt about an ambitious list of goals that I could never really accomplish alone.

Images: Pictures from a Midwest Christmas -- from a Timberwolves/Knicks game to sugar cookie baking and decorating, and playing in the snow, memories were made

I hope that as you prepare for the end of the year, you do not have any regrets about what you did not do or accomplish. Instead, I hope you can reflect on all that you did accomplish while feeling full of optimism about what 2026 holds for you. For me, I’m holding on to the word I plan to guide me—deploy—which will be buoyed by my boundless optimism for outcomes that exceed my every expectation in 2026.

Do you choose a word to guide your actions in the new year? I’ve written about how I choose a word to guide mine instead of just setting goals for the new year. I find it to be a more holistic approach to goal setting. Here’s a short guide for how you might select a word for your 2026. If you decide to do the exercise, gather a couple of people in your life who either inspire you or who can hold you accountable in love. Complete the exercise together. Then share your reflections and plan for your best year yet.

Wishing you a very wonderful 2026.

With gratitude,

Petrushka

Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach