Why this in-between week matters more than you think…
and how to set yourself up for the best 2026
The days after Christmas can feel a little BLAH. The holiday buildup and hype are over, things quiet down, and a natural moment of reflection starts to sneak in leading up to NYE. This in-between space (December 26 through December 31) is no longer the holidays, but not yet the New Year either.
Historically, I used to spend this window rotting on the couch, eating leftover holiday cookies, and drinking my feelings away… and I know I am not the only one. But I’ve learned that this stretch of days can actually be one of the most powerful windows for change.
Because this is where curiosity lives and where you start to contemplate how you will step into the new year…
How do you want 2026 to go?
How will you do things differently?
What worked well in 2025?
What goals do you have for the next 12 months?
Who do you want to be a year from now?
If that curiosity is showing up around alcohol or personal development, you don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s exactly why Dry January can be such a powerful place to begin.
This time is also really meaningful for me in my own healing journey…
December 26, 2025 marks THREE years sober for me (MY SOBERVERSARY!!)
What makes that feel extra fitting is that my entire sober-curious journey didn’t start with a grand plan to quit forever, it started with Dry January back in 2019.
At the time, I was living in Dallas. I was binge drinking every weekend. I was anxiously attached to my ex and had pretty low self-esteem. Most of my self-worth came from being a high-performing management consultant and from a relationship that, looking back, was incredibly toxic.
I loved fitness at the time. I was a dedicated 5:30 AM ClassPass girlie. On the outside, I looked “healthy.” But alcohol had a chokehold on my weekends, my emotions, and my energy.
I decided to try Dry January because I kept seeing people talk about how good they felt after taking a break. I didn’t think it would change my life - I was just curious. I wanted to focus more intentionally on my overall wellbeing going into 2019. I think my New Year’s resolution was to be more “woke” LOL.
If I’m being honest, I expected it to be really hard. I thought I’d feel bored, left out, and awkward. I worried my friends would pressure me or make fun of me. I fully assumed I’d be counting down the days until February 1.
What surprised me most was the mental clarity and the time I got back.
I could think more clearly. I was sharper at work. I woke up with more energy. Sundays (which were usually spent nursing a hangover) suddenly felt spacious. I worked out more consistently. I ate better. Overall, I just felt more… capable.
And then February 1 rolled around.
I went right back to drinking. I had lost all my tolerance and was buzzed from one beer, which I was stoked about at the time But something internal had shifted that I couldn’t undo.
I had proven something to myself. I proved that I could do something hard. I proved that I could follow through on a promise I made to myself. That self-trust was the part that stuck with me.
That one Dry January didn’t change everything overnight. But it changed my belief in myself. And that belief compounded year over year, eventually changing my entire reality.
Seven years later, I can say this with complete certainty: you don’t need to decide anything forever to get started. You don’t need a label to want to make a change.
All you need is a little curiosity and a willingness to want better for yourself
