5 unique-ish things you can do this 2026 for yourself
As someone who is too busy to do so much as journal twice a day.
I'm the type of person who frankly does not have the energy nor time to journal twice a day or read 5 books a week, and I'm so utterly sick of watching "What to do in 2026" videos and seeing the same things over and over again.
Here's what I'll be doing to fill my cup, and what you can do for yourself too.
I. Inspiration journal (NOT the same as a regular emotions/feelings journal).
→ I have a small notebook (size A6) that I call my inspiration journal. I don't have to write there at a certain schedule or frequency. I write every time I feel inspired.
Examples you can write or glue in the pages:
An inspiring conversation you overheard, a life-changing movie, a friend's piece of advice, a content creator whose videos showed you can reach your dreams, printed photos from experiences that shaped you, or even just a flower that found you at your worst.
II. 12 origami butterflies.
→ I took square sheets of paper, wrote inspiring or encouraging phrases inside of them, then folded the sheets into an origami butterfly until I had 12 butterflies to represent each month of the year. I put them in a jar. By the end of each month, I take a butterfly, unfold, and read the phrase.
Why it matters:
This helps me feel driven by the end of each month since I have a written phrase inside of each butterfly. Not only that, to visualize the 12 months of the year and visualize how much time I have helps me become more time conscious. It stands as a reminder for me to use every minute I have.
Alternatives:
You don't need to do origami butterflies! You can do other origami folds like stars or hearts. You can also do something as simple as a small folded note, a popsicle stick, seashells, marbles, cute clothing buttons. Literally anything you have at home.
III. A legacy notebook.
→ I have a big notebook (size B5 I believe) where I put each of my meaningful achievements there. It can be something as small as picking myself up after a rough time or something as big as taking on my first humanitarian project. I write in it, put photos, and any type of documentation.
Why it matters:
I have a problem of constantly feeling like I haven't done enough. This notebook helps me realize how far I've come and helps me be proud of my accomplishments. Plus, it feels amazing to go through it when you're at a low or insecure point.
IV. An echo journal.
→ In this notebook (mine's size A5), I get the people I meet to write in it. It doesn't have to people you just met, it could be someone you've known for a while. I ask the people to write anything for me, such as a piece of advice, words of encouragement, and the like. I personally love getting my teachers and friends to write in it right when the school year is about to end. It's called an echo journal because it's about other people's words echoing through the pages of this notebook.
Why it matters:
It's a great read when you're at a low point of your life or you just want to feel nostalgic and sentimental. This will also help get rid of the common "everyone hates me" feeling, and can guide you through your life.
What you can also do:
If you travel, you can get the people you meet in different countries to write too. Or if you're gonna move cities/countries, move schools, move jobs, graduate from school, or have someone who's gonna move farther away, this is a great thing to do.
V. Letters to self.
→ I have a little box and in there I have envelopes filled with letters to myself. These can be letters that are to be opened at a certain time (ex. a letter to open when I tun 18 or when I graduate college) or just letters that future me can open when she's feeling down, when she accomplishes something, etc.
Remember that you can change these according to your preferences! These little projects should work for you, not be performances.
You got this. Welcome to 2026. Live every minute of it.
As a student from a tiny school in a third world country and a financially unstable family.
At 12 years old, I started an online business to help my family. By 14, I was earning 5 digits a month, managing a team of 30 staff members, writing a guide on business management, and helping my family pay bills.
No trust funds, no generational wealth, no prestigious private education, no support. Just myself, an old desktop computer, a phone, and a passion.
At 12, I had the idea that changed everything: turning a disadvantageous system into opportunity — the gap in currencies.
As someone who was born, raised, and is still living in a third world country, I watched as millions of people of my nationality moved to developed countries such as the United States or Canada for better work opportunities. I quickly learned that a major factor is the gap in the value of currencies. My currency is weak compared to US dollars or euros or even Canadian dollars, and many people move to countries with stronger currencies so that they can send money to their families back at home.
Then at 12 years old, I wondered, "What if a business creates products in a third world country and sells them to customers in first world countries? Wouldn't the products seem cheap and quickly gain loyal customers in another country because of the difference in currency value?"
(It's definitely not an original thought and many companies have created factories for that idea, but it was a big idea to a kid who didn't even know why people can't just print money.)
From there, I created a digital business where I took digital products from suppliers in my own country and sold them internationally. It was a slow process especially since I was still studying, but eventually, I had one of the biggest and most trusted shops in a very niche market.
What I did (And how you can do these too)
I looked for a problem. It doesn't need to be a gigantic problem like climate change. I looked closely in my community, in the daily routines, in the underlying problems. I found the gap in currency value and lack of truly affordable products.
I started extremely and absolutely small. The truth is, to gain positive vouches and trust, I did the smallest things such as designing Roblox clothes, doing lots of join for join (you join someone's Roblox group or Discord server, they join yours), and things as simple as trading game items. From there, I collected positive feedback from people. And since I had feedback and proofs, I slowly gained trust.
Observing and adjusting to the market. This is one thing that a lot of people skip or lack in. While I started small, I spent at least an hour each day observing the market. I read the online ads, I checked other digital businesses, I looked at the target market and what they look for in a business. And most importantly, I learned how to adjust.
I treasured people and social interactions. I practically soaked myself in interacting kindly with other people. I learned and excelled in customer service, I took time to talk to other sellers, made small talk and jokes with customers, treated every single social interaction as if it was an expensive Macbook. Social networking works. How you treat people speaks the loudest.
No rushing. To start a business is like raising a child. You treasure it and you do not rush. It's okay to be ambitious, it's okay to aim for a certain time frame. But always slow down and pause to properly observe, reflect, and learn.
Major lessons I learned
Rest should not be a reward but a required step. I locked in, stayed up many nights, and replied to customers or staff even during self-care time or events.
What you do in private shows in public. I spent a crazy amount of time and effort into building and expanding the business, even in the tiniest details. Behind closed doors, I tried my best to make the purchasing process comfortable and convenient for my customers. Behind closed doors, I was criticizing every tiny detail (Something as simple as the arrangement of products in the product list or how customer instructions/guides are worded) at 2 AM on a school night. Those actions showed my customers how much thought and effort I put into things, and it made them buy more.
Fight to make things work. Like a relationship, I absolutely fought to pick myself up after failures. I once had my entire platform deleted because I trusted the wrong person. Right after that, I built another platform and directly contacted my customers one by one to inform them. I learned from my mistakes and grew from them.
View responsibility as honor, not pressure. Back then, I viewed responsibilities as immense pressure. In result, my body reacted negatively and started avoiding responsibilities. I changed this perspective slowly and reminded myself that if I built something so great that people trusted me and relied on me, it is an absolute honor to have responsibilities.
Watch how you treat people. Always, and I mean always treat people as kindly as you can. Your words, actions, and thoughts show in each step you do. A little kindness goes a long way.
After years doing that business, I moved on and shifted my energy towards digital marketing and humanitarian projects.
I also occasionally do collaborations and help small brands/creators promote their products or platforms for extremely affordable prices (5 to 10 dollars only). Feel free to reach out if you're interested!
That experience taught me things that simple reading or watching couldn't. These were things that I could only truly understand if I experienced it firsthand. Building a business came with so many cons, risks, and failures. I remember crying and telling my mom I was so exhausted from all of it. Despite the exhaustion, if I could go back to the past, I would do it all again. And now, I try my best to guide others and teach them how they can do it too.
I will gladly answer questions in the comments!
P.S. I'm considering writing a small e-book on absolutely everything I learned in this process. Please comment if that's something you'd like to see! I would NOT charge for this e-book. Or even if I did, it would definitely start as a very small fee such as 5 dollars.
For being as young as you are you are full of so much wisdom & beautiful energy. Your words and posts inspire me to become a happier version of myself with compassion & patience. I hope you continue to commit to your journey of healing & self improvement despite the challenges you may face as you grow older.
I have not done anything in this blog for many months. During the start of April 2025, I hit my lowest point, hence my sudden disappearance.
But today, on a random Wednesday, I came back to this blog with the contemplation of whether or not I should continue—if I'm truly making an impact, if I'm enough to speak and uplift others despite having disappeared for months due to a rough patch. Then I saw this message.
Whoever you may be, please know that your words have received beyond my appreciation. These will be the words that I will bring with me everywhere I go. I'm very sorry for only seeing this now, but please do know that your three sentences found me in a state of doubt, and now I'm more eager than ever to continue what I have started and to move towards my ambitions.
You are such an incredible and lovely person. I'm glad that my posts inspired you, and now that I have decided to keep writing on this blog, I hope my posts will keep inspiring you. I hope you give yourself and receive as much love as you gave in this one message. Have an amazing 2026, anonymous 💞
Phone on DND. No roster. No relationship. But there was once a time.
Bits and pieces from the 23,000 words I wrote about her after the breakup (WLW)
Ever wonder how a writer loves an ex? This is how. I wrote over 23,000 words about a girl I once had but couldn't keep.
This isn't my typical type of post. I usually tell people how to fall in love with themselves or how to pull yourself out of bedrotting. But this girl was essential to me, she was how I fell in love with myself and she was why I chose to pull myself out of a depressive loop. This may not turn out to be my most popular post, but it'll be my most genuine and cared for. (And yes, the original document does have the date of the entry.)
February 13, 2023
1 month and 27 days since the breakup
It’s crazy how almost 3 months ago we were saying those three words to each other, the good morning, the good night, the good luck, how I would miss you whenever I was in school. And how next month you’re leaving forever and we won’t ever see each other again. But here I am, admitting that I still love you. It’s been getting harder and harder to say those three words to someone else, and it’s even harder to believe it when it’s said to me.
January 27, 2024
1 year, 1 month, and 10 days since the breakup
Maybe I’ll let you go after all. I’d just have to hope to God I’ll be able to love someone else as much as I love you.
February 22, 2024
1 year, 2 months, and 5 days since the breakup
It's been more than a month, and god, I really hoped you didn't ruin me as a person just like how you said you thought you did. Because exactly a month after you didn't give me an answer, someone else did, [another boy's name] did. He told me things about me that you wouldn't. For once, I didn't doubt I was liked back or cared for, and I didn't think he meant less than what he said. For once, someone didn't make me feel unlovable.
But whenever I talk to that someone or even do as much as look at him, I look for you. I search for any little piece of glass that shows your reflection, anything at all that resembles you. I search for your laugh in his, the one laugh that I would rarely hear but will always replay in my head. I search for your never-ending hobbies in his, hoping that I’d also find the intrigue I found in yours.
I search for the comfort of your words in his, and I search with a miserable attempt of convincing myself that I don't miss yours or you or everything you do.
March 20, 2024
1 year, 3 months, and 3 days since the breakup
God, I hope you know just how much [another boy's name] treats me well. Within the past nearly 2 years, you have left me feeling anxious, undervalued, and as if I’m impossible to love. But in 2 months, [boy's name] made me feel reassured. I never doubted him and his words for a second. And yet it’s not him. It's still you.
Do you know how frustrating that is? For years, I’ve been wanting to be treated right by someone who doesn't have to be perfect but someone who would become better for me. Now that I have found someone - now that I have found [boy's name], I thought I would choose him. I thought I’d be writing about him. But no, it's still you.
You are still the reflection I can't find in other mirrors, you are still the embodiment of every perfect thing, the dream outside of sleep, the phenomenon people look for, the one beyond what poets write about. You are still the words I cannot find, for not even a dictionary - no matter how thick - can describe you.
June 18, 2024
1 year, 6 months, and 1 day since the breakup
We talked, communicated, and decided that it’d be better if we both let go. I told you that we can’t be close friends anymore, and although it’s something I should’ve told you a long time ago, it ached to do so. Your words, “If it doesn’t work out with your future significant other, I’d love to try with you again under the right circumstances” are engraved in my mind, and I really do try my hardest to sand it out in hopes the memories of you will no longer be a carving I carry each day.
I still love you, I don’t think I’ll ever stop. But this is for the best. And anyway, if we were really meant to be, we'd somehow find our way to one another again. Love is supposed to be inevitable, one that transcends any type of barrier. If it’s right, it’ll happen. Right?
(We still stayed as friends. I broke my own rules. We started talking again just shortly after that.)
December 17, 2024
2 years
It’s now December 17 and I didn’t realize today marks our breakup as 2 years ago until I typed it out. It’s astonishing yet irritating how every single thing is you. You’re everywhere but with me. You dmed me earlier today, asking me to proofread your essay, and I did. While talking to you and reading your essay, I got a glimpse of that feeling again, that one feeling that I never thought I missed until now. That feeling that used to make me think, “Oh my god, I love this girl.” That feeling I’d feel whenever I read or see any of your work, the way my breath catches, and I’m just left dazed and thinking if this girl I’ve loved for years is real or a dream.
Saying that I love you is now unbelievable to me, something I cannot grasp for the life of me. I’ve been reading bits and pieces of what I previously wrote here, and I went through so many stages. I was devastated, mad, irritated, yearning, pulling away, then coming back. But the one thing that never changed in the more than 12 months I wrote about you is I loved you.
I loved you, I love you, and I’m terrified that I’ll keep loving you. I’m terrified that I’ll keep insisting that you let me proofread all your work and wrap up the final edited version for you just for you to get plenty of rest. I’m terrified that I’ll keep writing here, that sooner or later I’ll find myself writing “3 years since the breakup.” I’m terrified that I’ll keep comparing other people to you, that I’ll keep looking for your intellect and your humor and the way you made me feel.
It’s you. It’s always been about you, it’s always been you. I’m terrified it’ll always be you, the one person I can’t have.
(On January 11th of 2025, we talked and decided to part ways. I talked to her, telling her that I can't be friends anymore. But really, secretly, I just wanted to see if she'd fight to keep me. I asked her if she wanted me to let go or for us to try again. She chose to let me go. What she doesn't know is I would've stayed if she wanted me to. I just wanted to hear the words from her. All she had to do was ask, but she never did.)
January 18, 2025
I still carry a piece of you everywhere I go. A song, a memory, a hobby. Even when I don't, the universe carries it for me. A song, a place, a thing, your name, your hobby. You're everywhere but with me.
January 24, 2025
If we're actually capable of living multiple lives, I’d choose to meet you in every single one. You'd be the first one I look for. I’d fall in love with you over and over again.
March 29, 2025
I’m slowly finding purpose and happiness beyond you. For the first time, I’m not scared. I’m relieved for it.
April 16, 2025
I had a dream that we talked again.
May 12, 2025
People tell me I can find someone better. I never wanted better. I wanted you.
I’m starting to think my words were never mine to begin with. They were always yours, carved and made only for you.
May 24, 2025
No one is you, and that makes it so much harder.
June 30, 2025
I remember during our relationship, I kept this Google Docs document filled with everything I knew about you. I knew I was gonna remember each detail either way, but I still wanted to be sure. I wanted to know everything about you. Each detail was engraved in my mind, like it was the back of my hand. I still remember your usual order at Jollibee, something you told me once 3 years ago when we were on a date. I still remember when you told me that if it doesn't work out with my future significant other, you'd love to try with me again under the right circumstances.
I hope you know that whether it's been 3 years or 6 years or even a decade, I’ll always be here waiting to memorize more of you. And even if you'd be a whole different person by then, then I’ll gladly get to know you all over again.
To the girl,
if you see this (even though you most likely will not), I hope you know I still haven't stopped writing about you even after the breakup and after we decided to let go for good. You were and are everything to me, even if we have parted ways already. If you want to know, I feel your absence a lot less now, but I still could never forget about you. I meant it when I told you that every single thing is tainted with the memory of you.
But if you do find this, please do not come to me. Don't give me a message, don't call me, don't show up. Don't even show that you saw this post. I can't afford to feel the relief and heart race I know I'll feel if I see your name in my notifications bar. I don't want to be haunted by you again and again. Don't remind me that you'll always be the first person I want to come to for everything. I need to move on, and so do you. Let's keep our ways parted.
To whoever is reading this,
Thank you. I didn't expect for anyone to reach the end, but you did, and I'm grateful. This blog post was supposed to be poetic in some way, a journal and a journey in one. If you've experienced something like this, I promise it does get better. You may not be able to stop loving them, but you eventually stop aching for them and start caring for yourself, and that's worth something.
How to find the best version of yourself that you'll fall in love with
As someone who has gone through SO many versions of herself and is now slowly growing to be a person she's genuinely happy and in love with
Trust me when I say I've had a lot of identities these past few years. It took me a lot of time to really find the best version of myself, the version that I'm genuinely happy with, the version that my 10 year old self would have looked up to. However, it's different for everyone. The definition of an "it girl" to me might be different from your definition, and the personality and life that truly feels me might not suit you. So, please take note that this is highly subjective and it's all about you and what works for you.
The one and only thing I did to rebrand myself: I created a character.
I gave my character a new name. You can give yours your current one or a nickname. I gave mine my second name. I built this character, I envisioned her, I turned her into a realistic person that I knew I'd look up to.
Basically, create an alter ego. And it wasn't easy to curate this character for me, it took a lot of time for me to build her into someone that I'd want to be, someone that still has flaws but embodies the energy and lifestyle I want.
Know what you want. How does this new you act? What do they like and dislike? What matters to them? How do they impact the people around them? What are they like? How would you describe them? What are their flaws and how do they deal with it? What are the bad habits they got rid of?
Make sure this version you want feels like you. This isn't about turning into another person, it's about growing as a person. It's about looking in the mirror and loving what you see with no doubt and no regrets. It's about knowing what you want and taking it right away, and it's about taking control of your own life and shaping it into one that you will fall in love with every single day.
Look up to this person. Get to know this person, know every single thing about them. Make sure that as you create this alter ego, it's truly someone you'd 100% look up to.
Fall in love. Personally, this part is my favorite. I start to visualize and imagine this person so much that I completely fall in love with her. This version is me, truly me, and utterly me. It's not someone else, it's the person I want to be because everything about this person feels like me. I start to romanticize growing and becoming this person, slowly shaping myself, changing my lifestyle, taking action, taking initiative, and building myself and my life brick by brick to fall in love with what I see in the mirror.
Take action and build yourself up. Slowly embody this person. You can't change overnight, but you can grow and shape yourself step by step.
This is NOT about turning into someone else. This isn't about changing yourself to be more likeable or to please others. This is all about knowing what direction you want to go and taking it. Make sure this character is realistic and truly you. Do not try to be someone you won't be happy with, be someone that will make it easier for you to love yourself. Don't become someone that will only push you beyond your limits and break you, become someone who can take control of their own life enough to build their life solely for themselves.
Find yourself, find the best version of yourself, and you'll know what path to take. All you have to do now is take the path.
You are NOT dumb, ugly, unskilled, or unlucky. Greatness comes with effort. Girls that seem effortlessly perfect are the ones who put the most effort into themselves. The key to being the best version of yourself is simple but overlooked.
Be the best version of yourself with only 5 steps.
1. Believe that you can so that you will.
Again, you are NOT dumb, ugly, unskilled, or unlucky. Want to be the best version of yourself? Believe that you can be the best version of yourself so that you will be the best version of yourself. Doubting yourself and thinking, "Oh, my capabilities are only up to here" or "Oh, I could never be one of those amazing girls" will only bring you down. Believing and convincing yourself that you have potential will actually help you reach your fullest potential. Most importantly, you don't need a lot of money to be better.
2. Accept you need to put effort.
Accept that you have to get up and make some effort. You have to work hard, invest in yourself, build yourself up. Stop waiting, stop seeking for perfectionism, stop delaying. Waiting will not help you, it'll make you feel worse about yourself. There's no right time, only time and what you do with it. There's no perfect progress or a perfect day, just the effort of trying to be consistent. There's no better time to start other than now.
3. Habit-stacking.
Build and stack beneficial habits one by one. For example, drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Then once you're consistent, make it a habit to not open your phone immediately when you wake up. Slowly stack your habits until you've trained yourself in effortlessly putting effort into yourself.
4. Find your pace.
You can never be your best version of yourself overnight. It takes time and effort -- lots of it. Don't overwhelm yourself by throwing so many goals and tasks all at the same time at yourself. Instead, find a pace that works for you, divide your goals / tasks, and focus on only one or very few of them at a time. For example, for the next 2 weeks, focus on only getting up at an early hour and lessening your screen time. Then after that, spend another 2 weeks getting exercise daily.
5. Consistency vs Perfectionism.
No one is completely consistent on the first try. We fail, we forget, we make mistakes, but that's okay. If you missed, why would you miss even more? For example, you didn't wake up at the time you wanted to. Why would you tell yourself to try again next week when you can try again tomorrow? If you spilled water on yourself accidentally, would you spill more water on yourself? Build consistency over time, don't seek for perfectionism. You messed up your diet today? Then try again tomorrow. Just because you made a mistake or something interrupted your flow doesn't mean it doesn't work for you, it means you need to try again. Be consistent in trying and making an effort, not in having perfect progress.
The best gift you could ever receive is you. Yourself. Treasure that gift and put effort into taking care of it.
cultivating your taste is so important. you don’t have to be particularly structured or methodical about it, but you should develop real curiosity about why you like the things you do, how they make you feel, why it matters… to put yourself around things that are considered truly great even if you don’t get it yet. and learn to listen to other people who have cultivated their own taste, not to replicate theirs but to see how they do it and share in their expansive energy… the more you interact with good taste, whatever that means to you, the more depth you carve into your own soul… and if you crave success in some capacity, it has this strange way of making you seem more “real” and significant to others around you, and in a way that is so authentic and natural and pleasurable. it just creates an energy that propels you forward in every way. so next time you worry if you’re being shallow, you’re not, that’s a lie, you’re actually bringing great depth… what you like matters because how you feel matters. a lot. like it’s the most important thing. you know?
