My 2026 Resolution is 'Don't Try Too Hard' — What I Decided After Reading 'Effortless'

Every New Year's Day, I find myself thinking, "This is the year."
I tell myself I'll do things properly, that I'll try harder.

But looking back,
I feel like the years I decided to try the hardest were the ones where I burned out the fastest.

At this very moment, I am reading a book called
"Effortless" 📕

This book
doesn't say "don't make an effort."
It teaches us to design our lives so that they don't rely on constant effort.

🔶 My past resolutions, which were built on the premise of trying hard

In the past,
I would get all fired up the moment I set my resolutions.

・Keep at it steadily every day
・Handle work, housework, and childcare properly
・Don't cut corners, don't complain

But in reality,
there are days when work is busy,
and days when the kids get sick.

Resolutions based on the premise of "doing things properly"
became a tool for me to blame myself the moment I couldn't keep up.

🌀 If I stayed the same as last year...

Until recently,
my head was always a mess
with tasks popping up one after another.

Work, the kids, the house.
There was so much to think about that
I didn't know where to start.

Even so,
"I have to manage somehow"
"I have to do everything properly"
I kept driving myself forward.

Aiming for perfection in both work and parenting.
I felt I had to keep the house clean, too.

And what was the result?
Everything was half-baked.

My work performance didn't improve as I'd hoped,
and I was irritable with my children.
Even though I was trying so hard, the house
was always a mess in the end 😢

☘️ Starting note in the midst of all that

It was in that state that I started using note.

Honestly, at first,
I thought, "Maybe I've just added another task to my list."
But in reality, it was the opposite.

By writing on note,

the thoughts and feelings scattered in my head
gradually turned into words.
Organizing my feelings and my mind

→ My head feels clearer
→ I feel a little more motivated
→ The quality of my life as a whole improves
That flow started to emerge little by little.

🔷 2026: A year of big environmental changes

In April 2026, my eldest son will start elementary school.

The so-called "first-grade wall."
Daily rhythm, balancing work, my child's mental state.
Surely, things won't go as they have until now.

That's why this year,
I decided I don't want it to be a year of just pushing through with grit and determination.

💐 Effortless thinking and the current me

Thinking about it now,
the time I spend writing on note
might have been my own version of "effortless."

It's not time spent trying hard,
but time spent avoiding overexertion.

So in 2026,
I don't want to have another year of driving myself into a corner.

🔶 My 2026 resolution

Handle work, housework, and childcare effortlessly.

While working full-time,
I won't try to do everything perfectly.

I won't choose methods that only work if I push myself.
To keep going, I decide to cut corners where I can.

・Don't take everything on myself
・Accept an 80% result... even 60% is fine 🤭
・Make sure to take breaks

Using "Effortless" as a hint,
I want to make this a year where I prioritize "a way that lasts without strain."

🔷 What is needed to overcome the first-grade wall

What is needed to overcome the first-grade wall
might not be to try harder,
but to leave some breathing room.

If I have some margin,
I can notice the small changes in my child,
and I won't have to wear down my own heart.

This year,
I choose "being able to continue without strain"
over "doing things properly."

🔶 A resolution isn't meant to push yourself to the limit

A resolution isn't just for motivating yourself.
It can also be a guideline to protect yourself.

In 2026, I'm going to be a version of myself that doesn't try too hard.

I'm going to live effortlessly😌☘️
Only what is necessary, and only as much as is needed.
I will go at my own pace.

Words my children gave me while I was writing this article.

"Mom, make sure you get some rest too☘️"

Maybe my kids understand 'effortless' better than I do⁉️😳👏

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