185. 10 Lessons I Learned This Year | Why 2026 Is My Best Year Yet

These are the 10 lessons I learned this year that have changed my life AND helped make 2026 the best year of my life in recent memory. It isn’t because everything is perfect. It’s because almost every area of my life got better at the same time, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence!!

In this episode, I’m covering:

👉🏻 Why you can’t self-help your way out of a chemical imbalance

👉🏻 Why my life doesn’t start when I meet someone, and what I did once I stopped waiting

👉🏻 Why I was never actually trying to retire early, I was trying to escape a life I didn’t like

👉🏻 Why location freedom can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a reason why you WANT to be somewhere

👉🏻 Why I let myself spend more this year instead of saving an extra $20K

👉🏻 How letting go of all-or-nothing thinking (and my 3 daily minimums) changed my anxiety and my days

Referenced in this episode:

👉🏻 157. Why I Changed My Mind About Where I Want to Live | Chicago to LA Q+A (very honest) — https://youtu.be/XZLeorXEGvw

👉🏻 6 Life-Changing Nonfiction Books | Habits, Focus, Money & More — https://youtu.be/Ne36piQQBsw

👉🏻 Micro Habits That Actually Work | 10 Tiny Changes That Made A Huge Difference — https://youtu.be/GxUSEBYWKvQ

👉🏻 The Cleaning System That Keeps My Apartment Spotless in 24/7 Without Constant Resets — https://youtu.be/UTAW61va4Kc

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👉🏻 https://breakyourbudget.com/productivity-planner

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BREAK YOUR BUDGET RESOURCES:

💸 Personal Finance Dashboard:

https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard

💸 Basic Budgeting Template:

https://breakyourbudget.com/basic-budgeting-template

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https://breakyourbudget.com/fire-template

💸 Rent vs. Buy Calculator:

https://breakyourbudget.com/rent-vs-buy-calculator

💳 TOOLS I USE:

💸 Rakuten Cash Back (cash back on purchases you’re already making): https://shorturl.at/w0PcH

💸 SoFi HYSA (my fave high yield savings account): https://secure.money.com/pr/pa5344bfc4f2

💸 Classpass (try it for a discounted first month): https://classpass.com/refer/UKLV6BN026

📚 MY BOOKS:

💸 Own Your Money: https://breakyourbudget.com/own-your-money

💸 Own Your Career: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book

All Other Resources:

https://breakyourbudget.com/links

👩🏼‍💻 Inquiries: [email protected]

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Why 2026 is the best year of my life, even after a move that wasn’t the right one

06:00 — Why I’m open about meds, and why I couldn’t self-help my way out

11:00 — Why I realized I was never trying to retire early, I was trying to escape

14:20 — The year I stopped focusing on dating and became the happiest I’ve ever been

16:20 — Why most of my anxiety came from trying to control things I can’t, and why everything is going to be fine

20:00 — Why moving back to LA worked this time, and why location freedom can be overwhelming

28:20 — Letting go of all-or-nothing thinking, and my 3 daily minimums

31:00 — Why I stopped treating the present like a waiting room

34:20 — Why I’d choose the year I've had over saving an extra $20K

43:30 — The small routines that changed my year (and life)