I feel like I blinked and suddenly we’re three quarters of the way through 2026.

The last time I wrote, I was probably thinking about everything I wanted this year to be. Now, sitting here in September, I’ve realized that this year has turned out very differently than I expected. And honestly? I think that’s a good thing.

A lot has changed. I started a new job. I’ve lost almost 80 pounds. I’ve learned more about myself than I expected to. And maybe most importantly, I’ve started realizing that it’s okay to change your mind about the life you thought you were supposed to have.

Sometimes, You Just Have to Leave

Earlier this year, I started a new job. I really wanted to make it work. I wanted to start my career, build something for myself, and feel like I was finally stepping into this next chapter of adulthood.

But eventually, I realized it just wasn’t for me.

And that was a hard thing to admit.

There’s something about starting a new job that makes you feel like you’re supposed to stick it out no matter what. You don’t want to feel like you failed. You don’t want other people to think you couldn’t handle it. You convince yourself that maybe if you just give it more time, it’ll start feeling right.

But sometimes it doesn’t.

And I’m learning that leaving something that isn’t right for you doesn’t mean you failed. Sometimes it means you listened to yourself.

In early July, I started a new job, and it honestly felt like a reminder that changing directions is okay.

I don’t have to stay somewhere just because I started there.

I don’t have to force something just because I once thought it was what I wanted.

And I definitely don’t have to have my entire career figured out at 23.

I’m still figuring it out. And I think that’s okay.

Almost 80 Pounds Later

Then there’s probably the biggest change of all.

I’ve lost almost 80 pounds.

Even typing that feels crazy.

At the beginning of this year, when I started really committing to working out and changing my habits, I never imagined I would be sitting here in September saying that I’m under 200 pounds.

But I am.

I’m officially under 200.

For someone who has grown up overweight and has spent so much of their life seeing themselves that way, getting to this point feels like something I once thought belonged to someone else.

There were so many moments where I wondered if I would actually be able to do it. There were weeks where the scale barely moved. Days where I didn’t feel motivated. Days where I felt like I was doing everything right and somehow still wasn’t seeing the results I wanted.

But I kept going.

And now, almost 80 pounds later, I’m realizing that progress doesn’t always feel like progress while you’re in it.

Sometimes you have to look back to realize just how far you’ve come.

Maybe Growing Up Is Just Becoming Comfortable With Change

I think that’s the biggest lesson this year has taught me.

Things change.

Plans change.

Jobs change.

Your goals change.

And sometimes, you change.

For a long time, I thought having my life together meant knowing exactly what I wanted and sticking to the plan. But I’m starting to think it might actually mean being comfortable enough with yourself to change the plan when it no longer fits.

I can leave a job that isn’t right for me.

I can completely change my habits and become healthier.

I can set new goals.

I can change my mind.

I can start over.

And none of those things mean I’m behind.

If anything, I think they mean I’m growing.

Three Quarters Down, Still Figuring It Out

There are still so many things I don’t know about the rest of this year, let alone the next few years of my life.

I don’t know exactly where my career will take me. I don’t know what the next version of my life will look like. I’m still figuring out what I want, what matters to me, and who I’m becoming.

But for the first time, I don’t feel like I need to have all the answers.

Because when I look at where I started this year compared to where I am now, I’m reminded that a lot can change in a short amount of time.

The girl who started this year didn’t know she would lose almost 80 pounds.

She didn’t know she would leave a job that wasn’t right for her and start somewhere new.

She didn’t know she would become more confident in her ability to make decisions for herself.

And maybe that’s the exciting part.

I have no idea where the rest of 2026 will take me.

But if the first three quarters are any indication, I think I’m going to like finding out.

What have you outgrown this year, and what are you choosing for yourself instead?

Leave a comment, send me a message, or simply take a moment to think about it for yourself.

Sometimes, we don’t realize how much we’ve changed until we finally stop and look back.