Former Courier staffer Breeanna Jent has overseen the publication of the Dec. 31 issue and is submitting this guest column from the editor this week.

For most people, Jan. 1 offers a symbolic clean slate and a fresh start. Many of us let go of the old — heartbreak, regret, bad habits that don’t serve us — and embrace the new. Or we embrace an optimistic attitude to let go of the old and welcome the new, at least.

During the final weeks of 2025, however, I’ve been pondering what’s worth carrying into the new year. Rather than let go, I’ve been asking myself, what do I want to keep and how can I build on it? Life lessons, love and even grief, hard-won accomplishments and new, positive habits, to start.

Here is some wisdom I’ve gained in 2025 that I’m carrying over into 2026 and beyond:

1. Stop and smell the roses. This isn’t new advice, but this year, something stuck. I found myself taking on too much — out of a sense of duty, people-pleasing tendencies, wanting to prove myself. Stretched too thin, I dedicated myself to my responsibilities and a never-ending mental To Do list. Sometimes that meant I put my loved ones on the backburner. I’d forget things they told me more than once because I wasn’t focused on our conversations. I’d snap at them because I was stressed out. I didn’t want to get to a point where I missed important moments in their lives because I was too caught up in my own. I didn’t want to take my frustration out on someone else because I was having a difficult time handling my overflowing plate. I needed to change so I could get back to the most important people in my life; I learned to say no sometimes so I don’t overstretch myself, ask for help when I need it, and be present in the moment — because once it’s gone you can’t get it back.
   
2. Take care of yourself. Just as I’d neglected my loved ones, I’d neglected myself. In favor of that long To Do list, once again, I gave up personal time doing things I love to do, things that balanced and centered me. Once I started making time every day to do something just for me, no exceptions — reading, baking my favorite treats, turning a routine shower into an at-home spa experience — my attitude and mood improved. Turns out, you cannot show up for other people and be the best version of yourself when you’re not taking care of yourself like you should be. And that’s how I read 67 books in 2025.
   
3. No time like the present. The last several years have been marked by loss for my extended family. We’ve buried three family members and a 32-year-old friend. This year, we’ve weathered difficult news about the health of other loved ones. I learned tough lessons that tomorrow is never promised, our health is not guaranteed, and youth does not exempt us from this. I don’t want to put things off into the future anymore. Instead of waiting until the weekend to call my parents and catch up, I’m doing it on my drive home after work. I’m planning that family vacation and booking tickets right now. I’m calling my husband on his lunch break just to say “I love you” and reminding him to get home to me safe.

As we put the bow on 2025 and open the door into 2026, I invite you to think about the things you’d like to take with you from this year into the next. How will you build upon them? What is most important for you at this stage in your life? The new year is just as much a continuation of our cumulative life experience as it is a fresh start.