There’s something about welcoming a new year that always makes me pause.
Not in a dramatic, fireworks-and-resolutions kind of way, but in a quiet, reflective one. The kind where you look back and realise that while many things have changed, so many others remain exactly the same.
I’m still me. Still learning. Still trying. Still figuring things out, just with a few more years, a few more scars, and hopefully, a little more wisdom.
On a personal level, growth hasn’t always been obvious. Some changes were subtle… shifts in mindset, patience stretched a little further, courage that didn’t announce itself loudly but showed up when it mattered.
On a professional level, growth often came disguised as discomfort.
I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always feel like progress. Sometimes it feels like being thrown into unfamiliar territory, forced to tap into skills you didn’t even know you had. Or worse, skills you weren’t sure you could ever develop.
But maybe that’s exactly how growth works.
Because if we keep doing only the things we’re already good at, what are we really learning? How do we stretch? How do we evolve, not just as professionals, but as people?
I’ve been working since 2003. I started out in a junior role, green, unsure, and very much figuring things out as I went along. Looking back, my journey wasn’t smooth or perfectly planned. I climbed the ladder by making mistakes… sometimes very visible ones. By being brave when fear would’ve been the easier choice. By saying yes to uncomfortable situations, even when my confidence lagged behind my responsibilities.
There were sacrifices too… time, energy, moments with family, moments of rest.
But through it all, I kept showing up. And today, I can say this with gratitude in my heart: Alhamdulillah.
Sometimes, I wonder, what if I had said no to those unfamiliar paths?
What if I had stayed only where I felt safe, competent, and comfortable? Would life have taken a different course?
There’s no point dwelling on the “what ifs.” I know…
Still, the thought crosses my mind from time to time. Not with regret, but with curiosity.
And now, here comes 2026.
Will it bring new challenges I’m not good at?
Will I need to spend time learning things that intimidate me?
Will I feel scared again; that familiar, quiet fear that comes before growth?
Probably.
But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Because if the past has taught me anything, it’s this: every time I felt uncomfortable, something in me grew. Every time I felt unsure, I discovered strength I didn’t know existed. And every time I stepped into the unknown, life gently nudged me forward.
So, as the new year begins, I’m not wishing for things to be easier.
I’m wishing for the courage to keep learning, the humility to keep growing, and the faith to trust that even the uncomfortable paths have something to offer.
Some things will change. Some things will stay the same.
And maybe that’s exactly how it’s meant to be.
Happy 2026, everyone!
Written by A.
Balancing duty in public service and care at home, she writes from the heart of both worlds.