The Year of New, So Far
Now that we’re into the second quarter of the year and the season is changing here in London, I wanted to take some time to reflect on how my Yearly Theme is going so far.
As a refresher, I chose “The Year of New” for 2026. Last year brought an incredible amount of change in my life and pushed me into many things that were very new for me. So this year, I wanted to embrace that and make it something I was eager and excited to pursue.
Over the last few years, I feel like I was trying to stay comfortable in the work I was doing — to do the best I could within the confines of what I had already established. I thought my days of pushing into new avenues were over.
But after a few months of embracing and encouraging new things, I’ve come to realise that I simply hadn’t been allowing myself room for growth. I think that was right for me at the time — I needed to establish some things and focus on different life priorities. But now, I feel like growth is exactly what I should be pursuing.
Right now, I’m working on two big creative projects that I’m incredibly excited about. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the all-encompassing energy of starting something truly new. I’m hoping to share one in about a month, and the other a few months after that. These are projects that mean a lot to me, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the “figuring it out” stage of both. It feels like it’s been years since I’ve worked on new things that matter this much to me.
Working with Cross Forward has been the biggest professional project I’ve undertaken in many years. It’s a completely different way of working, and almost everything we’re doing is new to me in one way or another. I’m really excited about some of the work we have on the horizon. I feel like I’ve been able to help shape some of the direction we’re heading in, which is incredibly fulfilling. I’m also looking forward to experiencing WWDC from the perspective of a developer, as well as as a commentator.
This year, I’ve also been much more active on the Cortex Brand Instagram account. We’ve been experimenting with different ways to communicate how we feel about our products, what they’re good for, and why we make the decisions we do. It was suggested that I should be the one to explain this directly, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’m really pleased with the response so far. It’s new for me to be this present on social media — especially making short-form video — but I’m lucky to have a team around me to help with the parts that aren’t my strengths.
Every day with Sophia continues to bring something new. It can be hard to see it in the moment, but even looking back a few weeks shows just how quickly she’s changing. No matter how much “new” I experience in my work, it pales in comparison to watching how much she is learning and adapting. I’m trying my best not to look too far ahead or wish for her to hit milestones sooner. I don’t want to “wish away” her childhood. But I know those moments are coming, and I’m excited to experience them all with her — even if I’m not rushing them.
My work–life balance is a bit of a mess right now, but I think that’s to be expected given everything on my plate. Taking on new things takes time to settle. I’m conscious of it, and I’m trying to protect the time that needs protecting. I do feel like I’ve built tools over the past few years to help me adapt and delegate — but it’s still a work in progress.
If you’ve set a Yearly Theme for 2026, I hope it’s going well for you. And if you’ve read this and want to learn more, luckily for you, I’ve helped build a whole website about it.
