Two in five Aussie workers started 2025 already burned out. Mark Jones explains how clarity, not cash, could transform your approach to the year ahead.
I’m just going to say it upfront: I’m not ready for Christmas. Not emotionally, not practically.
The shops have been twinkling away since before Halloween and somehow I still feel like I need a note from the universe saying, “Hey mate, it’s happening again.”
As a business owner, professional speaker and author, my to-do list looks like it’s been carb-loading all year. And I know I’m not the only one.
2025 has been… a lot. We kicked off the year in Australia with research showing two in five employees already felt burned out. Global engagement in the workplace is also stuck at 21 percent. Quiet quitting didn’t fade away; it just changed outfits.
Then came wars, tariffs, rising costs, interest rates, and the relentless drumbeat of AI news and FOMO. Honestly, if you’re feeling one step behind, congratulations – you’re paying attention.
I spent more than a decade reporting on technology through the ’90s and the dot-com crash. I’ve never seen a technology sprint like this.
Meanwhile somewhere in the background, Covid has continued to rewire our values. We flipped the script: wellbeing first, money second. More time with family, more meaningful work, fewer soul-draining meetings. You know the story.
But here’s the thing: chasing lifestyle goals can leave you feeling like you’ve never quite arrived. The gap between your January ambitions and your November reality? Brutal.
So let’s try something different as we head into 2026. Something kinder, clearer, and – dare I say it – more honest.
1. Ditch the New Year’s resolution and rest
Most resolutions are born from guilt or mild panic. (“New year, new me!” Sure.)
Instead, actually rest. Not the “scroll on the couch” kind – the restorative kind. Pick up the things that bring you joy: bikes, books, beaches, small children (from your family, not random kids, ok?). January is your annual permission slip to breathe again.
2. Start rewriting your story
We all live between two stories: the one we’ve outgrown and the one we’re growing into. The tension is real. This is where the Mirror Moment comes in – that split second when you catch yourself telling an old, unhelpful story like ‘I don’t have what it takes’ and decide to flip it.
The trick is going back to your wins. What’s one success from 2025 you’ve conveniently minimised? One moment that proves you’re capable, resilient, and more than the inner critic in your head suggests? That’s your anchor for 2026.
3. Chase clarity, not cash
Clarity creates confidence.
And confidence makes far better decisions than anxiety ever will.
Make space for the ideas that appear when you’re not forcing them: in the ocean, on a walk, mid-espresso, or halfway through a gym session. After two years of rebuilding my own habits, I can tell you: energy follows clarity.
The goal is to try measuring your year not by revenue or output, but by how many genuinely inspiring ideas you followed through on. It changes everything.
Now, I may not be ready for Christmas, but I am ready for a reset – some downtime, good old community carols, and a quieter mind heading into a New Year and what I know will be, a better story.
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