2026: Fewer Fires. More Foundations.
Setting goals that last longer than the news cycle
For the last few years, my life — personally and professionally — has felt like a series of alarms.
Some were real emergencies.
Some were manufactured crises.
All of them demanded attention right now.
That pace teaches you how to react.
It does not teach you how to build.
So as I look toward 2026, the word that keeps coming back to me isn’t growth or expansion or momentum.
It’s management — not in the corporate sense, but in the human one.
Managing energy.
Managing expectations.
Managing systems so people don’t burn out just to keep them alive.
Goal One: Build systems that survive without me
Advocacy that depends on one voice eventually collapses.
Real movements don’t.
In 2026, my focus is on building structures — clear processes, repeatable actions, shared leadership — that allow parents and communities to participate without needing permission or constant direction.
If something only works when I’m in the room, it’s not finished yet.
That applies to advocacy, nonprofit work, community projects, and even how I manage my own time.
Goal Two: Trade urgency for durability
The last few years taught me how quickly everything can change — health, finances, plans, priorities.
2026 is about creating work that can absorb stress without breaking.
That means:
Fewer last-minute scrambles
Clearer timelines
Saying “not yet” more often than “yes”
Choosing impact over optics
Not everything needs to be loud to matter. Some things just need to last.
Goal Three: Keep parents at the center, not the margins
Parents don’t need to be “activated.”
They’re already carrying the weight.
In 2026, my goal is to continue shifting the conversation so parents are treated as partners, not props — especially in education policy and community decision-making.
That means listening more than broadcasting.
It means creating space for parents who don’t want a microphone but still deserve influence.
And it means pushing back when systems treat families as data points instead of people.
Goal Four: Lead in a way my kids can respect
This one is personal.
My kids are watching how I show up — how I handle conflict, how I treat people who disagree with me, how I balance conviction with compassion.
In 2026, leadership for me means:
Being firm without being cruel
Persistent without being consumed
Honest about limits, not ashamed of them
If my work doesn’t align with the values I want them to carry forward, then it’s time to rethink the work.
The quiet goal underneath all of it
I want 2026 to feel sustainable.
Not perfect.
Not easy.
Just honest.
Honest about what matters.
Honest about what I can carry.
Honest about what kind of impact actually helps people instead of just proving a point.
If 2025 was about surviving and responding, then 2026 is about building something steady enough to stand on.
That’s the goal.