The longest month of the year is over, and I’m excited for February. I’m not a January hater personally, but I can see why other people aren’t a fan. With that being said, let’s look at my January 2026 in review.
MY 33RD BIRTHDAY
January = birthday month for me and turning 33 feels like a real turning point. I’ve done A LOT of reflecting this month on where I am and where I want to be. It’s something I’ll constantly be working on, because I’m always wanting to improve myself and my life. However, I’m okay with getting older now. Turning 30 felt quite overwhelming, but I feel more secure in myself as I’ve gotten past that!
MAKING BUSINESS CONTENT MOVES
Whilst it’s not completed, I’ve made progress with my new website, including moving the domain from WordPress to Squarespace. I’m at that sticking point in my life where I’d love to be self-employed, but to be able to afford to move out, I need a full-time role elsewhere. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop freelancing (unless I absolutely have to), and a new website is much-needed after over five years in business.
A UNDER-BUDGET MANCHESTER TRIP
I gave myself a budget for my three-day trip to Manchester for my birthday and stuck to it! Whilst everyone else is doing no-buys in January, I tend to have a spendy month as I like to treat myself to new clothing, beauty products, and lots of eating out to celebrate my birthday. This year, I headed to Manchester and didn’t spend as much as I thought I would. I barely bought any clothes and minimised my eating out budget too. Instead of the Arndale, I headed to the Trafford Centre and other than collecting my freebies and doing a Boots haul, I barely bought anything!
TOPPING UP MY SAVINGS
Whilst I didn’t save as much as I’d like, I did manage to save money into both my regular saver and Help 2 Buy ISA, as moving out is a high priority for me this year! It’s not a huge amount either, but it’s a start. I’m also trying to pay off a couple of credit cards, too, so it’s about balancing that with my savings goals. I’ve also been trying to save £5 every Friday and £10 every Tuesday for some smaller pots, because little amounts add up eventually!
FOCUSING ON DAILY HABITS
Initially, I was going to start 75 Soft in January. However, with my birthday and trips out of town, I decided to start on 2nd February instead. However, I have tried to focus on my daily habits as much as I can. I’ve been journaling twice a day, not using my phone until I’ve completed my morning routine and getting in my 10k steps most days. There’s always room for improvement, so now it’s about habit stacking, especially on my days off work!
LOOKING INTO MY BEAUTY ROUTINES
Skincare is my vice, which is why I’m trying out Project Pan again in 2026. However, I’m hoping to improve my routines in all things beauty: skin, hair, body and teeth in particular. It might be too late now that I’m over 30, but I’m looking to keep that youthful glow for as long as I can! I’m going to spend the next month doing a ton of research into all four categories, as I like to know what products I’m using and why.
GETTING THE 2026 SUPER FLU/COLD
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had this super flu/cold about three times in the past six weeks. I just cannot seem to get rid of it! I’m pretty sure I had it before Christmas, then again around my birthday. It seems to be lingering at work. too, meaning I’ll never get rid of it! It’s like there are multiple strands of it and I’m catching every single one of them! I’m doping up on vitamin C and staying away from anyone who’s coughing or blowing their nose!
And that’s a wrap on my January 2026 in review. It’s been a long month, but more enjoyable than many find January! However, I’m excited for a new month and to have a bit of a reboot going into February.
If you enjoyed this post on my January 2026 in review, you can find my other goals content here, where I set monthly goals and review every month too. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too.
