This post is all about my Ins and Outs list for 2026.
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The Syllabus of Change: Why My 2026 Intentions Look Different This Year
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My Ins & Outs for 2026: Releasing the Teacher Guilt and Grading Rubric
Hey hey my lovely entrepreneurs,
Why I'm Ditching Resolutions For New Year Intentions
Living here on the French West Coast, watching the Atlantic tides shift every day, I’ve learned that nothing is meant to stay static forever. Not the coastline, not our children, and certainly not our careers.
For years, my identity has been anchored in two heavy, rewarding roles: the University Lecturer and the Mother. But lately, the "Teacher" anchor feels like it might be dragging. As I guide my eleven-year-old daughter through her own transition into adolescence, I find myself mirroring her questions: Who am I becoming? Does this still fit?
We often talk about Teacher Burnout Recovery as if it’s just about getting better sleep or grading papers faster. But sometimes, recovery isn't about fixing the fatigue; it’s about listening to it. It’s about admitting that the exhaustion might be a sign that a chapter is ending, and a new career path is waiting to be written.
That is why this year feels different. I am not interested in rigid productivity goals. I am navigating the complex, emotional fog of Working Mom Burnout while raising a pre-teen, and I need a compass, not a map.
So, instead of resolutions, I’m creating a gentle Ins and Outs List 2026. This is my way of sifting through the noise to find clarity. It is a collection of New Year Intentions for Moms like us—women who are brave enough to admit that we might be ready to pivot, ready to evolve, and ready to align our work with the peace we work so hard to find at home.
Teacher Burnout Recovery: My List of Outs
The Outs (What we are gently releasing)
OUT: The "Martyr Teacher" Badge
For years, I wore my exhaustion like a medal of honor. I thought staying late, grading on weekends, and "doing it all" made me a good educator. But Working Mom Burnout isn't a trophy; it’s a warning light. In 2026, I am releasing the idea that I have to bleed dry to be effective.
OUT: Fixing my daughter’s feelings
My 11-year-old is entering the storm of adolescence. My instinct is to shield her, to "lesson plan" her emotions so she gets an A+ in happiness. But I’m learning that she doesn't need me to fix the storm; she just needs me to sit in the boat with her. I’m letting go of the need to solve every mood.
OUT: Fear of the "Beginner Mind"
As a University Lecturer, I am the expert in the room. The scariest part of this potential career pivot is the thought of starting over—of not knowing the answer. But clinging to the safety of "Expert Status" is keeping me stuck. I am releasing the fear of being a beginner again.
OUT: The "Sunday Scaries" Spiral
That specific dread that sets in around 4 PM on a Sunday? We are leaving it in 2025. If the anxiety about Monday morning is that visceral, it’s not just "nerves"—it’s data. It’s my body telling me that something in my career alignment needs to change. I’m done ignoring the data.
The Ins (What we are inviting in)
IN: "Draft Mode"
My students are terrified of submitting work that isn't perfect. I am realizing I feel the same about my life. 2026 is the year of living in "Draft Mode." My career path is a rough draft. My parenting is a rough draft. It doesn't have to be polished to be valuable.
IN: Quiet Curiosity
Instead of forcing a massive career leap, I’m inviting in quiet curiosity. What lights me up when I’m not grading? Is it writing? Is it consulting? Is it something entirely new? I’m allowing myself to audit my own interests with the same attention I give my syllabus.
IN: Parallel Silence
This is my favorite New Year Intention for Moms of pre-teens. It’s that West Coast magic of sitting side-by-side—her reading a YA novel, me journaling, the rain against the window—without forcing conversation. It is connection without performance.
IN: Listening to the Nudge
There is a quiet voice that has been whispering, "What if there is something else out there for you?" For a long time, I drowned it out with busyness. This year, I am turning the volume up. I am trusting that the urge to pivot isn't a crisis; it's an invitation.
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The Syllabus Supplies (Tools for a Soft Year)
As I embrace this "Draft Mode" life, I’ve realized that the tools I use need to match this gentler energy.
Rigid dates and harsh, utilitarian office supplies belong to the old "Martyr Teacher" mindset.
Instead, I am intentionally curating my desk to support my peace. I’m reaching for undated planners that offer the grace to skip a week (or three) without guilt, and aesthetic teacher supplies—think muted highlighters and smooth gel pens—that turn the mundane task of grading into a small sensory ritual rather than a chore. And for those mornings when the fog feels heavy, The 5-Minute Journal has become my anchor. It is the perfect low-pressure way to remind myself that even in a season of pivoting and questioning, there is still so much good to be found.
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the takeaway
Ultimately, creating this Ins and Outs List 2026 is an act of permission. It is about defining teacher burnout recovery not as doing more, but as carrying less.
It is about acknowledging the heavy, specific weight of working mom burnout and finally trading that heavy teacher guilt for a little bit of grace.
As I navigate the nuances of balancing career and motherhood with an only child, I am realizing that letting go of perfectionism is the only way to survive these pre-teen years intact.
Whether you are quietly exploring a career pivot mindset or just need to adopt a leaving the classroom mindset on the weekends, the goal is the same: we must learn how to stop grading yourself as a mom.
So, instead of rushing, let’s invite in a slow living January. Let’s choose these gentle New Year Intentions for moms as healing alternatives to New Year's Resolutions.
Because the most important lesson we can teach ourselves this year is that we are not here to be graded; we are here to be whole.
this post was all about my ins & outs for 2026.
Elle Ash xo
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