When a habit tracker won't help

How tarot journaling helped deal with 'new year overwhelm'

Well, this is a surprise and not what I expected to be doing on this first, shiny new day of 2026 but here we are.

I sat with my morning coffee today in the beautiful 17th century cottage we are renting for our new year break. Frost at the windows and staying firmly under the heavy blankets for warmth as my husband lights the fire downstairs.

I drew my card for January - something to keep as a bit of a beacon for this month and to refer back to as I journal every day.

And it was the Eight of Cups. Ooof! Thank you universe.

The traditional meaning of this card is of walking away, disappointment, heartache and leaving things behind. It isn’t generally considered a very positive card but I am firmly of the opinion that no cards are good/bad. They come at the time you need them, for the purpose of telling you something you need to know.

And this is really the perfect card for January 1st. It’s about leaving behind what no longer serves you and crucially it’s a card of movement. You aren’t just moving forward, you are moving away from less positive aspects of your life.

I spent way too long last year worrying about what I should be doing and how I should be doing it.

This card is a reminder that change comes from within. You can’t create a daily habit tracker and magically expect to become a new person. No amount of tick boxes can create a ‘new you’. And indeed why would you want to.

I don’t want to become a new person. I want to be more accepting of the person I am. And if that means leaving a few less-than-helpful behaviours in the past then that sounds like a good deal to me.