Defining Our "How" for 2026

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that there are things that can happen in our lives over which we have no control. We can begin our New Year with goals in sight and yet feel derailed in December when those outside forces impacted our ability to achieve those goals.  I know I definitely felt that as I said goodbye to 2025.

So as I sit and think about 2026, I’m turning my attention to how I’ll be doing this work and less about goals for the work itself.  The landscape for our work is changeable and the world feels unpredictable right now.  But I DO have control over my how – how I choose to conduct myself and how I decide to interact with others. 

This year,  I’ve already set some intentions -  communicating with more clarity, conviction and compassion.  Staying connected to like-minded colleagues, remaining open to new ideas and remembering to hit pause when that’s helpful.  I figure no matter what gets thrown our way – we can navigate it if we stay focused on how we do our work. Defining our how helps us stay aligned with our core values – no matter what the situation.  

In the first week of the year, the Cypress team will be meeting to have this conversation too.  Each year, we identify the collective goals for the program but we also take time to talk about our Group Norms – how we want to do this work together.  I’m looking forward to co-creating this year’s list with the team.  We draft the list and then review it quarterly – to make sure we are still feeling on track.  I’m proud of the work the Cypress team puts into defining our how and the work they put into keeping those values alive in our work. 

So here's to 2026 – the year that we stay aligned with our How!