When Actions Mirror Thinking: Preparing for a Purposeful 2026

As 2025 came to a close and I flipped through the pages of my journal, one phrase jumped out at me — something I had underlined weeks earlier without truly absorbing its meaning.

It said:

“My actions mirror my thinking.”

Oh wow — this hit me so deeply. I realised I’d never fully been present to that truth. I’ve been doing a lot, rarely pausing to reflect, to breathe, or to fully appreciate how God has walked with me every single day.

As we approached the end of the year, our family set aside 30th and 31st December for a 2026 family planning meeting. Yes — we are learning that we must move as a unit, not in silos. Have you ever noticed how at the end of the year, we each retreat to our own corners, write individual New Year’s resolutions, and start the year without any alignment? Unsurprisingly, misunderstandings often follow — simply because there was no shared clarity or agreement from the outset.

Planning for Percer — Relearning the Power of Strategy

In the last quarter of 2025, I began asking myself some tough questions about my vision for Percer in the coming year:

• Where do I want it to go?

• What is changing?

• What can I do better?

• How will I implement improvements?

  
  

Questions like “What do I need to learn?” and “What do I need to unlearn?” became constant companions. In the corporate world, this kind of work is called a strategy session, which then leads to planning. Sure — I had done this in my work environment many times… but I had never internalised how valuable it is personally. I didn’t fully appreciate how much structure can guide my year, my decisions, and how I navigate uncertainty.

As the year ended, I sat down and did Percer’s strategy. I leaned on everything I learned in corporate strategy, the books I’ve read, and of course … AI tools. I’ll tell you this: AI helped me so much. It didn’t just save time; it expanded concepts, pushed me to think in new ways, and even added ideas I hadn’t considered — for example, breaking my strategy into actionable plans with timelines and measurement points. This allowed me to create:

• A one-page summary of my strategy

• Timed, actionable steps

• Measures of progress — all in a format I can put up in my office and see every day

For someone who often feels like a “one-woman show,” this helped immensely.

From Personal Vision to Family Vision

Once I finished the exercise for Percer, I remembered a clip I had watched — one that spoke about having a family vision, complete with goals and shared purpose. I thought, Why not do this as a family? Not just me and Mokoena, but our two sons too.

The Bible says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”— Proverbs 22:6

And I thought, Let me extend that verse to include family vision and alignment too.

So, a family planning meeting was arranged and the agenda shared. And can I just say — I’m so proud of us. The kids were genuinely engaged. You would be surprised at what they shared — their reflections about our family, about us as parents, about themselves, and their wishes for the new year.

We now have a Family Plan — anchored on scripture, a theme for 2026, and clear goals. We even expanded it into a Family Charter that includes:

• Our vision

• Core values

• Commitments

• How we handle challenges

• Our family declaration

This was truly an eye-opener. I’m sure most people do something like this in their families — but for us, it’s new. It brought clarity where there was previous gray area — and it helped clarify expectations for everyone.

Stepping Into 2026 With Intentional Presence

The new year is here, and I keep circling back to that phrase:

“My actions mirror my thinking.”

I’m digging deep into what I need to learn, unlearn, cut off, and continue.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve come to appreciate — both from corporate life and from personal life — is that rejection is a powerful teacher. It has taught me:

• To let go

• To forgive

• To love

• And then to do it all over again

An aha moment for me came from a clip by Iyanla Vanzant, where she said something so powerful: We should never miss the power of what we have over what we didn’t get. That was a game-changer for my perspective.

The Promises I’m Making to Myself for 2026

As I step into this new year, here are the commitments I’m making — grounded in truth, presence, and intentional living:

• I will be truthful to myself, even when that truth hurts.

• I will be consistently present — not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

• I will continue to manage my expectations about people and trust that everything is as it should be.

• I will continue to trust God and be still.

• I will listen more and defend less.

• I will appreciate the reality that there is purpose in everything we go through.

• I commit to living fully and faithfully, honouring the grace God has given me to be here.

As we step into a new year, I invite you to pause — not rush. Before the plans, before the goals, before the resolutions — pause long enough to reflect on how you think, because your actions will follow that thinking.

Scripture reminds us:

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”— Proverbs 23:7

What we believe, what we rehearse in our minds, and what we allow to shape our hearts will ultimately determine how we show up in our work, our families, and our lives. Alignment does not happen accidentally — it is intentional. And clarity is a gift we give ourselves and those we journey with.

As you begin this year, I encourage you to take time — alone or with those closest to you — and ask yourself:

• What thinking patterns need to change so my actions can change?

• What do I need to learn, unlearn, let go of, or continue?

• What kind of year do I want to live, not just plan for?

• What values will anchor my decisions when things feel uncertain?

• How can I be more present — with God, with myself, and with others?

Perhaps this is your season to move from reaction to reflection, from busyness to intention, and from isolation to alignment. Whether for yourself, your business, or your family — may this be the year you plan with purpose, act with clarity, and trust the process God is unfolding.

Here’s to a year where our actions truly mirror intentional, aligned, and faith-filled thinking.

✨ Happy New Year — may it be one of growth, grace, and purposeful living. ✨