S4-Episode 18: How To Make 2026 The Year Your Life Changes

Have you reached the end of this year and realised… nothing has really changed?

In this episode of Lemons & Pineapples, I’m speaking directly to you if you promised yourself last year would be different — and you’re now finding yourself in the same relationship, the same financial loop, the same job, or the same patterns that have followed you for years.

If 2025 is coming to a close and you’re feeling frustrated, disappointed, or quietly asking yourself “How am I still here?” — this episode is for you.

I share honestly about why real change doesn’t happen just because we want it to, and what actually needs to shift so that 2026 doesn’t become another repeat of the past. We often know what actions we should take, but still don’t take them — and the reason for that lives much deeper than motivation or willpower.

In this episode, I invite you to slow down and reflect on:

• Why familiarity keeps us stuck more than fear
• How unconscious beliefs drive our choices around relationships, money, and career
• Why we avoid difficult conversations and big decisions
• How self-worth sits at the centre of lasting change
• The real cost of staying exactly where you are for another year

I walk you through three powerful questions that will help you identify what hasn’t changed, why it hasn’t changed, and what needs to shift internally for your external reality to finally move.

This episode is also a personal declaration. I share my own commitment to doing things differently — and I invite you to make that commitment with me.

I also share details of my New Year Reflection & Intention Setting Workshop, where I’ll guide you through reflecting on 2025, releasing what hasn’t worked, and consciously stepping into the version of you who finishes 2026 in a very different place.

Sign up to the New Year Workshop HERE.

If you’re tired of telling yourself “next year will be different” and you’re ready to understand what actually creates change — this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

If you’re done playing small and ready to lead yourself — you’re in the right place.

I’m Emma O’Brien — Martha Beck trained and certified life coach, HeartMath practitioner, and shamanic healer helping high-achieving women stop second-guessing themselves and finally trust their own voice.

Through nervous system re-calibration, strategic coaching, and deep energetic work, I help you move from self-doubt to self-trust so you can create a life you actually want to be in — no external approval required.

🌀 Want to work together?

Explore the 6-week Nervous System Reset, 1:1 coaching, or Shamanic Soul Retrieval sessions here: emmaobriencoach.com

Questions or ready to chat?

DM me on Instagram @emmaobriencoach
or book a free connection call HERE.

Transcript

🕰️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome to Season 4, Episode 18
00:49 – Why this episode is for anyone feeling frustrated and stuck
01:02 – Invitation: New Year Reflection & Intention Setting Workshop
02:03 – Why change hasn’t happened (even with good intentions)
02:37 – The 3 powerful questions to ask yourself
03:41 – Identifying what truly hasn’t changed
04:00 – Why nothing shifted (and what wasn’t done)
04:17 – Why courage, discomfort, and inner work are required
04:49 – The role of beliefs in keeping us stuck
05:19 – Why knowing the action isn’t enough
05:55 – How the stories you tell yourself reveal your beliefs
06:08 – Relationship fears: “What if I end up alone?”
06:31 – Money fears and identity conditioning
06:56 – Career fears and risk avoidance
07:29 – How upbringing and conditioning shape our limits
08:02 – Why all lasting change starts internally
08:24 – Self-worth, independence, and choosing relationships
08:57 – Revisiting the 3 core reflection questions
09:11 – The real cost of staying stuck for another year
09:53 – Why change feels so uncomfortable (and why we avoid it)
10:24 – Why coaching and support matter
10:47 – Invitation to the New Year Workshop + replay details
11:19 – Bonus: Free 30-minute post-workshop coaching call
11:46 – Visualising the version of you at the end of 2026
12:00 – Closing and final invitation