09. 26 Things I've Learned in 26 Years

You don’t need to wait for the “perfect” year to become the best version of yourself—sometimes turning 26 is the reminder you need.

In this episode, I’m sharing 26 lessons from my first 26 years of. life: truths about healing, processing emotions, shifting mindset, leaning into faith and prayer instead of anxiety, building real discipline for your future self, caring for your body from the inside out, embracing independence without isolation, refusing to settle in relationships, and so much more.

We talk about:

• Why healing takes time and grace, not straight lines
• Mindset flips like “done is better than perfect” and “it’s never too late to start”
• Faith practices: jumping to prayer, facing silence, and trusting God’s peace
• Discipline habits: rest as productivity, charging your phone away, being early
• Body & life truths: inner care shows outside, gratitude as endless fuel
• Relationships: don’t settle, not everyone will like you, courage to start over

This is for anyone in the messy middle of growth—reminding you that change starts with a heart shift, small consistent choices, and trusting the process. Progress isn’t perfect; it’s patient and intentional.

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for choosing to show up for yourself. 

What’s one lesson from your own life you’re carrying into this year? Drop it below—I’d love to hear (and maybe feature some in a future Q&A)!

New episodes drop Mondays at 7 AM—subscribe for more real talk on mindset, healthy habits, and growing from the inside out.

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Transcript

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You don't need a perfect moment to start living a healthier, happier life. Welcome to Hannah's Healthy Habits, a podcast about learning, growing, and building a healthier life from the inside out. And now we're doing it together. Hi guys. Welcome back to the podcast. If you are new here. Thank you so much for joining, and if this is not your first time here, thank you for coming back and listening. All of your support means so much to me, and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. Today we are talking about 26 things I've learned in 26 years. I had a birthday recently, and this is a tradition that I do want to start up. I think these episodes are always really cool to see different things you can learn in a year or I guess up until that year. And I've already started my list of 27 things and I'm just excited to get into all of this. So without further ado, let's get into it. So the first five are all going to be about healing and inner work. So number one is. Healing is not linear, and that is okay. I think this is something we've all heard for a few years now, that healing is not linear. But let me tell you, when you are going through it. This is something I have to constantly remind myself. There's going to be good days, there's gonna be bad days, there's gonna be days where I really just have to be disciplined and force myself to do things. And there's gonna be days where I don't wanna do any of it. And I let myself feel bad and and be lazy. But ultimately I have learned that when you push through. That is when you see the biggest reward on the days that I've just let myself kind of mope and be sad. Obviously there's a time and a place for that, but I think there is a timeframe that you need to stick with and not letting yourself stay sad for too long, um, and being in isolation, separating yourself. I think all of that kind of goes hand in hand. We'll get a little bit more to that later, but. The main point being healing is not linear. It takes time. And that kind of leads us into number two, take time to heal. You really need to take time to heal and to process those emotions, because if you're not, you're just pushing that down deeper, kicking the can further down the road, and eventually you're going to have to come back to it and work through it. Which leads kind of into number three. Unprocessed emotions are like emotional constipation. I heard this on a podcast recently, well, not recently, whenever I wrote this down, but I thought that was really cool because it makes sense. Whenever you're constipated, you're uncomfortable, you don't feel good. Whenever you're holding those emotions in and not processing them, you have that feeling of something stuck or you're just in pain, something is uncomfortable. And this year I started going to therapy. I'm doing a program called Keys to Freedom, and it really helps get to the root of a lot of your problems Instead of changing your behaviors, getting to the bottom of the reasons that you act, the way you do, the reasons you think the way that you do, and I'm really excited. I've only went two weeks and I just think it's gonna be a very transformative thing for my life. Number four, grow through what you go through, All of the suffering we go through does have a purpose, whether we know that now or not, I feel like hindsight is 2020. So sometimes you don't understand the things that God will put you through in life, but. Growing through that, growing through that pain, that suffering, that sorrow, and really just using that to catapult you into your best version of yourself and to your new version of whatever you're becoming and truly embracing that growth and all of the growing pains that come along with it. Number five, true change comes from a change of heart. I feel like this works in multiple ways, but I think for me, my life really did change when it came from a place of deep wanting and deep knowing that everything needs to change. There's certain things and certain temptations that you can't hold onto. Whenever you want to become a better person. And so that's something that I've had to grow through and God has truly stirred my heart. He has made me want to change for the better and to be a better person for myself, for him, for the kingdom, for all of these things. And that comes from a change of heart. This next section is all about mindset and perspective. So number six is you decide where you sit. This one. I honestly have been struggling with a lot lately. I get in my head, I have been isolating myself a lot. I think that really has pushed a lot of pain and suffering onto me lately. But ultimately, we are the ones that decide. What we're going to believe, what we're going to think the way we're going to feel. So you can either choose darkness or you can choose light. You can choose self-pity or you can choose healing. I feel like the last couple days have been building my momentum up and I really want to lean into the healing. Yes, there is a time and a place to coddle yourself, to feel bad for yourself, maybe not feel bad for yourself, but to comfort yourself. And I think I've spent a little bit too much time there and I think it's really time to just catapult the healing. I have so many things to look forward to, so many things to be grateful for, and I think all of that just comes with practice, comes with consistency. But being so strong in taking your thoughts captive. If you're starting to think these bad thoughts, thinking these sad emotions, remember that you are in control of your thoughts. Your thoughts are not in control of you. And that's something that I have had to learn the hard way and something I've been tested with a lot lately. Number seven, comparison is the thief of joy. I feel like this was something trending a couple years ago, and I think it's so true. I think with social media, with the internet, it's so easy to see what all of these other people have that you don't have, or seeing someone's life on. Instagram TikTok and thinking that their life is so much better than yours. But we have to remind ourselves that social media is kind of like a highlight reel. Not everything is, as it seems, the grass is always greener on the other side. It's always going to look better than what it is. People aren't going to put all of their hardships on the internet. Some might, but. Ultimately, I think we have to be realistic with ourselves, especially when it comes to social media and understanding that this is a false sense of reality and that we need to stop comparing ourselves because it does, it takes away our joy. Number eight, the rows we remember the thorns, we forget. This is a quote. I've come back to time and time again because anybody who has been in a long-term relationship going through a hard breakup, it is so easy to remember all of the good, all of the good things that they did, and forgetting the reasons, the thorns of why we left. This also rings true for situations I don't really drink anymore, and so I find myself getting sad over parties or certain events for example, Mardi Gras was this past weekend. And I had a video pop up on my phone the other day, and it was a video of me. I was really drunk and I basically was talking about how drunk I was and how I wasn't having any fun. And I'm so grateful that I. Saw that video because I think in my head I was like, oh, Mardi Gras, I'm so sad I can't be there. I have fomo, I'm missing out. And that really put it into perspective that the last time I did go, I was very drunk and I wasn't having fun. And I think that's exactly what I needed to hear in that moment to kind of get me past that hump. Number nine. Done is better than perfect. I did a whole episode on this and honestly, I think I need the personal reminder of this. I think with this podcast, I get really in my head with work, with my business. I get in my head about things being perfect, and sometimes it's better to have those tasks completed to accomplish those things instead of trying to perfect it. I was talking to my mom earlier today and. I was telling her about how I feel all of this guilt for not recording in the past couple weeks, and it leads to shame and it leads to this and that. But ultimately I put such a hard, strict boundary on myself of saying it needs to be Monday at 7:00 AM So then it gets to be Sunday night. I'm stressing myself out. I tell myself that this is supposed to be fun, and if it's not fun, then I shouldn't be doing it, yada, yada, yada. The snowball just continues to pile up. But with all of that being said. Maybe instead of being upset that I didn't post it, maybe I post it on a Tuesday or a Wednesday or a Thursday, but instead I was waiting again until. I had time within the week and you know, the days go by, time passes and it's Sunday night again at 7:00 PM and I am stressing myself out trying to record a podcast. And so I think that's something I just need to remind myself is done is better than perfect. Number 10. It's never too late to start. This is the year I will be doing a lot more hobbies, learning a lot more skills, and this is something I'm constantly reminding myself is it's never too late to start. There are so many things out there that we all should try. I really wanna get back into playing pickleball this year. I wanna get into crafting and reminding myself that it's never too late to start. There are all kinds of people that started businesses in their forties, fifties, sixties. So at 26. I have time to start these new things and to not be afraid of starting something new. This next section is all about faith, prayer, stillness. So number 11 is jump to prayer, not conclusions. I. I need to hear this over and over because my brain likes to jump to conclusions, God asks us to pray to him, to give our anxieties to him, to give him our fears, to talk to him, and I think this is something that I really. Need to lean into this year is going to prayer instead of letting my anxiety take control of me. Number 12, God provides peace when you pray and listen. Emphasis on the pray and listen. I, like I just said, I get really anxious. I get really in my head and I just need to. Know that God is the one that provides this peace, that he wants me to pray to him, that he wants to speak to me, and just getting really good at quieting my mind, taking that time to be with him and to listen to what he has to say. Number 13, facing silence matters, especially when you're addicted to noise. I. Didn't realize how much of an issue this was until it became a really big issue. I. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to noise, but over the last couple months I have had a hard time sitting in silence, being by myself, being alone. I think my brain could only handle so much before it just started taking matters into its own hands, and I found myself scrolling when I used to not. I would be numbing myself from different feelings and emotions and just avoiding. It at all costs. And I think facing that silence is so important, especially in a day and age where everybody's always on their phones, constantly consuming all of the short form content. And I think it's really crucial that we spend time each day in silence and just taking that time to quiet our minds. Number 14, your brain does not work in knots. So I learned this probably a few years ago, or had heard the concept of it, but whenever you say you're not going to do something, your brain doesn't actually comprehend that. So instead of doing that, Replacing that habit. So instead of saying, I'm not going to eat junk food anymore, maybe replace that with, I'm going to plan all of my meals for this week, or meal prep snacks and different options, so I'm not grabbing things in a pinch or I'm not going to scroll. But maybe saying, I'm going to charge my phone in the other room and do X, Y, and z instead. Creating ways that you're almost replacing habits instead of saying you're not going to do them. The next section is about discipline. So number 15 is do it for your future self. This also ties in with the five second rule. It's a concept where you have five seconds before your brain starts to convince you why you shouldn't do something. So in the mornings, I like to tell myself, do this for your future self and then jump out of bed. And recently I had heard that some people will count down from five I think it was Mel Robbins was saying this on one of her podcasts recently, but. Counting to five and then getting out of bed. This is something I've been struggling with a lot lately, and I have to remind myself that my days don't go as well as I would like them to if I don't get out of bed early. If I don't take the time for my morning routine, I feel like I'm playing catch up all day, and so when I'm getting out of bed, it's me putting in the work for my future self to get myself on track for the day. Number 16, get things done ahead of time. I. Love to procrastinate things. As you see, it's taken me three, four weeks to record this podcast, and I've had the list of 26 things done, and it's something that could have been done easily, but I procrastinated it every week, and so it's been costing my peace. It's been stressing me out. It's been causing a lot of guilt and a lot of shame. And so that is something that I really do wanna work on this year is getting things done ahead of time, not waiting until the last minute, not stressing myself out, but doing them beforehand, and then feeling excited when the time comes to publish an episode or whatever else the case may be. But having it done ahead of time. Number 17 is rest effectively. It's kind of funny that I sectioned this with discipline, but REST is so productive. It helps gain your mental clarity back. It helps you feel recharged to where you can be more disciplined in your life. And it's an area that I've been struggling with a lot. whenever I don't rest, I feel drained, I feel burnt out, and it's hard for me to be disciplined in my routines. It's easier for me to say, I'll do it tomorrow, or making an excuse as to why I can't do something or whatever. And. I really need to work on being more disciplined in my rest and on my rest days to do things that are effective, resting and not just watching TV or doing a mindless activity, but being creative, doing something crafty, going on a walk. True rest that recharges me personally. Number 18, charge your phone in another room. This also goes along with no scrolling in the morning, which unfortunately is not my problem. I feel like if I were to scroll, it would be later in the day, but I think this has helped me so much ever since I moved, I have been charging my phone in the kitchen at night, and it really has helped me so much with not feeling inclined to check my phone. As soon as I wake up, I can wake up, I can have my slow little morning, get some things done. I will say I do check my phone when I go into the kitchen, but I'm not on my phone I guess. Is the thing, but I do think having your phone in another room makes it a little bit harder to just wake up and automatically start that scrolling. Number 19, be on time. Or early. This is another thing that I am working really hard on this year. I have been keeping track of all of the days I'm on time or early and instead of tracking when I'm late to things, switching that, making that habit replacement and almost, I guess anytime I make a little dot, it's like a reward to myself of saying that I was on time to something. And I don't know, I just think that's. A good character skill to have is to be on time. Nobody likes the person that's running late to everything, and it's stressful. You're driving fast, you're stressed out, you're anxious. You start getting in your head. Nothing good comes from being late. This next section is all about your body, your environment, your independence. So number 20 is how you care for your body on the inside, shows on the outside. The way you take care of your body, the foods that you eat will show up on your skin. I used to have a lot of underground acne and it was so painful. It was so inflamed, and I could never get rid of it, but I was eating a lot of processed foods. I was eating a lot of fried foods. Now that I've cut that out of my diet, I mean, my skin does flare up here and there, but. It's never those really big cystic type of acne, and it's obviously not a one size fits all, but I do think that has helped so much. Also, the foods that you're eating really, really lay a foundation for the way that you feel throughout the day. I used to always wake up and have sweet breakfasts, but. I've switched over to savory breakfasts and I feel like it really sustains me throughout the day. I don't have these intense sugar cravings because of the sugar drops. At the spa, there's a lot of people that have these different hair concerns. Their hair is thinning, they're losing a lot of their hair, but. Unfortunately with women, we like to refrain from eating. We like to cut things out. We like to, restrict ourselves from food. And whenever you're not getting those nutrients in your body can't function properly, you start losing your hair, you start getting dull skin, you start getting really dry, and those are all different ways that show up from the inside out. Number 21. Living alone teaches you more than you expect I am so grateful to be able to live alone. It's so nice not having to clean up after other people to know that all of the chores are my responsibility. You're not depending on someone else to do something or getting upset when the dishes are left in the sink or something is left undone. But with this, I do think we were not meant to live in isolation. I spend most of my nights alone, and as much as I do enjoy it, I have found such a newfound love for being around people, for being in community, having friends over going and doing things, I think the people you surround yourself really help to build you, to help build your character and to, improve your quality of life. And I think it's really important that even when you are living alone, to prioritize spending time with other people while also being grateful for having this time alone. Because I know one day I'm sure I'm going to be wishing that I could be alone, probably have a child knocking on the bathroom door telling me to let them in, and I'll have to remind myself of all of these days that I was chronically alone. Number 22, gratefulness is a gift that doesn't run out. I've talked about this in an episode before, but gratitude, taking that time to be grateful for things. I realized this morning I was driving to church. I was running late and I was starting to get negative in my head and it kind of goes along with taking your thoughts captive, but I just stopped myself and was like, you know what? It is a beautiful, sunny day out. It has been so gloomy lately, and right now the sun is shining. It feels good. I can feel the rays through my car windshield, and then I just started going through a list of all the things I can be grateful for, and it truly is a gift that doesn't run out. This final section is about relationships So number 23 is do not settle. Whether this is romantic relationships or friendships even, I know my life and, and a lot of people around me. In their lives too, that were so easy to settle and to expect the bare minimum to be okay with that. And that's just not okay. I was talking to my cousin lately about how in my past I had a really bad group of friends and they would talk bad about me. They. Would leave me out and I would just settle. I would be okay with having friends with people like that and thinking that it was something I did wrong, or being in relationships with people that didn't actually want to be in a relationship with me, but they liked. That I was always available and I was settling. I was settling for something that was not God's best for me. And it's really crazy the way that you can see clearly once you're out of all of these things and knowing that there is so much better to life than what we're settling for. So do me a favor and do not settle. Number 24, not everyone is going to like you. This is a tough one because I feel like whenever I was younger I was like a human chameleon. I would change for everybody around me. I would try to be the person that everybody liked and. One, it's not sustainable, and two people can see right through that. And number three, not everyone is going to like you, and that's okay. I. Finally, I'm at a place in my life where I know who I am. I can be myself around other people, and if somebody doesn't like me for that, I know that that's not something wrong with me. It just means we're incompatible. And I think that takes a lot of maturing. And honestly, it's probably this fully developed frontal lobe that even has me thinking this way. But not everyone's going to like you and. We need to stop changing for other people. Be yourself. And if people don't like you, that's their loss. Don't change. Well, unless you need to change, but that's a different, a whole different subject. Number 25, don't be afraid to start over. I think there's a lot of areas in life where people get comfortable. You've been in a relationship for a long time. You've been at a job for a long time. People are scared to start over, but that doesn't mean that it needs to be a scary thing. It's very bittersweet. It's something that it takes a lot of courage to do to start over, but I try to remind myself that, it's like a blank canvas to create the life that you've always wanted to. Number 26, plan your next trip. This is something that I will forever take into my life because life is busy. The days go by, the weeks go by, the months go by, and especially as a business owner, it can be really stressful at times and having something to look forward to. Is so nice. And so that's something that I want to do this week is to plan my next trip, but to give myself something to one, reward myself, but also I. To keep me excited, to keep me going. I think I've hit a little bit of a burnout, and I also realize that it is winter, even though there's some days that are 70 degrees here in Missouri, but it is winter and the seasonal depression is real, and so I just need to plan a trip, have something to look forward to, and give me that extra boost in life. All right. That episode was kind of all over the place, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. If you feel like this episode was helpful, please send this to a friend or a family member that you feel like could benefit from it as well. As always, thank you so much for being here. I have linked a Google form with a q and a, so if you have any questions, feel free to leave those there. Thank you for listening, and thank you for choosing to show up for yourself I hope you have a great start to your week. Bye.