Welcome to Fit to Be Real. And a little extra
and happy 2026. Oh, did you have to think about
that? Yeah, I did. Yeah. I wrote it for the first
time the other day. It was weird. It was weird.
Yeah. It's hard to believe, which is part of
what we're talking about today, why it's hard
to believe that we've hit 2026. But also, I'm
Victoria. Hey, guys, I'm Carly. And we've been
away for a while. We have. It's been... It's
been a holiday season, and I think we're getting
better at saying, hey, we can't do everything.
So this needs to whatever we can. Victoria says
I can't control anything. So whatever we can
control, we are getting better at not saying
no. I don't like saying no to this, but you know.
this is one of the things we can control when
or if we are doing them or not. Yeah, but saying
no doesn't mean you don't like it. It just means
I there's not a ounce left in my cup to fill
up. Like, yeah, take a minute. But I think even
two years ago, that wouldn't have happened. We
would have been like, we need to fit it in. We
did. We did. Yeah. I thought about it the other
day. Carly had strep, then Carly Christmas, and
then Carly had the neurovirus. And while I got
hungover and then Carly got hungover. And while
I was covering for that limited week of classes.
I was like, cool, I'm going to cash this in.
I'm going to go on vacation and Carly's going
to cover me. And then I got a back injury. So
I've already cashed it in. Oh, my God. I taught
three classes and only one of yours. And it was
supposed to be both of us. I did nothing extra
as extra as I am. I did nothing extra for you.
I just taught by myself, which I know how hard
that is when it's it's it's a lot anyway. But
I was thinking about it last night. I was like,
how did we not miss a hundred weeks? Cause I
think we went through a hundred, a hundred straight
weeks of episodes without missing like an episode.
And then we started to realize how hard that
was. But like, did we not get sick? Did nothing
happen? No, we did it sick. We did it when we
did not want to. We did it when I cried a few
times. because I was so overwhelmed once. It
felt like a lot. We keep talking about it though.
I know because I hate crying in front of people.
Cool. But we did it at all cost at the cost of
us. So I think this year we're getting better
at being like, you know what? It's not going
to work out this week. And that's cool. Yeah.
And that's cool. So with that said. Wait, I do
want to say, can we talk about really quickly?
I do listen to the podcast back every week. As
I said before, I want to see if I'm about to
get canceled or not, because I don't remember
what I say. But it's a blackout. Can we talk
about how aggressive these ads are? Like, they're
aggressive. Like, I'll be like, hey, guys, I
went to the and it's like, and it's about this
ad and it comes out of nowhere and it's loud
and I'm like, oh, God, I wonder if I can manipulate
that. I'll look into that today. Because I listen
to other podcasts, like Smart List, which is
the number one podcast in the world. Professional.
And they have an enormous team working for them.
And it's like, and we'll be right back. And ours
is like, how do you like to sleep at night? Do
you like your pillows? We like a good nervous
system shock. Oh my god. I was like, oh god.
I just want to talk about how aggressive they
are. I honestly don't play them back. You don't
like to listen to yourself? I do not play them.
Well, because I edit them. So I listen to them
while like I play it back, but it's not post
like post. I laugh so hard sometimes because
I forget we're just talking. I don't like, do
you remember word for word conversations? Let
me get my script. No, I don't remember. So like
when I go back and listen to it, it's like, oh
my God, I am not that dumb. She's not that it's
such a It's such a character, but it's not. It's
not a lie. It's just, it's weird. I don't know
how to describe. I have a filter because there's
lots of things I want to say that I would never
say, but I also don't have a filter where I'm
like, oh God, should I have said that? But way
after the fact, like two weeks after the fact.
Oh good, that's overthinking 101. I think it's
like comfort level. If you were standing at work,
you would know what you were saying. to the people
around you and to the group of people in the
room, you would be very aware. And then if you
would slip on something, you know how to pull
it back. You're on, quote unquote on. But here,
it's not that you're on. Is this thing on? I
think you just know I'm gonna call me out on
it. Have you seen me at work? I'm pretty sure
I've told teenage girls to... drop it and get
low and things I should not say and work for
Santa. You should see her like, don't be fooled
by this wetsuit. What's that meme? That's like,
I work out seven days a week, multiple times
a day to dress like this. What's the point? It's
okay. She doesn't wear any clothes to teach.
So it evens out, but we digress. Sorry. Here's
the reason why we're going to talk about the
mind game of the new year. specifically right
now in 2026. So what brought this to my attention
was number one, an Instagram post. And then I,
I resonated so much with it that I started to
put it into Google and look for what the research
was that they found this study and all these
things. But the, but I think it's universally
understood that every time somebody came in this
week post new year, post Christmas, holiday,
Hanukkah, all of that, like that, all December.
Holiday season. That the number one thing was,
can you believe how fast it went? Like, how was
your holiday? It feels like forever ago. It was
like three years ago and it was only two weeks
ago. And like that. And it was 16 days long.
Right. And it was the same. But it was the same
conversation for all different. Generations.
Generations and and phases of life. And it was
just very collectively. What happened? Yeah.
Like, are you saying specifically the holiday
season went by so fast or the 2025? Both. Because
once the conversation, the initial conversation
is like, how are your holidays? Oh, my gosh,
it was a blip. Happy New Year. Can you believe
it's 2026? No. What happened? The year felt so
long every day. But as a whole, I can't believe
we're here. Like I don't believe that. I think
2025 went very quickly. There have been years
that I felt were 10 years long. 2025 was fast.
Right. That's what I'm saying. It was fast, but
the days were long. Like getting through your
Wednesday. Carly has a really horrible Wednesday
schedule this year. Oh, I forgot to say it last
night because you weren't there. So did you have
a great Wednesday? No, I just forgot to say,
oh my God, I hate Wednesdays. She manifests the
worst negativity ever. I say it every week. Oh
my God. But that's a long Wednesday. And you
had it for half or the last September to New
Year. But it still went by fast. Right, and it,
yeah, you're right. Do you know what I mean?
But every Wednesday, like I dread Fridays because
they're ridiculously long. I hate Fridays too.
Carly doesn't like anything that ends with a
Y. For many reasons. But the whole year snapped
its finger, but the days were like, oh my God,
I don't know how I'm gonna get through this.
Like it's noon and I have to get to seven. Right.
Yeah. Right. So it inspired me. I was like, ooh,
I remember a post that I saw and It's a study.
I saw the same one. Good. It's a study that said
time itself changed after 2000 Y2K and again
in a different way after 2020. So the two big...
So Y2K was 2000. You said that already? Yeah,
but you tell them. Okay. That was my jam. Okay,
2000. But when I read it the first time, I read
it 2020 to 2026. the year 2000. But those were
literally not the numbers. Questionable. So,
okay, we have to revisit this because I read
it completely wrong. Well, think about what happened.
If you're of the millennial and up ages, we were
afraid at year 2000. It was Y2K. They said all
of our computers were going to blow up the house
and everything. It was going to be the apocalypse.
Fear, yeah. And that was such a big universal
Thing that happened and then it nothing really
happened that globally until 2020 right was the
pandemic and that changed time completely in
a different way, so Here's how hold please. I
did not write any of this because it's way too
much And your girl is tired and crampy in the
back. Oh, by the way, she's sitting on a heating
pad. She's got lots of painkillers in her system.
We're looking at my two giant. How about how
big those are? Yeah, they're enormous. I'm saving
them. Yeah. They're so big. For what? Well, like,
they're good bottles. Like, I don't know. I'll
peel the sticker off, use them for something.
Oh, God. Anyway, she's on painkillers. We don't
know what she's going to say today. I did. I'm
a little slurry in my mouth. You wasted? Kind
of. You want one? You naked wasted? Yeah. Yes.
Wait, what? You're so not a Bravo person. Naked
wasted? Gretchen and Tamara naked wasted. Sarah,
help me out here. We're going to move on. OK.
So yes, I'm going to read from this because it's
a lot. So after 2000, we had constant information
and overload. And so it reduced deep memory form.
like forming memories because we had computers
that started to advance things and we weren't
really in the moment. We were able to search
and do searches and do all this new stuff that
kind of changed our brains from having to figure
it out ourselves. Like there was this thing that
could do it for us. You didn't have to get, find
a dictionary, go to the next room, find a dictionary,
look up the word, write the definition. We had
to learn how to use a thesaurus. Do you remember
that? Oh yeah. And now I don't think kids know
what that word is. We had to look at library
cards, the index, to find out where they were
in the library. We got tested on it. Yes. We
got like, we didn't know how to do it. It's called
something. Like, you know, the, it was wooden
and you pull out the card and you have to find
the author and then you go to like B -17. It
was wooden, like the, it was a cabinet, like
an apothecary cabinet basically for library cards.
Anyway, go ahead. Yeah. That was good. Damn.
That was good. 2026 might be my year. So yeah,
2000, it was fewer stored memories makes the
year feel shorter. Fewer stored memories makes
the year feel shorter. Why do we have fewer stored
memories? Wouldn't we have... Because we were
able to... search for more things. So our brain
was filled with more things and we had fewer
stored memories. Okay, I got it. So it's hard
to remember everything that you're able to take
in when it was a slower pace, prior to 2000.
Right. You were kind of more in control of what
information you took in. Right, but Victoria
says you're not in control of anything, so yeah.
You're not. After 220. What? What? What? She
wasted. After 2020. Prolonged stress shut down
the brain's planning system, causing days and
years to blur together. Which is the truth, because
how many times were you like, wait, when was
COVID? And what year is it? Yeah. Like, I think
about all the time, when did we move into new
CFIT? Because was it 2021? Was it 2022? It was
2021. But I have to think, because I don't remember
what year was what year. Because it's a blur.
Yeah. It's purely all ran together. and felt
like 10 years. Yes. But it, I mean, 2020 was
one year, obviously, felt like 10. And then everything
after, even to 2026, I write things down to remind
myself, as if I have like a memory loss problem.
But you do, and we all know this. I know. But
I write it down because I'm like, my brain doesn't
process it fully. I can I can 100 % agree that
between 2020 and at least 2023, I don't know
what year what happened in what year. It's all
the same. It's all the same. But but according
to the study, because 2020 happened post, you
know, pandemic, it's hard for us to remember
prior prior memories as well. Yeah. Which is
why I'm like, I don't know 2013 I graduate no
2011 I don't you know, I have no recollection
right the only thing I remember Everyone every
one of you Millennials are gonna agree with me
The only thing I remember the year and the moment
and very clearly is the blizzard of 1996 always
I was six I brought it up yesterday because it
would it would be January 6th So January 6th
was the 30 year 30 year reunion now anniversary
Not reunion. Let's not reunion that. Of the blizzard
of 1996. And I brought it up in class yesterday
to, not to make fun, I say to make fun, but to
make fun of somebody in class being like, this
song came out in the blizzard of 96, but you
weren't even alive. Yes, to make fun. Yeah, I
was making fun of somebody. God, she is, you
killed the 20 -year -olds. I was making fun of
the youths. The youths. And then Michaela came
up and was like, just so you know. I don't remember
it either, because I wasn't born. And I was like,
damn. She was 26, 27? Yeah. So yes, after 2000,
so 2000 to 2020, that 20 -year stint. 2000 to
2020, OK. Constant digital input reduced the
brain's ability to form lasting memories. Yeah,
yeah, yeah. So that's what it is. I'm just kind
of redoing it. That's my stomach. Oh my gosh.
Did you guys hear the monster in Carly's stomach?
It just I haven't eaten yet It didn't like but
I've had so much coffee. So let them Carly gave
me a mug that says let them for Christmas So
let them know what I should have done I should
have shattered it and been like Give me my $14
back Damn So there are fewer time markers between
2000 and 2020 Less novelty and more routine meant
fewer unique memory events, making yours seem
shorter in hindsight. Yeah. I mean, kids these
days don't know what a dial -up means. You just
sit there for 20 years. Sorry. Can you tell us
what that sound is like? That's what your stomach
sounded like. I could hear it in my nightmares.
Can I recreate it? No. But after a fifth, sixth
grade dance, you go home, you get on that dial
up and wait to talk to everybody at said dance.
That was like, that was it. That was it. Yeah.
And then your crush would have their away message.
Yeah. Like some really moody emo song. Yeah.
And you're like, oh, he loves me. Yeah. And it's
like, I know what you did last summer. He tried
to kill me. I was thinking of the song. I was
thinking of the song. OK, keep going. Moving
on. So after 2020, chronic stress. Shocker. Right.
So prolonged stress from the pandemic shut down
the brain's future planning systems. Oh, wait,
why? I wonder, because that's all I want to do
now. Because it was lack of new experiences and
constant interruptions and like notifications
made the days and week blend together. Yeah.
So. Yeah, it messes up that organizational part
of your brain. That's my problem. That's where
it started. That's cute. Which makes us feel
older. This one's true. It compressed future
time. Compressed future time makes people feel
older than they are. Compressed future time.
What does compressed future time mean? When it
blurs together. Think of what compressed means.
Yeah. Right? So it sucks it all in. It's compressing.
which is how much like 2020 felt like 10 years
of those compressed time. Made you feel older
because it's like you aged four years, but it
was only a year. Yeah, yeah. It's like dog years.
Yeah, it's like dog years. Yeah, that's a good
way to put it. Because you're like, where the
heck did that time go? And how did I get to be
40? I mean, yeah. Oh, yeah, this is about you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why haven't you learned that
every episode is about me? If I don't put it
in my perspective, there is no perspective. It's
only mine. Why? I can't wait to hear how loud
that is in the microphone. I'm sorry for all
of your ears. But if I don't relate it to myself,
I don't understand it. This sounds like a personal
problem. We know. We know very well. OK. So the
brain's role in this, which is the part that
I was like, OK, I understand how they're wording
the compressed time and the blur years and all
that stuff. But why? What's the brain part of
it? So the hippocampus, which she's going to
make fun of. Yes. Oh wait, I can't wait to say
this the rest of the episode. The hippocampus.
Good. Yeah. Yell it to the microphone. The hippocampus
is the, this area is crucial for memory. It gets
less stimulation from repetitive tasks, creating
fewer distinctive markers for time. Oh God. I'm
going to need that. So think of, think of Is
it near the Vegas nerf? Think of the, yeah. Shut
up. Think of the easy button. Remember that easy
button? Yes. She got really excited. Yes, I know
that. So this is how I'm doing this on the fly
to try to dumb it down. I'll accept. The hipporambus?
No, hippocampus. Okay, I was close. This is for
repetitive tasks. So think of doing like the
list, you've write a little, she already has
lost, she doesn't write lists, but like the list
of things you have to do and some of them are
daily and some of them are like, I just have
to do it on this Monday because it's Mondays
when you have to make this phone call or something
like that. Yeah, got it. And every time you do
that random task, you hit the easy button. And
every time you do the task, any task every day,
you hit the easy button. So more repetitive,
easy button things. It that's that's. That's
what tells the brain, like, you don't have to
remember this, you don't remember. Right, because
it's out of my brain now. It's not your brain.
Yeah. So once once you hit that easy button,
you never have to remember it again. It's repetitive
markers that like get a little blurry. It just
like reminds me of. 1950s cubicle secretaries
just like typing away on the computer, sort of
just like hit and repeat, hit and repeat, hit
and repeat. It would be 1950s for you. I love
the 1950s. I'm trying to hit and repeat. Really
upsetting. Take the microphone away from your
goddamn mouth. This is insane. It's been three
weeks. You can't forget that easily. Novelty
in terms of the brain's role, novelty. So new
experiences and learning. and learning, trigger
the hippocampus, slowing down subjective time
perception. Yeah. No, I get that. Slows down
time. Subjective time perception. Yeah. It's
hard to understand how much time has passed or
how much time you've spent on something. It's
literally Groundhog's Day. You just keep hitting
and hitting until you're like, what day is it?
Sort of like Christmas vacation, when you're
like, Is it Wednesday? That week, the 25th to
the 31st. Where you don't know what day it is,
because you're sort of doing the same thing.
Well, not us, but we still had to work, which
was fine. I actually liked having something to
get up and go to. But you didn't. No, no, no.
I know. Harley died. So it's good that you remembered
doing all the stuff that you didn't do. But it's,
you know, when you... When you wake up when you
don't know what day it is because it's sort of
just like yesterday and it's sort of like the
day you're going to have tomorrow. And in a lot
of ways that week, though, it's good, though,
because sometimes the normal routine, like it
acts like a reset button for a lot of people.
It acts like a reset and they actually take off.
and they get to reset, and they're in their homes,
and they're just relaxing post -Christmas. You're
making it sound so nice. I want to do that. We
don't ever do that. I don't want to do that.
It doesn't happen for us due to work and due
to family visiting and wanting to get the most
time out of seeing our brother's family who come
in. And it's awesome. I said this all week. I
said it's so great that it's truly 24 hours a
day. When you have off time, you go and you just
stare at them. There's nothing to do. There's
nothing to say. You don't have to do anything.
You just have to be in the same room. Yeah. We
like sit and watch football. Thanks, Billy. It's
so fun. So there are those moments. Now, the
reason why it's exhausting for us is because
we have to go work. And then the moments we could
take to sit on the couch, you can't. You go to
Carly's house. You sit on the couch and watch.
Or get. or everyone's helping me get food together
to feed all the people. And then once they're
done, it's the cleanup and then it's getting
ready for food for the next meal. So it's like
so it's insane. But it's fine. It's all good.
But what I meant was like that hitting that easy
button is sort of like Christmas week. Right.
I love Christmas week, but I wouldn't want Christmas
week for 12 months of the year. Exactly, you
know exactly and that's what some so many of
those years were I think yeah, which is where
this is coming from. So taking control How do
you how do you kind of get the years back or
the time? Mental game. How do you get that back?
I know the answer to this. What is it? You can't
Is that I mean, yes, is it a trick question that
go back in time? No. Oh All right. Let me rephrase
taking control of that taking control of how
your brain processes time. Okay Because that
you can control. How you perceive things you
can control. How you receive things you can control.
However, what you're talking about, you want
to control. That's a different episode. How much
do you want to sing the song by Hooting the Blowfish?
I appreciate the bubbles of marbles because that's
how every 90s song sounded but oh my god. No?
Unrecognizable. Okay. So you introduce novelty
and focus and that can help reclaim a richer
sense of time of like where you are in the moment
present. present time and not thinking too far
ahead, not thinking back, not blurring the lines.
So what novelty means is just new skills, maybe
some travel, new experiences. Like you have to,
you can't hit the easy button for brand new things
because it's not easy yet. Right. So you have
to introduce new things to your hippocampus,
to your brain. She's thinking of saying hippopotamus.
That's what that look was. I know. But that makes
a lot of sense. It's like if year after year
is the same thing over and over, what year is
what? Who cares? So here's what I'm getting from
this. Oh, good. You guys want to hear? Because
this is all about me. Immediately when you said
that, it made sense because 2020, 2021, no one
went anywhere. 2022, really nobody went anywhere.
I don't have a sense of time or how old the kids
were. in those years because I don't remember.
Then fast forward to this summer when I took
the kids to Vegas for the first time and Scotland,
I will never forget that we went to Scotland
in 2025 in the summer because that was new. I've
never done that before. That was like a marker
in the year that I couldn't hit the easy button.
But in those three years, 20 to 23, there was
nothing like that. And like you don't have to
go to Scotland to like mark it, but like That
was just something new and different that we'd
done that came to me off the top of my head that
there was nothing new and different over those
years. Right. So I don't remember. So you understand.
So all that being said, I get what she's saying.
It's not what I'm saying. These are studies from
University College of London. And what was the
other one? We'll put it in the notes. Stanford.
What was that other small college of no importance?
The one you never remembered. Stanford. Stanford.
And then I found articles from the University
of Michigan. So I'm attaching all of them if
you really want to not dumb it down and read
the real science behind it. But it's just so,
because it's the same conversation I have when
it's a birthday. I can't believe. What happened
to time? Time is not real. Time is not real.
We created a calendar, but like it's not even
the right calendar. I saw, I saw, I forget what,
what account, but they were like, why we set
new goals and intentions in January in the middle
of winter is beyond me because January is meant
for hibernation. Winter is meant to close yourself
in from the world, reset yourself. by relaxation
and recovery and then spring into a new season.
Do you think the new year or New Year's resolution
should be done in April? Yes, it's it's it's
not that I think it. There is an actual calendar
of when when you should like, technically. Is
it the Mayan calendar? Why did you say it like
that? Because I wanted everybody to know that
I know that there's a Mayan calendar. It's something
like that, but the new year isn't January 1st.
It's much later in January I actually think it's
the beginning of February in terms of like we
were just she's gonna make fun of me We were
just in a snake year. Now. We're going into a
horse year You would you love horses remember?
Yeah, it's about me. I made it remember going
to Dragon Garden. Yes, and you what your birthdate
was like, uh -huh Whatever animal it was, but
do you remember what you were? Ah, no. I can't
remember what I was either. I was a hippocampus.
I hate you. I think I was like a dragon or something.
I don't know. I don't remember. I have to look
it up. But that's the real like new shift for
the earth and like everything. We just do it.
Pagan calendar. I don't know. We do it in January
because somebody created it in January It's just
like Jesus's birthday is not actually December
25th. Yeah, but isn't the Chinese New Year in
I'm looking at all the posters Every single day
that I lived in New York and that there were
always those posters of the Chinese New Year
Yeah, is it it's not in January though. No, is
it isn't it like in March? I think it's February.
I think it's February. It's before spring and
that it makes more sense where you dive into
that. It makes way more sense because we shouldn't
be in this state. Like what do you want to do
in January? You want to just take a moment. Yeah.
On your couch with your family, have those, you
know, it's so cold outside. You quite literally
don't want to go outside. You want to make delicious
food in your house and stay warm. That's the
point of winter. That's why bears hibernate.
Yeah. You only want to go outside for your workout
class and then you can go back home with your
families. Okay. That's all. That's the only time
you need to leave the house. Yes. So I saw a
second post, and I actually saw it this morning,
so this wasn't in the plan, but it makes a lot
of sense to what time means. And it says, January
is all about rest and hibernation. February is
all about self love and love, like romance. Duh.
March is when we prepare for the new year, and
April is when we spring into action. I mean,
that makes sense. It makes way more sense than
telling yourself and your body and your natural
circadian rhythm, let's do things January 1st.
Let's reinvent ourselves. It's like your body
doesn't want to do that. I wonder if that is
like a hustle culture marketing thing that started.
I wonder where that started. I don't know where
it started, but I think that's why people peter
out. Peter off at the end of January and we don't
see as many people come February because they
go so hard of like This is what you're supposed
to do. I'm gonna do all the workouts and then
we don't see them Well, I did read that people
that make workout resolutions The statistic is
they only last 14 days. That's two weeks They
last 14 days before they just forget it and I
think it's because it's January Yeah, and you
don't your body is like stop making me do these
like stop wanting me to be something else, and
then ask me to do this a couple months later,
and then they're ready to go. You know what I
mean? So it's an interesting study of time and...
Stop saying it, because I'm gonna keep singing
the song. See, I would think you would go to
time after time. No. Why you punish me? That
was better. That actually I recognized, Hootie.
Alright, here's my question. Are you done? Actually,
those, oh, your back hurts, sorry. She had a
back spasm a week ago and she's incapacitated.
You made me laugh so hard. Those were two different
thoughts. I have something to say, so are you
done or are you gonna keep going? Oh, I understand.
Okay. No, I'm done. Okay. So Julia Finio, what's
up, Jewel, who gave us these lovely wine glasses
for Christmas. So if you're not watching, one
says real and one etched extra. And we thought
that was the cutest thing. I'm going to drink
my blue water out of it. So we were talking this
year over the holidays about how we don't feel
Christmassy this year. And I am obsessed with
Christmas, like obsessed. Did you talk to Julie
about this? I'm sure you did in one of your sessions.
I don't like to divulge information. I know.
She's like a lockbox. If you ever tell her anything,
don't assume she's ever going to tell me because
she won't. It's annoying. But anyway, I feel
I was less Christmassy this year. Like, I wasn't
usually. I'm like, Thanksgiving, get the tree
up. Let's do all the train rides and all the
things. And it was really late going for me this
year. I didn't feel 100 % in it. Your work schedule
was terrible. I know, but I felt less Christmassy.
And so I don't know how it came up with Julia
that we were talking about this. I feel like
in 2020, obviously, nobody could be together.
So 2021, 22, 23, people went really hard because
we had felt like we lost at least two years or
two Christmases. You decorated November 1st for
Christmas. Oh, yeah. And that's when people started
posting that they were decorating early, and
then there was the big divide. Do you do it before
Thanksgiving or not? Yeah. And people were saying,
just do whatever makes you happy. But I felt
like we all went so hard that now it's back to
normal now. Well, the world is not back to normal,
but in 2026, it's like we're coming off of a
sugar high or something. Yeah. Do you feel like
that is the case? Did you feel less Christmassy
this year? No. I didn't. I felt more Christmassy
than I have in years. Oh, OK, fine. Hold the
thought. But you're gonna make fun of this. Of
course. But what you're describing is exactly
what's universally happening. We're getting out
of the year of the sneak. What you do in the
year of the sneak, 2025, was shed all of the
things that you're done with. You're noticing
what works for you, you notice what doesn't work
for you, and you leave that behind. And so there's...
There's such a come down. Yeah, that's where
I was this year. Right. I know exactly what you're
describing. Like you are a good textbook example
of how these witches know what they're talking
about. OK. What fortune cookie did you read that
I did not get this year? A lot. Oh, you guys
did a lot of Asian cooking. What are you talking
about? This is the quote unquote woo -woo stuff
people don't subscribe to, but it's so true.
It's just true. This whole year was, how many
times it was like, Carly, it doesn't work for
you. Don't do it. I know. Okay. Like that was
the year. That was 2025 for you. And I, yeah,
I agree with that. And I was sick this year of
all, I wanted to do more things. Like we gave
the kids experiences for Christmas this year
from us. Obviously, they got lots of presents
and more than I wanted to do because this year
I was like, we're scaling back. I want to do
experiences, less plastic toys or whatever. We
did all the plastic toys, but I also, this year
I wanted to do more things and have less in the
house. Like I told you, we went to Europe, we
went to Scotland and they had four plates. Four
knives, four forks. And I was like, this is the
way to live. The Airbnb. No, all of Scottly.
Just the Airbnb. Guys, Carly travels once and
she thinks she knows it all. The Airbnb had like.
minimalistic everything. And I was like, this
is the way to live. So I came back going, I want
to do that this year. I just want to live minimally,
but go travel and go do all the things. And that's
why a little bit I felt less Christmassy, because
I'm usually all about the like. Overabundance.
Yes. Yes. So I just wanted to say that. But I
think so next year, I think it's going to be
even more different. I think you're going to
feel the Christmas holiday season spirit in a
different way in a different way I think it's
gonna Maybe it'll be more minimalistic, but it'll
be more genuine. Yes, and that's what you're
missing I think this year because you experience
something in Scotland and then you came back
to like quote -unquote real life, right? And
it's hustle and bustle and chaos and yeah stuff
and all the things that add up So then by the
time I got to Christmas You're too tired to really
yeah, dive in. That's exactly what it was. I
was like ready to get rid of the old Way of that
we've been doing things and yeah, but like the
year of the snake still keep all the same stuff
No, yeah year of the snake the shedding we still
have January to shed the rest of things that
do not resonate with us and then we catapult
into the year of the horse, which is like Going
forth with everything in action, like putting
every thought to action. Right. Because you've
gotten rid of the stuff that just doesn't work
for you. Does that make sense? Yeah. I know it
really does. I didn't make it up. It's not me.
It's it's the world. I felt like that was a general.
It wasn't just me. Like I had talked to people
about it. I talked to Julie about I talked to
one person because I don't talk to people, but
I talked to one person. I just talked to her
a lot and. It was like, yeah, you feel like this?
Because I thought I was crazy. So I think more
people than I thought were feeling that way.
See, I think I had a hard time. I was definitely
into Christmas. I decorated. I can't remember
if I decorated before Thanksgiving or not. You
did earlier than me. So then before Thanksgiving.
I decorated before Thanksgiving. And I was so
ready for it and I was excited and I loved coming
into my house and it felt homey and Christmassy
and yada yada But then the moment Christmas happened,
I was ready to get rid of it. Yeah I didn't let
it go until January till New Year. I got rid
of my Christmas stuff I was done and that is
where maybe I agree where like my Christmas spirit
was not It was too like scheduled and planned
of being like cool we're in here cool get rid
of it and what's next like I that's That's how
much of my experience was So I wasn't as Christmassy
in terms of like... You don't have to be like
me. It's fine. You don't have to do everything
that I do. It's fine. But yeah, I did do it late
this year. Boo. But don't boo. It was what it
was. You still had a great Christmas. The kids
still loved running around the house and your
house was, you know... It was pretty darn red,
green, and silver bells all over. Oh, I went...
I go full 90s, nostalgic, all the colors. We
don't do the Victoria white and, like, light
blue and, you know, pinks and stuff. We do. I
don't do pinks. You don't? You have, like, a
couple pinks. Yeah, you gave them to me. Oh,
yeah, that's right. But I put them out. I do.
My pink reindeer. I put them out. We do if it's
not red, green, white, colorful. I mean, it's
full on. It's full on. But I do love it. And
I was one of those that got up early in the morning,
put on the Christmas lights and Michael Buble
Christmas and sat with my coffee. And I think
that's the happiest I am in the day because it
is the best part. But also like how sad. What?
No, it was just okay. Not the happiest. Wrong
choice of words. It was the calmest. Also, how
sad oh my god, but not not in like a you should
feel better It's just like that's the the grind.
That's the hustle Yeah that we're in that we're
trying to get rid of that hustle trying to get
more of those moments during the day Why can't
you have that at noon? You know what I mean?
Yeah, and it's just because of the schedule and
the nature of How hard our lives are right now
like I don't I think this year my biggest phrase
was life shouldn't be this hard Yeah, and it's
also relative, right? Like we also have the most
privilege and like I saw something, Donna, what's
up Donna? Party girl? Yeah, party girl Donna.
She said it to me and I was like I know exactly
what post you're talking about and I saved it
because it said like how lucky and blessed are
you to have gained weight over the holiday season
to have the amount of food that you have on your
plate. Like there's different ways you have to
look at things. So instead of beating yourself
up for indulging in the family spread and the
family parties and having the extra drink or
whatever it is, how lucky are you? Yeah. Versus
how beat yourself down for indulging and and
really being in the moment of these special moments.
I saw a post like that. That was like how lucky
I'll say your way. How lucky and blessed are
you to be exhausted from a job? that you wished
you had. Hold on, let me do this. I'm sorry,
what? How lucky are you to be exhausted from
a job that you wish you had? I just said the
same thing that you prayed for or something.
Like, oh, oh, oh. That you wished you had had.
That you wished preview. This is why I don't
make up memes. How lucky and blessed are you
to be exhausted from a job that you used, you
manifested, that you used to want so badly. You
now have it and it's killing you. Yes. And you
don't want it anymore. But how lucky are you?
But you don't have a choice because you're too
much in debt. So you can't leave. So that's what
the meme said. But I didn't want it. Hashtag
see fit. But I understand. I understand what
you mean. It's the same thing. It was written
a different way. All right, guys, I'm not a professional
meme writer, but I should be. Hold on. Hold on.
What is this stance? Look at my dog. Look at
you. If you're watching. Your dog's legs are
wide open. Screenshot this. She's with the sluttier
side of the couch. Oh, my God. Amazing. All right.
I won't quit my day job anytime soon to create
memes in Silicon Valley. Oh, my God. I know what
you mean, though. I'm crying. Like, tears are
coming down my face. How exhausted are you because
you're so tired and you love your job, but you
hate it every day But you love the people going
but you have no money and you're in debt, but
you're so lucky It's a great meme inspirational
words for 2026 Yes, yes, we really do have to
end this I have to go on a really sad girl walk.
I have to go on lunch duty It's to go yell at
a bunch of kids So yes, the takeaway that I'm
taking away from this conversation about time
and truly feeling like out of control of what
you can remember and what you can experience
is that the tip, the real extra tip, the real
tip, the extra tip is to take more moments of
like new things. Maybe it's hard with the day
to day schedule, but maybe it's as simple as
like, If you're walking and commuting to work
in a city, take a different route. Turn down
a different street. You'll still get there, but
maybe there's something new that you're gonna
find and you'll remember it more unless you're
taking the same thing. Like I used to try to
do that in New York all the time when I was walking
to work. I knew how to get to 38th Street, but
I'm gonna take a left this time. I'm not gonna
take a right. It could be as simple that or it
could be as simple as book the trip. You know,
like, take the new experiences and not just hit
that easy button. Yeah, just go to the Airbnbs
with only four plates, four forks, four knives.
You're going to come back a different person.
Maybe still one, you know, maybe still a knife.
But that I think is the takeaway that 2026 is
the year of putting action to what you want and
what you want your life to be. Like if you look
around the room or you look around and take a
moment. Are you living the life that you want?
Or are you living the life that you are trying
to have? Or are you just feeling stuck? Like
you're in control of change in that way. I feel
like that's a whole nother episode. It is. And
we've talked about it many times, but like make
2026 the new experience year. Yeah. In super
small ways. Like Tuesday night, I hung out with
my friends on a Tuesday. That's crazy. I know.
How about how that's crazy? I'm still crying.
Sorry. Stop yelling at the microphone. God damn.
But that... That is what I think 2026, like the
year of the horse, the putting everything in
motion so that you can remember it by the time
you get to 2027 and be like, no, 2026 was like
a year. It was a year I'll remember, that type
of thing. Yeah. And it doesn't always have to
be all positive all the time. It's just something
to remember. You don't always remember the good.
You don't always remember the bad. It's all of
it. But between 20 and 23, it was like mostly
bad. So that's why it's a blur. Yeah, let's not
have a blurry 20 -26. Yes, let's not. 20 -26.
Nothing rhymes with six. Maybe only say it when
you figure it out off the microphone. I keep
trying, but nothing rhymes with six. No one's
picking up sticks in 20 -26, unless you're going
to throw them at Carly. So with that said, we
hope time slows down a little bit and you stay
more present in the moment. And remember... that
you are always fit to be real and always allowed
to be a little extra. For legal reasons, we have
to tell you that this podcast is meant for entertainment
and educational purposes only. We are not healthcare
professionals. For all of your health, wellness,
fitness, and self -care needs, please refer to
the medical professional in your life. Your primary
care physician, your therapist, a certified coach,
whoever it may be. And then let us know what
they say because I guarantee we need to know
it too. Okay? Okay, bye.