Every year, I choose a theme to guide my New Year’s resolution. This year, I’ve landed on a word that feels simple but profound: margin. Let me explain why.
As a therapist, I see so many people (myself included) living at or beyond their limits. Calendars crammed with back-to-back commitments. Budgets stretched to the last dollar. Emotions on edge because there’s no space to breathe between stressors. And let’s not even get started on the mental clutter that comes from saying “yes” to too much.
Margin is the opposite of all that. It’s the extra space we leave in our time, money, energy, and emotional capacity to allow for life’s inevitable surprises. It’s a buffer zone that helps us move from merely surviving to thriving.
When I think of margin, I picture a blank stretch of white space around the edges of a page. Without that space, everything feels cramped, overwhelming, and impossible to read. Life works the same way—it’s in those margins where creativity, rest, and spontaneity live.
So, here’s my resolution: I’m committing to creating more margin in my life. I’m saying no to things that don’t align with my values, even if they’re “good” opportunities. I’m building financial margin by rethinking unnecessary expenses and prioritizing savings. And maybe hardest of all, I’m leaving open blocks of time in my calendar—no plans, no agenda, just space to breathe.
Why? Because margin isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. It’s what allows us to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively. It’s what makes room for connection, joy, and unexpected opportunities. Without it, we risk burnout, resentment, and a life that feels more like a to-do list than an experience to savor.
If you’re considering your own resolutions, I’d encourage you to think about where you could use a little more margin. Is your schedule so packed that you don’t have time to rest? Could your finances benefit from a little breathing room? What about your emotional bandwidth—are you stretched so thin that the smallest hiccup feels like too much?
Creating margin doesn’t mean becoming a minimalist or cutting out everything fun. It’s about being intentional. It’s about recognizing that life’s richest moments often happen in the unplanned pauses and the quiet spaces we create.
Here’s to a new year with a little more space—for rest, for joy, and for whatever surprises life has in store.
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