Purity, Provocation, Progress, Planning, and Persistence
5 Things in NancyAF's Brain the Week of 12/8
Yeah, if I added Pussy to the list of P’s, I would probably get even more clicks.
But that would not be in keeping with my first P. These are all words that are floating through my head as I prep (another P) for 2026.
Purity does not refer to virginity in this case. It has to do with keeping your brand and persona (there I go again with those P words!) genuine and consistent. We are living in a reality TV world, where “rage bait” is heralded as the 2025 hot term. I suppose that means and vindictive people and those starved for online attention are being genuine when they’re nasty. But I am choosing to live on the Planet of Pure Persona in 2026, where people are real, kind, and fun. Check out my upcoming podcast with two women who talk about your “public persona” and how not to fall prey to the rampant narcissism and meanness. Just please subscribe to my YouTube channel and you’ll be alerted when it goes live. Here’s a sneak preview….
Provocation is simply like disruption in this case. Playing it safe and small is the norm for most people. I am often referred to as a provocateur, simply because I question the rules and encourage others to think boldly and independently. I sometimes ruffle feathers and give some leaders a headache when I ask “Why?” or push boundaries. But it’s who I’ve always been (see #1) and have no intention of stopping. From rule-breaking and disruption comes positive change, which leads to…
Progress. It’s different from transformation because it implies that you learned valuable lessons from mistakes and are applying that knowledge to living a better and richer life. Own and even celebrate your 2025 mistakes and move on!
Planning is essential to time management. But even the best laid plans can blow up. Learn to flex and pivot and not dwell on sudden shifts. As we get older, we often become even more flexible in the face of minor and major crises.
Persistence is critical at all phases of life. You can never REALLY understand resilience until you’ve been around for 60+ years and have been metaphorically smacked around multiple times. I’ve been re-watching Mad Men and reminding myself that HBO, FX, and Showtime turned down Matthew Weiner before the show was greenlit. Feeling down? Look for tales of people who persisted and ultimately succeeded! Watch for more about this as I reveal my 2026 plans (#4).
And, as for pussy…I prefer to think about it in terms of my late cat Lola, whom I adopted at six weeks and who lived to 23. The pejorative use of the word has already gotten too much exposure in the media.