Hello and welcome to or welcome back to Try Not To Care.
If you're new here, my name's Ashley and I upload every single Monday.
So if you're ever having a bad week or you want some big sister advice, I'm here every single Monday.
I saw a TikTok that said, I will be replacing AI, so ask me anything.
That's what I am.
Instead of asking AI for answers when you're struggling or you're confused in life, just come to me.
I have all the answers for you.
If I sound sick, it's because I am again.
Josh got me sick with a cold and I'm just coming out of it.
So I'm fine, but I just don't sound the best, but everything's great.
I'm sitting down in my cozy chair with my big brown, fluffy, cozy earth blanket.
And after this, I'm leaving for New York to do something really exciting.
So I can't wait for you to see that.
But anyways, if you're not chronically online like I am, you might not know that February 16th was the end of the year of the snake and February 17th is the beginning of the year of the fire horse.
How sick does that sound?
Like how intimidating is the fire horse?
For a lot of us, the new year began at the beginning of january, but chinese new year starts on february 17th, so the new year literally just started.
And with chinese zodiac there's a 12 animal cycle with five elements wood fire earth, metal and water.
And this year it is the year of the fire horse, which only happens once every 60 years, so like this was kind of a big deal.
The year of the snake was really focused on shedding shedding layers of who you were letting go of your reputation, letting go of people that no longer serve you, letting go of things that just don't work for you anymore.
So if the past year was a really hard one for you, where maybe you felt like you were outgrowing people, You were outgrowing places.
You felt stagnant.
You felt like you wanted to change your life, but you didn't know how to.
Or maybe there were things that you wanted to do, but you were afraid to do.
Just know that you're not alone in that.
So many people may have experienced that as well.
But now as we're stepping into the year of the fire horse, the energy is about to shift a lot.
The year of the fire horse symbolically, is known for one of the most bold energy shifts in the zodiac.
And you might be listening to me right now rolling your eyes because you don't follow astrology.
You don't believe in astrology.
It's not your thing.
I totally get that.
But even if that is you.
I don't want you to listen to this episode focusing solely on astrology.
I want you to use this episode as a way to encourage you and to guide you in stepping into your power and using this type of bold energy to reach your full potential.
Whether that's in self-development, in your career, in your relationships, whatever it is that you want to work on, whatever it is that you want to achieve this year, I want you to use the momentum of this year to your advantage to get what you want.
You also might be someone who had an incredible year last year.
You could have had a very expansive year last year where you were bringing in more than you were letting go of and you don't relate to the energy of the year of the snake and that's fine.
You can still take inspiration from this episode and take bits and pieces that you resonate with.
I just really want you to leave feeling like a fire was lit under your ass.
I want you to feel motivated.
I want you to feel excited.
I want you to truly believe that, whatever it is that you want, you're absolutely capable of achieving it.
We're going to talk about what the year of the fire horse is, what it means for 2026, how this may have an effect on you and how to take advantage of this energy in a realistic way.
So with all that being said, let's get into today's episode.
So in Zodiac tradition, the horse already represents independence and strong energy.
So when you add the fire element, it amplifies that energy.
There's more passion.
There's more drive.
There is even more independence.
So when it comes to 2026 this year being the year of the fire horse it is bound to be filled with fast moving strong, powerful energy that we can all work with.
Last year, you might have felt stuck.
You might have felt like you were repeating patterns.
You might have felt like, no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't break out of where you were.
You might have felt like you lacked creativity or you lacked motivation.
That's the energy that you were working with.
This year is a completely new ballpark.
You're not only starting fresh, you're starting off with a boost.
If you've ever played Mario Kart, right before the race starts, it counts down.
And if you press, I think, B at the right time, you get a boost.
You fly past everyone and you get ahead of everyone.
That's what I envision for this year.
We're hitting the ground running.
We're starting with that boost.
This episode is sponsored by Fabletics.
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2026 is a bold move year.
Think main character energy.
Think, no more waiting.
Everything that you've been picturing in your head, everything that you've been wanting to do, but you weren't sure how to do it.
This is the year.
This is the year that you put all of the what ifs, the I can'ts, I don't know hows aside and you just do it.
We're tapping into risk taking energy and going after what we want.
So if 2026 is the year of bold moves, if we're starting with that boost, if the energy is fast and fiery and independent, how do you actually work with that energy instead of getting burnt by it and feeling overwhelmed and burnt out?
It's not just about movement.
You're not going to be rewarded this year just for taking risks.
They have to make sense.
You're only going to be rewarded and get closer to achieving your goals by intentional movement.
It's not just about speed and working really hard and getting a million things done.
It's about direction.
You want to make moves this year that are not only bold but are aligned with your goals.
This isn't reckless, impulsive energy.
This isn't I want a partner and I want one fast.
So let me go and date the first person that I meet on Tinder.
This isn't I want to blow up on social media.
So let me quit my job with no plan on how to look after myself.
It's intentional decision-making with bold moves, trusting that you know what's best for you and trusting that all your hard work will pay off.
This year, we're choosing independence and our power over waiting for permission from other people or people pleasing to make others happy, while our own happiness sits on the back burner.
This year we're showing up authentically instead of shaping ourselves into what feels safe or feels acceptable.
We're not holding ourselves back because we don't know what's going to happen, or we're scared what people are going to think.
We're stepping out of our comfort zone.
This year rewards courage more than certainty.
So you don't need to have a perfectly mapped out plan and know exactly what you need to do or know exactly how to get it.
You just need to trust yourself and move forward with what feels aligned and true to you.
When you actually embody that energy, when you start acting boldly and with intention, when you stop waiting for permission, waiting for others to validate your ideas or validate your decisions, when you trust yourself and move forward with what feels aligned, despite pushback or despite the uncertainty.
Things are going to shift.
Your identity is going to shift.
Your career might change.
Your relationships might change.
Your self-limiting beliefs, your boundaries, things that you usually tolerate, they all change.
When you step out of your comfort zone and you do more of what you want rather than what's expected of you or what's typical for you.
That's when your life changes for the better.
So let's talk about how this might actually show up in your life this year and how this energy may have an effect on you.
Last year for me, I felt very stuck.
I felt like nothing was really moving for me.
I was just stagnant.
I wasn't growing in my career.
It felt like I was even regressing to old patterns and old behaviors.
My emotions were just kind of all over the place and I was feeling very frustrated.
I was feeling very confused.
There's been a lot of things that I want to do career-wise that I believe I was holding myself back from just because of my own self-limiting beliefs and comfortability.
I also think last year I was falling back into people-pleasing tendencies because I wanted to keep the peace so bad and I wanted certain friendships to work out so badly.
And even without knowing that it was the year of the fire horse coming into this year, I feel like I've let go of a lot of things I've been holding on to so tight from last year.
And things are finally opening up for me, not to mention that my Saturn return just started.
So this is supposed to be a very transformative time for me right now.
But I just went from this very stagnant, tiring energy to super fast, fresh energy this year.
And maybe it's just because it's a new year and things feel fresh when it's a new year.
But I feel like I went from zero to 100 so quickly.
In this month alone, I went to a creator event with other women in Connecticut and we got to try out all these different Valentine's Day drinks and connect and make content and it was so much fun.
And then the week after that I went on a weekend trip to this like content creator New England trip with girls from Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts.
And it was so much fun.
Genuinely, I felt like I was in a sorority.
I was never in a sorority.
So that's what I imagine it felt like because we were all in the same hotel or house.
And it was just such a blast.
And then I locked down my dream partnership for the year with one of my favorite brands.
You'll see that soon.
But when you see it, you're going to be like, oh, yeah, that's big news for you.
And I may be going on a very fun work trip in March.
And as I'm recording this, I'm going to New York City to record a podcast episode at Spotify Studios with a very special guest.
And it just feels like there's so many opportunities flying in my face right now because I'm allowing myself to be open to these things.
These are all things I've wanted to do for the last year that I wanted to happen for me, but I was very closed off.
And I think for a little bit, I kept trying to be invited to things.
I was trying to network and I was trying to do all the things that I feel like I should be doing in my career.
And I was being met with no's or being ignored or not being given opportunities.
So that made me feel like, OK, maybe I should step back.
Maybe this isn't what I'm supposed to be doing.
And then, going into this year, I made my mood board and I made the decision to say yes more to what's meant for me and to say no more more to things that don't feel good to me or don't feel aligned with me or I just don't want to do.
I left my social media management not for any other reason other than I haven't worked for myself in a really long time and I love who managed me.
She's one of my friends and I think For me, separating the two you know work and friendship is really important.
And also, I think it's just what's best for me right now.
I want to put more trust into myself, and I don't think there's anyone who could bet on me more than myself.
I don't think there's anyone better to advocate for me than me.
So that is something different that I'm doing this year and it's really paid off so far and I'm just really excited.
Change is very uncomfortable because there's so much uncertainty around it.
Even though you want something, there's still this push and pull of like i want this, but am i ready?
I want this, but what will people say?
I want this, but i don't know how to get it.
I want this, but what if i mess up?
And that confusion is why so many people stay where they are and they don't step outside of their comfort zone, and that's part of the reason why i have done the same thing.
But I want you to know that, although it's scary, once you take the leap, or even just take a few small steps and things start to change, things start to be put into motion and you see that the things that you want are tangible, they are within reach.
You can accomplish them.
You're not going to want to pump the brakes.
You're not going to question whether you should go for it or not.
You're not going to minimize yourself to make others feel better.
Once you see your potential, you're going to want to run so fast towards it.
And that is an identity shift.
That is breaking away from your old beliefs, your old patterns, your old reputation.
Right now, you might feel really uncomfortable, but it's not because of change.
It's because the lack of change.
You're ready to shed because you've outgrown old versions of you.
You're ready to shift identities.
You're ready to let go of old self-limiting beliefs.
You're ready to let go of people who aren't good for you.
You're ready to let go of your past and step into your future.
For me, this felt and looked like no longer having a tolerance for things that don't match the way I want to live.
Not having the energy to entertain things or entertain people who don't feel good to me.
Not having it in me to say yes to things when I want to say no.
Not letting people disrespect me just to avoid conflict.
Going along with things that don't align with the life that you want to live feels draining.
If you feel that right now, that's a sign that you are ready to shed layers of who you used to be so you can become who you want to be.
You may very well have had a similar experience as me where you felt stuck.
You felt stuck in mud and then it's like this knight in shining armor came and pulled you out of it and everything's changed.
You are charged with energy.
You have all these ideas.
You have so much motivation.
Things are just working in your favor.
You suddenly want to start that project that's been sitting in the back of your head for months.
You randomly have this incredible idea to start a brand after feeling exhausted, working for someone else for the last couple of years.
Out of nowhere, you decide that you want to put yourself out there and start taking creative risks.
It's like the frustration of feeling stuck and stagnant has ignited a fire to get up and start moving.
You no longer want to play it safe or take it slow.
Just want to go after what you want.
You don't want to keep waiting.
You might be feeling the same type of shift in your relationships.
Maybe you've been in one for a while and you weren't sure of it, but you stayed out of fear of being alone, or you just got used to being with that person.
But now you're suddenly craving freedom.
You're suddenly realizing that they're just not for you.
You may have less tolerance for relationships or friendships that feel limiting or misaligned.
You no longer want to settle or just go along with things to make other people feel better.
With this fire energy, things can get really intense on both ends breakups or even just having really intense chemistry with someone new.
The greatest thing that you may feel this year is is the craving for truth over comfort, wanting to align yourself with what feels most authentic to you and shying away from involving yourself in things that you know may have worked in the past for you, but they just don't work anymore.
No longer wanting to stick to your typical routines and patterns because they just don't match the person that you want to be with.
That being said, i want to talk about how to use the year of the fire horse to your advantage.
This episode is sponsored by Momentous.
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Going into this year, you want to make sure you're releasing what drains momentum.
Anything that fell off last year, that you were unsure about or just doesn't sit right with you anymore needs to be released, because holding onto it is just holding you back from reaching your goals.
Any negative or self-limiting thoughts you had about yourself needs to be released, because we really want to have the ability to act on our desires without pulling ourselves back and thinking am I ready for this?
Can I do this?
What will happen if I move forward with this?
More times than not, We are the thing that gets in our own way.
We are the reason that we don't get what we want, because we're so in our heads and we're so insecure about what we're capable of that we don't allow ourselves to even try.
You want to remove anything that does not feel aligned with you and your future life.
Misaligned connections friendships habits routines, anything that again holds you back from who you wish to become.
If you really want to start a business this year, you can't hold on to your self-limiting beliefs of yourself, where you think you're lazy or you're stupid or you're not cut out for success, because those are not ideas that a business person holds.
If you want to meet a partner who matches your energy and wants the same things out of life as you do, you can't keep hanging around and talking to your ex.
If you want to start building a platform on social media, you can't surround yourself with people who make fun of influencers or content creators, because their bad energy will just get into your head.
This horse energy loves freedom, but real freedom comes from having boundaries, from getting real about what you want and from having discipline.
There's things that might be hard to let go, like friends of yours, but if they aren't right for you, you need to do what's best for you, and that might be letting them go.
The other thing that you can do to take advantage of this energy is choosing action over thinking.
More doing and less planning.
That's not to say that you shouldn't be thinking.
Like I said before, there needs to be intention.
We're not being reckless.
But so many of us get stuck in the planning phase, wanting everything to be perfect, overthinking every single step and stressing out if we should do it, that we never get to doing it.
Of course, ideas are important.
Thinking and visualization are the first few steps to creating anything.
But execution, in my opinion, is the most important step.
If you have an idea, if you have a dream, if you have this gut feeling that you're meant to do something this year, you have something that gives you butterflies every time you think about it, and if it were yours today, you'd be the happiest you've ever been.
Now is the time to actually do something about it.
Take action.
Step out of your comfort zone and start the thing.
Start the project.
Start the relationship that you know might feel kind of scary but will be so worth pursuing in the end.
This is also the time to rebrand.
This is the time to step into the person that you want to be, the person that you pin on your Pinterest board, the person that you visualize if all your wildest dreams came true.
This is the time to wear what you want, do your hair the way you want, speak the way you want, spend your time the way that you want, even if it doesn't align with the person that you've been for the last 15 years, 20 years, 40 years.
There is no rule that says that you have to be the same exact person for the entirety of your life.
Just because people know you one way doesn't mean that you have to be that way forever and always.
We're allowed to change and we should change, especially when we realize that the way that we're living and the way that we are isn't the way that we want to be.
Although the energy that we're working with this year is exciting and motivational, You do want to be careful about the decisions that you're making.
It's not all about being the main character and having a huge glow up and changing your whole life overnight.
Sometimes you'll find yourself in these positions where you're saying yes to everything because you want to welcome in those opportunities, but then you're completely burnt out for two weeks and you don't have energy to focus on what's actually important.
You might find yourself confusing this feels exciting with is this actually aligned?
And those two things are not the same thing.
You might find yourself quitting things too fast because you're not getting the results that you want immediately and you're not trusting the process.
You might even start fights in relationships because you suddenly feel suffocated and you're like I need space, I need change, I need something different.
You just want to be careful.
Again, we need to be intentional with this energy.
Being bold and making bold decisions doesn't necessarily mean being chaotic.
Being independent doesn't mean cutting every single person in your life off.
And taking risks doesn't mean blowing up your entire life overnight.
The energy from the fire horse is meant to move you forward, not make you spiral.
You know, there's people who are going to want to go full out and make these really big changes in their life, like shifting their career, changing cities or ending long term relationships, ending friendships, starting businesses, which is great, which is amazing.
But you don't have to.
You don't have to make these big life-altering decisions this year.
You don't have to quit your job or move cities.
You can still work with this energy in smaller but still productive ways that are still going to have a positive impact on your life and move you towards your goals.
For example, changing up your daily routine, waking up an hour earlier, staying off your phone in the morning, eating healthier Monday through Friday, moving your body daily, staying organized, staying on top of your to-do list.
Another small thing that you can do this year is pushing yourself daily to step out of your comfort zone, advocating for yourself and speaking up for yourself, saying what you actually mean, pitching yourself for opportunities that you want to pursue like me right now doing social media solo and having to pitch myself posting the content that's been sitting in your drafts, making bolder moves in what you wear and how you present yourself and how you speak to others.
How I want you to visualize last year and then this year to understand the difference in energy is.
Last year was about letting go.
And then this year is about embracing.
Last year was about shedding.
And this year is about running not running away, but letting running towards the version of you that you keep seeing in your mind and running towards the life that you keep imagining in your head.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
You don't need to have a 10-year plan.
It used to give me so much anxiety when people would ask me, what's your five-year plan?
What's your 10-year plan?
I don't know.
You don't need to know when or how.
You just need to know what you want.
You don't need to have absolute certainty.
You don't need everyone to understand you.
You just need a goal and you need to move.
You need to take action.
Before I close out this episode, I want to leave you with a little assignment.
I do this every now and then and I have fun when I do it.
So I want you to decide one big goal for this year.
One thing you're releasing, one boundary, you're setting, one habit you're building.
And then one brave thing that you're going to do before the end of this year.
For me, mine are saying yes to more opportunities that boost my career.
I'm releasing the need to be perceived in a certain way.
I'm no longer biting my tongue when I sense disrespect.
I am reading more and learning more.
And I want to record more with podcast guests this year.
So think about yours, write them down.
And of course, if you feel inclined to share them with me, I would love if you did.
You can put them in the Spotify comments below below this episode and, as always, you can share them with me on instagram and tiktok.
Those are linked in the show notes.
I hope that this episode helped you in some way.
I hope that it encourages you to take action this year and to go after what you want and stop waiting around for the right moment.
There's never going to be a right moment, if anything.
The right moment's now, with all this energy.
The right moment is now.
Go after what you want, regardless of how nervous or scared you are.
I believe in you.
You got this.
That is everything for today's episode.
I hope you loved it.
If you did, it would mean so much to me if you rated Trina to Care on Spotify and Apple.
And again, if you're not following me already on social media, make sure to do so.
Those are linked in the show notes.
That is everything for today.
I love you and I will talk to you next Monday.
Bye.
